Jake Thiewes Racing: Replace and Rebuild

There is a reason we don’t drive around on racing slicks, especially in the rain or just after a storm. Last Saturday, Jake was taking his first practice lap of the weekend when the moisture on the track conspired against the speed of his car as he went around turn #2 at Summit Point Motorsports Park.

On his dash cam video, you can see where the car has it’s first “things are changing” moment. It’s quickly obvious that he will be leaving the track soon, final destination unknown. After sliding across the grass his car came to a violent stop after hiding the berm. The video shows his head hitting the side of his newly installed Sparco Ergo “halo seat.” Without the new seat, it’s easy to speculate as to the type of injury or pains he would have suffered.

After getting a ride back to the paddock, with the car on a tilt-bed truck, Jake was able to size up the extent of the damage. The front tire had come off of the wheel and folded over in half, the control arm (which positions the wheel in the wheel well) bent badly, and the fender, hood, door and bumper were relatively destroyed.

Rather then giving in to the idea that his racing weekend was over, Jake went to work getting his car back in “track worthy” condition. A new control arm and tie rod were sourced, a competitor lent him a set of wheels and tires, the offending body panels were removed, and at 3:38 PM, his car roared back onto the front straightaway with a caved-in door, zip-tied bumper, and missing a fender. One last thing that would make any sponsor happy, besides Jake walking away unharmed, is that my logo is still intact.

A few hours at a junk yard this Saturday will provide the needed body parts that will put the car back in as-good-as new condition.

Hopefully, we will never get another call from the track that starts with “first of all, I’m alright.”