“Every input was a reflex.” Mark Blundell recalls as he reminisces about his now-infamous lap at Le Mans twenty-five years ago. In the three minutes and twenty-seven seconds it takes to complete this lap, the confident Brit shows exactly why he’s known as a gutsy, fearless driver. After his wastegates had closed shut during qualifying, his Nissan R90CK made somewhere around 1,100 horsepower – enough to break the rear tires loose at high speed. 1990 was the first year the Mulsanne straight was punctuated by the two chicanes to help reduce speeds, but with such colossal power, Blundell still managed to reach a stunning 226 miles per hour.

“For about fifty percent of the lap I felt I was on the verge of a massive accident.” Recalls the former Formula One and Indycar driver. Clearly, his blood was pumping strongly. Despite radio pleading from his engineers who begged him to abort his lap for fear of ruining the engine, Blundell answered by pulling out his radio communication system. His commitment is clearly seen: half of the corners seem to be taken sideways, over the curbs and with little regard for his own safety.

The 3.8-liter V8 powering Blundell’s Nissan suffers from the archetypal turbo lag of the era, and Blundell does his best to keep the wheel as straight as possible when boost hits. When it does, the engine note goes from a muted purr to a frightening roar. Using every inch of the track and then some, Blundell shows us how to cement one’s legacy forever with the quintessential banzai lap.