Drag Race Turns Airshow: Camaro Takes Off, Sticks the Landing

A launch becomes a liftoff.

At Lights Out 12 on February 24, 2021, this Camaro hits it hard, bites, and suddenly trades traction for altitude. It’s the kind of moment you only need to see once to feel it in your stomach.

The front end rises, keeps rising, and then the car yaws to the right in mid-air.
That’s not a wheelstand. That’s flight.

Just before going airborne, the small black parachute snaps open—an emergency move that buys stability when nothing else will. It’s quick thinking you can actually see.

The landing isn’t gentle.
The nose comes down on the front-left corner first with a sharp puff of smoke, then all four slam the surface. It’s ugly, but it works.

For a beat, the Camaro skates sideways.
Tires chirp, chassis loads, and the driver tidies it up with calm hands. A half-second later, it’s tracking straight and rolling out like the plan was always “survive first, finish second.”

That save is why the clip lives rent-free.
Big power can send you up; composure brings you back.

Viewers turned shock into one-liners right away.
Pinned by @floracing, @MrPiecewise joked: “SAMIR! YOU’RE BREAKING THE CAR.”

The bragging rights write themselves.
@michaelscott-joynt3215: “The only driver that has the complete right to say, ‘I was flying’ to describe how fast he was going.”

Perspective from the other lane is priceless.
@Tom-hk2ep imagined it: “you take off, throttle to the floor… your opponent has achieved takeoff and is currently 12ft above you.”

And the deadpan classic never gets old.
@Homeless_Pigeon: “‘Yes officer, it’s stock’.”

Underneath the drama is basic physics doing brutal work.
Sticky prep plus weight transfer puts the nose high; airflow under the car acts like a bad wing; a small rotation becomes a big problem. Wheelie bars help, but when you’re already airborne, it’s throttle finesse, minimal steering, and—if you’re lucky—a well-timed chute.

Short clip. Huge lesson.
Fast is fun until lift happens.
Then it’s all about the landing.

Turn it up, watch the climb, and pay attention to the second after touchdown. That’s where the skill is.

Is that not the most entertaining drag race you’ve ever seen?