If there’s one thing I urge everyone who’s into cars to do, it’s to really experience driving in a safe, closed environment. Of course, not everyone is able to hit up their closest local trackday, and I’m not talking about economic constraints. Vision is one of the most important things to focus on out on track, but what if you’re blind? Well, you’ll want to grab yourself a helmet and head on up to Granby, Quebec for the next Défi-Vision race.
That’s right, for one night each year, Autodrome Granby plays host to one of the coolest racing events for a good cause anywhere in the world. Officially called Défi-Vision MIRA, it’s a 12-lap oval race that raises money for charity. The Mira Foundation trains guide dogs and provides them free of charge to individuals living with visual, physical, or auditory disabilities, as well as youth with autism. Good stuff, and it gets even better. Instead of the well-heeled gentleman racers you see participating in philanthropic car events, this flagship race puts blind and visually impaired enthusiasts behind the wheel.
Here’s how it works: Each blind driver gets paired with a sighted navigator. There’s a speed limit of 20 km/h (roughly 12 MPH), although the enforceability of that likely gets a bit challenging given how speedometers are generally visual devices. Each car is basically destined for the scrapheap, and the race concludes when the first car crosses the line after twelve successful laps. It all sounds like tremendous fun, and that’s before you account for any of the twists.
See, to keep people from pulling a Ross Chastain and riding the wall, organizers place blocker cars at intervals along the inner and outer barriers. If there’s a really big tangle-up, officials ride out in decommissioned cop cars and gently punt drivers so they’re pointed roughly straight again. Add it all up, and the end result is some of the most entertaining and heartfelt racing on the face of the Earth.
How does this year’s race only have about 400 views on YouTube? Actually, hold that thought because the action is about to start. The green flag drops and away we go! Okay, away some of the field goes. Understandably, reaction times vary, but that Ford Fusion really seems to be making a break for it.
Ah, okay, remember the blocker cars I mentioned earlier that seem to have been put in place to prevent any wall-rides? Just a few seconds after the flag-drop, the number 40 Ford Fusion absolutely drilled a parked Toyota Yaris. No matter, bumpers are consumables; just select reverse, back out, and away we go again.
Further back in the field, a Chrysler Sebring gets properly tangled up, ping-ponging off rivals, blockers, and walls alike before finding itself at a 45-degree angle to the racing direction. It’s alright, here come a couple of decommissioned Tauruses to sort things out. Bam!
How many racing events do you see safety cars get up on two wheels while helping sort out a directional issue? Far out. As you can see, the dirt surface already has some body parts and fluids scattered about, and the first lap isn’t even complete. The beauty of Défi-Vision Mira, though, is that you really can theoretically come from behind and win it all so long as you keep your nose clean.
Midway through the race, the pack’s properly separated and speeds really pick up. Look at that Pontiac Grand Am dragging some bumper, absolutely majestic. Never mind the fender liner it just ran over; that’s merely a bump in the road. At the same time, the number six Chevrolet Cruze is taking an early entry into turn one, but it looks like the Pontiac’s fast enough to slip through.
I’m not going to spoil the rest of the race for you, because it’s truly something you need to watch for yourself. Just pure awesomeness containing everything from an off-track excursion to suspension components that have just given up after a session of bashing.
Sure, entering the Défi-Vision race isn’t as cheap as attending a trackday or even joining a 24 Hours of LeMons team, but remember, it’s a charity event. This year’s entry fees were $2,500 per blind driver and $1,500 per sighted co-pilot, although a little bit of sponsorship goes a long way. However, it’s still fairly inexpensive as far as wheel-to-wheel racing goes, and the money’s donated to an excellent cause. With this year’s race marking 37 years of the event, don’t expect it to end anytime soon. Long may it run, one of the greatest motor races you’ve probably never heard of.
Top graphic image: YouTube/NASCAR Regional
