The S2000 is a sharp-edged car that rewards skilled drivers and punishes amateurs. The first-gen car has gotten the better of ambitious drivers who can’t control the lively rear axle, though the second-generation model is only a hair more stable. In either instance, its short wheelbase make it a handful, as Dorri Williams found out one unfortunate day at Atlanta Motorsports Park.

Caught out on cold tires, his S2000 slides slightly at 2:05 and Williams, while he countersteers perfectly, fails to make the requisite line adjustment that comes after correcting a mid-corner twitch. Additionally, he turns in quite early to a corner that requires a slightly later apex, despite its relatively high speed. As a result of these two mistakes, he shoots off into the dirt, where his instinctive countersteering skills show themselves.

To his credit, he seems quite comfortable with countersteering and dials in the appropriate amount of lock from the start. However, when careening off into the grass at speed, it sometimes pays off to try and straighten the car out as slowly as possible; letting it find its way through the grass at its own pace without making any sudden movements or load changes, as the slippery grass will punish them. Since he had a broad shoulder to run onto, he might’ve been able to reduce the steering lock, straighten his car out, slowly reduce the speed, and bring the car back onto the track gently.

With the front wheels countersteering towards the track, once the car hopped over the bump and the front tires gripped the asphalt shoulder, the rears, still on the slippery grass, are then thrust into sliding even more. This agonizingly slow 180°—it must’ve felt like years—ends in a frustrating collision with the wall. Only one lap in, too.