A Porsche race car flew off the circuit at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Saturday after an apparent brake failure sent it airborne near the track’s signature Corkscrew section.
Manuel Gil Del Real was driving the No. 270 Porsche when the car appeared to lose braking power as he charged toward the famed Zanardi Corkscrew at the end of the Rahal Straight.
Video from the frightening Laguna Seca crash shows Del Real’s Porsche 911 arriving at the corner at high speed, cresting the blind rise without slowing before launching over the curb, sailing past the tire barrier and tearing through the protective catch fencing.
The impact ripped the race car apart as it flipped into the thick trees beyond the track boundary, scattering debris and sections of barrier across the hillside.
Remarkably, Del Real survived the violent wreck and was transported by air to a nearby hospital for medical care.
Porsche Motorsport North America later confirmed that Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West driver Manuel Gil Del Real was awake after the on-track incident during Saturday morning’s race at Laguna Seca.
The organization said he had been taken to a Salina hospital, where he was being evaluated and treated, according to a statement reported by Road and Track Magazine.
