Corolla’s Last Ride

Poor luck and misfortune are not particular about who they strike, and both found Santos on November 29, 2014. At the Match Race Madness #6 event in Lakeside, California, it was Imports versus Domestics at the Barona 1/8-mile Drag Strip. In his race against Dennis Roach, Santos lost control as he went through the traps, fishtailing before hitting the opposite K-rail and flipping his Corolla several times over before coming to a stop. After speaking with Santos Jr. about what had happened, he described a series of events that went from bad to worse. “As the evening set in, a lot of condensation began to form at the top end of the track, which had a lot of drivers concerned. Still they raced, and as my father went through the traps, the car started to push left. As he tried to recover and straighten out, the Corolla started to dart. He then let off the gas, which unloaded the rear end and pointing the Corolla at the left K rail. Condensation, traction, weight transfer and over correction worked together to cause the crash,” he stated. Although the Corolla was clearly destroyed, Santos miraculously walked away from the crash without any serious injury, another testament to the importance of proper safety equipment.

A Racer In Need

Santos wasted no time moving on from that fateful day at Barona. By the next morning, he and his crew had already started stripping the Corolla of anything useful and channeling their energy into a new platform. A good friend, Daniel Hernandez, donated his 1983 AE71 Corolla shell to the Santos Turbo Racing Team, which has helped to get them back on track. As Santos Sr., Jr. and friends get to work on the new Corolla, they have also begun seeking sponsorship and support for the 2015 race season. As a privateer team, it’s not easy to bounce back from such a terrible crash. But Santos’ passion for drag racing, the support he gets from fans and the encouragement from sponsors drives him to continue to race and raise the bar. “We do this because we love it and we love the fans and the family that this sport brings together. No matter what happens, we will continue to give the fans a show. Equipped with the knowledge to run deep in the 8-second range, a new classic should be tearing up the drag strip in short order.
The Renovales family would like to thank their fans, friends, family and sponsors for their support and concern for Santos Sr. after the incident at Barona. Santos Sr. would also like to thank those who have helped with the build, past or present, as he would not have been able to make these achievements without them.