This past weekend, the 2016 Automotion Commotion event took place at the Wisconsin Dells and while the high performance burnout action was fun for almost everyone on hand- the owner of this brand new Chevrolet Corvette Z06 likely didn’t have as much fun as those people who didn’t crash in front of the crowd.
Folks who attend Automotion Commotion have to pay $15 to enter, but if you agree to take your car or truck into the burnout pit for a little tire smokin’ action, you and your passenger get in for free. Doing some burnouts seems like an easy way to save $30 and to show off for the crowd, but that $30 wont go very far in fixing the front end of this new Z06.
The burnout starts fairly poorly, as the driver tries to whip the back end of the 650 hp Corvette Z06 around right from the start. Unfortunately, he barely gives it enough gas to spin the tires so after a few seconds of the rear rubbers roasting, they caught traction and sent him into one of the concrete barriers separating the cars from the crowd.
While the details are short right now, I have spoken to a few people who were at this event and they all confirmed that this was a very low mileage car – with “less than 300 miles” on the odometer. Spectators told me that the front fascia and the front splitter were junk, and both front airbags opened. This will surely be a tough sell for the insurance company.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
