If any ordinary car goes boom during a 24 Hours of LeMons race, it’s just a run of the mill (and probably expected) mechanical failure. When a GM U-body “Dustbuster” van dressed as a spaceship blows up, it’s an event worthy of setting to “Also sprach Zarathustra.” Stanley Kubrick, eat your heart out.
Unfortunately, this was in the final laps of the race at Barber Motorsports Park, so the Dustbuster’s oiling down of the track surface forced the day to end under yellow. BangShift reports that a blown transmission line was to blame for the van’s Alex Jones-worthy chemtrail.
Still, if you’re going to go out, go out with style. Booster rockets, engage!
Photo credits: Stef Schrader
Contact the author at stef.schrader@jalopnik.com. Send horse tranquilizers and Advil.