Formula D Vehicle Damaged by Storm in New Jersey
Jeff Jones/Instagram
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A violent storm hit parts of New Jersey on Thursday afternoon, creating havoc at the Formula Drift event in Englishtown. It was especially unfortunate for Jeff Jones, who returned to the paddock to discover a tree had fallen on his Z, breaking the windshield and caving in the roof. Fortunately, no one was injured, but the damage to the car forced Jones to withdraw it from participating in this weekend’s event.
Jones posted pictures and videos of the damage on Instagram and even took over the official Formula D live stream to reassure fans that he was okay (Note: the clip contains some colorful language). He humorously inquired if anyone had a spare drift car he could use for Saturday's event.
From the detailed photos, it seems that a mature but unhealthy oak tree was responsible. It crushed a significant portion of the roof above the Z’s passenger area and completely shattered the windshield. A large part of the tree was resting on the car, completely compressing its suspension.
On a positive note, the entire front end of the car appears to be mostly undamaged, indicating that the components under the hood should be intact. Even the driver-side door still opens.
As reported by NJ.com, local weather forecasters have dismissed the chance that a tornado caused the damage, suggesting it was due to strong (though still hazardous) straight-line winds. Eyewitnesses noted gusts exceeding 60 mph between 4:00 and 4:30 PM Thursday as the system passed through.
Have trees crashing through your drift car’s windshield? Contact us at [email protected]!
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Formula D Vehicle Damaged by Storm in New Jersey
On Thursday, a windstorm caused a tree to fall on Formula D racer Jeff Jones's car during a period of severe weather affecting various parts of NJ.