“Renault Clio RS Crashes on Trackday: Lessons Learned on the Importance of Safety Equipment”

Trackdays offer enthusiasts the chance to gain track experience. Sometimes you learn a lot of lessons in seconds, as happened to this Renault Clio RS driver. “One has to watch this video to see how quickly things can go wrong.”

In his Renault Clio RS, Englishman Liam Pauling raced across Brands Hatch, a circuit southeast of London. Although he seems to have some track experience, things go badly wrong in January of this year.

Major crash in Renault Clio RS during trackday

Pauling hurtles through a wide corner at high speed when the rear wheels lose traction. He quickly tries to counteract, but Pauling himself admitted afterwards that he was ‘a bit too late’ with this. Skidding, the Renault Clio RS reaches the grass, after which there is no stopping it. “At this point I could only try to limit the damage,” says Pauling.

That didn’t work out very well. The car bounces across the grass and Pauling wisely takes his hands off the wheel just before impact. At almost 130 km/h, the Renault Clio RS meets the tire stack. After this fiery encounter, the hot hatch is launched. “I expected a big blow, but I didn’t see that I would fly backwards into the air.”

Danger has not yet passed

The Clio spins one and a half times before coming to a stop on its roof, but the danger is not over yet. The video shows fuel pouring over the ceiling shortly after the crash, while Pauling is still hanging upside down in his racing seat. Fortunately, he manages to climb out of the wreckage unharmed within seconds.

This video proves once again why a proper roll cage is highly recommended for many track days. “Sitting on the grass with your Renault Clio RS upside down next to you puts things into perspective. It goes without saying that I don’t regret the money I spent on safety equipment,” says Liam Pauling. “Thanks to my helmet, FHR system and roll cage I came out of this unscathed.”