Ferrari 250 GTO Catches Fire, Spins On Own Oil, Survives

Vintage racing is risky, even at prestigious events like the Goodwood Revival and Monterey Motorsports Reunion. When you are racing a one-of-36 Ferrari 250 GTO, a car that sits alongside the Mercedes 300 SLR and McLaren F1 as one of the most expensive and historically important in the world, mistakes and mechanical maladies can potentially spell the end of a $50 million car. Former Formula 1 driver Karun Chandok almost found that out the hard way, finding himself backwards and on fire in a 250 GTO during a race at Goodwood earlier today. Somehow, it all worked out in the end.

The spin happened during the day's Lavant Cup race, an event for V-12 Ferraris of a similar vintage. The car started spewing smoke first, then fire on the exit of a corner. The rear wheels snapped out immediately afterward, sending the car into a spin. Chandok somehow regained control quickly, thinking fast as he re-oriented the car and drove it straight onto the outside grass where emergency workers could attend to it.

While Chandok escaped without any sort of injury, a post on social media shows that his racing boot melted in the fire. He claims that "something went bang" shortly before the spin and fire, but he was able to navigate back to safety and the fire was put out relatively quickly. The car may be damaged, but the situation went about as well as it possibly could for both Chandok and the 250 GTO.

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