If you’ve ever ridden a track day, you know how much fun it can be.  There are no inattentive drivers, no police, or similar things that could inhibit your wide-open throttle and apex storming.

But, there is one thing that can make a track day less enjoyable.  It’s poor weather.  Speeds and lean angles are reduced, rain pellets can feel like bullets and your visor can fog reducing your vision.

But you’ve already paid you money so why not head out onto the track?  In the pouring rain, on a track with deep standing water.  Oh and a tornado!

Well, not really a tornado, but a funnel cloud – a tornado that has not yet reached the ground.  Whether its a funnel cloud or a tornado, while you’re out there trying to pound the apexes the best you can, seeing a dark funnel-shaped object that moves is a real eye-opener!

Twister in the Heartland

That’s just what happened to Hayley Cox during a track day visit to Kansas’ Heartland Park motorsports complex in Topeka, Kansas, USA.  You know, the state where Dorothy and Toto went for a little “spin”.  And, Hayley caught the forming storm in her track day recording.

The scene is part of a more than seven-minute video that we’ve embedded here.  For those of you who are in a rush, click the featured video link at the top of this page to see the storm within a few seconds.

Ultimately, it’s difficult to see whether the funnel cloud actually made it to the ground to become a tornado.  But regardless, it’s certainly something that should get you off the track.. pronto.

Off the track

And that seems to be the case here as the session is red-flagged shortly thereafter.  And, it appears the Haley took the red flag to heart as she immediately gets off the track while some of her other compatriots stay on.  I’m sure I’d be off the track as quickly as Haley under the circumstances.

Tip of the hat to Ollie Barstow at Visor Down for finding this video.

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