We saw what happens when your brakes fail at the end of the straight at the Circuit of the Americas. Now we get to go on-board with Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge racer Tim Bell in his 370Z. And man, he is one cool cat.
According to Bell's description in the video, his brakes went out at 154 MPH, and after pitching the Z sideways, he managed to scrub off some speed, but still hit the barriers at a pants-ruining 136 MPH.
Two things come to mind: First, it pays to keep your head on straight when shit goes pear-shaped. Secondly, as Axis of Oversteer points out, there's surprisingly little damage thanks to those high-tech barriers. They're made by TecPro, with foam filled plastic canisters tied together by nylon straps. They're more expensive than tires, but require less maintenance. They're also much more effective at absorbing energy, as evidenced by Bell walking away from what could've been a life-threatening shunt.