A Memorial Day dwarf car racing event turned south on the last lap when two cars collided at Reno-Fernley Raceway (not pictured) just east of Reno, Nevada.


The dwarf cars, which usually race on dirt and gravel and are powered by motorcycle engines, slammed into each other on the last lap of the race, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal:

“What happened was three cars were at the front...and when they exited turn four” one of the cars “went too wide in an attempt to pass and lost control,” Maples wrote in an email to the RGJ. “His car hit the wall on the straightaway and slid a ways,” Maples said. “That collision didn’t appear to be that bad...Some tires were flying, but there didn’t seem to be any direct hits. Then one of the cars slid directly down the track perpendicular to the wall in front of a full-speed #8 car. “That was the collision that hushed the crowd. The #8 abruptly popped up from the rear and came to a stop relatively quickly. So it wasn’t a glancing blow that would have dissipated a lot of the energy,” Maples wrote.


The race itself was full of caution flags due to previous incidents throughout the race, and a yellow flag came out before the last lap, the RGJ said. It's unclear from the article, however, whether or not the drivers, both in their 60's, were under a yellow caution when the accident occurred.

Any motor racing accident is, of course, a tragedy, but we should be wise to remember that even family racing events far removed from the glitz and glamor of the Indy 500 and the Monaco Grand Prix can be dangerous. Be safe out there.

We'll update you if we get more information.

Photo credit: Paul Hamilton