Click above to watch the video.
After amassing a healthy lead over their competitors, Subaru Rally Team USA driver Travis Pastrana and co-driver Christian Edstrom were able to play it cool for the second to last stage of the 2008 SnoDrift Rally last weekend. All was well as they made their way through the forest roads and fresh powder until one of God's creatures decided that now would be a good time to cross the ice-covered stage road. As the 2007 WRX STI careened down the road at over 60 mph, Bambi colliding with Pastrana's left front bumper, causing irreparable damage to the engine and ending the team's race as the Subaru coasted to a stop. We're not sure if it was Pastrana or Edstrom who let out the shriek just as the deer hit, but we've got to give them points for using far fewer expletives than we would've.
You can check the video after the jump and read a full account of the race over at Vermont Sports Car's website.
Thanks for the tip Chris!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Dan Roth @ Jan 30th 2008 3:09PM
Ouch. Venison, anyone?
Derek @ Jan 30th 2008 3:28PM
Make mine summer sausage and some jerky. oooo, get the backstrap too. Sucks though, for both parties, maybe the deer was one of those crazy European spectators in a former life.
TwinTurbo3000GT @ Jan 30th 2008 11:25PM
wow that guy screamed like a little girl lol. My gf didnt even sound that bad when she nailed one when she was 17 lol.
poor car.
klitorisaurus @ Jan 30th 2008 3:20PM
You'd think rally cars would have those little deer whistlers on em. I had those growing up and never hit a deer, then hit two deer with my next car that didn't have em. May just be coincidence but they seemed to work well for me.
Alex @ Jan 30th 2008 3:25PM
"May just be coincidence"
you got that right. those things have never been proven to work. i know of a couple of people who have creamed a deer with them on the car.
Mr. Oak @ Jan 30th 2008 4:40PM
Creamed Deer, yummy!
Dave @ Jan 30th 2008 3:21PM
That's pretty scary. I usually do 45 mph or so down a deer-ridden road around here. I might take it down a notch now...
Benfolio @ Jan 30th 2008 3:27PM
Probably should have used less headlights.
Alaskan @ Jan 30th 2008 3:28PM
Deer.. sheesh.. Try hitting a full-grown moose doing 60 on an icy road... Ask me how I know... Engine damage is the last thing you'd be thinking about :)
JD @ Jan 30th 2008 4:01PM
Right, well, try racing your balls off for 2 days, with the win in the bag, 1 min 44 with 11 miles left? And then hitting a damn deer! That would suck so much. And yeah, engine trouble would be your first concern. Man, I'd be pissed.
Chris @ Jan 30th 2008 3:29PM
I feel bad for the deer...now where are those damn flying cars we were promised!
TriShield @ Jan 30th 2008 3:30PM
I spent most of my life in the Midwest and hitting deer during night driving is a fact of life.
I have an old LeSabre I've hit 5 deer with, and yes, it's had the whistles on it. All you can do is drive very slowly and defensively or avoid night driving altogether. Now that I live in the desert southwest I don't have to worry about them. Or mosquitoes, or snow, or being cold. lol
JunkStory @ Jan 30th 2008 3:32PM
Imagine watching an unedited version of that video, it would scare the sh*t out of people.
Drewboy @ Jan 30th 2008 3:46PM
I would eat the deer that would steal my win from me.
Benfolio @ Jan 30th 2008 3:54PM
Eat it to stave off hunger, and wear it's coat to keep warm until rescue arrives.
Good plan. Good plan.
Guenther @ Jan 30th 2008 10:14PM
Help would have arrived within about 45 minutes when the Sweep trucks came through. I worked (sweep) at this race years ago- the stages get HAIRY lat in the race as they get run multiple times and turn to ice.
Two answer to deer collisions in the Mid-west: get more light, to spot em on the road-side, and look into something like a bull-bar. They do take a deer-hit. Brush-guards do NOT.
TriShield @ Jan 30th 2008 3:58PM
Aaaaaaaahhhh!!!
Jeff @ Jan 30th 2008 4:21PM
That yell/scream actually made me jump a bit...
ErikT @ Jan 30th 2008 3:59PM
more cowbell.
Pedro @ Jan 30th 2008 4:02PM
More deer bell!