+William Bowles Now that I think about it, it also sounds like a super hero origin story. Maybe you should check and see if you have any super powers you may not have had before.
That's not whatsoever clickbaity. A clickbait headline withholds the most important information to force you to click through. This is upfront. "fiery racecar disaster" is exactly what happened. "I can't believe what happened during the race" is clickbait
I work in media, and have realised that one man's (person's?) clickbait is another's perfectly reasonable headline. Some feel that any superlative or strong adjective is unacceptable, while others only consider Upworthy-style headlines to be clickbait. Anyway... My comment was mainly just riffing off of the video description and the other comments praising John's self-awareness about the clickbaity-ness of the headline.
+Jan Vermeulen As the car was quickly fixable it was not much of a disaster, therefore the headline is using an exaggeration and can be classified as clickbait. (using the definition of "a headline that is fabricated in a way to make the user click because of mistakanly assuming interesting content")
Alanna R. I'm not actually sure... Probably through linking various online identities to Google+ when it first launched. Likely it's because my Google+ page is linked to and from my author profile on the site where I write.
It's so clear in some of John's videos that he is an author, and a damn good one at that. "The heat of the flame against my back, my panicked hands as I tried to unbuckle the belts, the smokey relief of being pulled from the car..." John really knows how to put you in the story
well thats relatable ;) ...all those memories of standing/sitting somewhere in the cold while something mildly interesting happens (totally subjective of course)...I hope they had something warm to drink :)
This reminds me of a conversation I had recently with my (9yr old) son in which I said, "There's gonna be times in your life that you kind of regret doing a thing but you're glad you did it. You won't necessarily want to do it again, but if you rewound time with your memories intact you'd still do it the first time...er, again. I'm sure that doesn't make as much sense said out loud as it does in my heart."
This is so nice to see! Stiefvater was my first favorite author and now I have a multitude of favorites, and John and Maggie are still ranked at the very top! So great to see a video with both of them.
Yesterday my mom began to tell my dad some quote of John's, which went like this: Mom: "You know what John Green said?" Dad: "AHHHH MY CAR'S ON FIRE" Mom: "No- well I mean, probably, but-"
Wish I could've gone to the race, but it was so nice to see you IRL at Nerdcon, even though I didn't actually meet you. I feel like I'm also constantly in that space of doing things I know I'm not supposed to be doing and then overcorrecting. But like your fantastic crew at the track, I have people to help me put out the fires, which is nice to know.
This was the most stressful thing I've ever actually been a part of, I'm still so glad you're okay and weren't to shaken up that you could still meet with us :)
Even for those of us who made it to NerdCon but were foolish enough to miss the race (It was quite a ways out of town and there were still things going on in the Convention Center, after all) it was awesome to sit around and watch the videos of the race with the other convention goers...because not surprisingly in this day and age--we saw them almost, if not quite exactly, in real time. Good job...and are you SURE you couldn't be talked into a rematch next year? Or better yet, somewhere around VidCon, maybe?
Yeah, like, why does he even bother writing books and making RUclips videos and such anymore if he could just focus on his professional race car career instead??
I was there! What a weird feeling to be able to rewatch something I saw live! You raced well John and everyone I talked to admired your courage in getting back into a car that had been on fire!
+Will Leonard I think he's got plenty of money now! Coming from being an overly cautious person to getting a taste of what real adrenaline is like can certainly change a person! I was shy and stayed home most weekends growing up and through high school, but now as a young adult I try to check off bucket list items as often as I can! Once you start you can't stop
Hi John! I rode an escalator next to you and fan girl-ed like a moron while people below looked at me like I was, well, a moron. You did not flinch though. No you did not even look my way, but instead graciously continued to speak to your fans who had chosen the escalator with you. Thanks John for not forgetting to be awesome.
John, We have never met in person nor have we ever interacted online, but after watching your videos for many years, I feel I have become close to you and Hank. You've both become a very important part of my life. And after watching this video, I now find myself quite literally unable to stop myself from openly weeping at the thought of you in peril. I'm SO happy you are safe and sound! The idea of a world without you in it is simply not one I would like to be in. I'm glad you exist and still exist.
I'm so glad you got back in after the first firey mishap. So happy you didn't let it stop you from enjoying the rest of the evening, thought it no doubt rattled your cage. Way to be awesome, John.
This is my new favorite John Green video. John, I normally like your brother better, but seeing you climb safely out of a burning car is so cool! Hank, you have to top this!!!!
Sometimes your videos can be about something complete irrelevant to my life such as race car driving but the message seems to always fit with whatever I am currently worrying about. Thank you for always unknowingly helping me with me problems.
as a fellow anxious person, I think the fact that you were able to get back in the car and race again is the true victory. This is why I admire you; time and time again you let us see you be anxious about a thing, and not let it stop you. it's inspiring.
I never thought I could have a cameo in one of your videos, John. I suppose that the only reason I was able to pick myself out is because wore a bright red scarf and hat. We were so happy to have been able to make it to the track. I was scared for your life, so I am happy to hear of your retirement. Thank you for visiting Minnesota, John.
We, your fans are all glad you were unscathed in the fire and that you won a trophy. We expect to see it in the background in your next video from the office. My question is: Who was your film crew? They did a great job of filming the action.
+Viper magi It is probably related in some way to the George Carlin quote of "...Famous Potatoes, and LIVE FREE OR DIE!! ... and somewhere in the middle the truth lies."
I was totally there! I was one of the four people that, if John hadn't braked so hard and had a wall in the way, you would have hit us. I was the one who trilled in-stead of whooping and hollering. (Not that any-one would have heard me, but still.) Wish I could have talked to John, and seen/talked to Hank while they were in my home town! I've been an avid Nerdfighter since year 1.5, and this was the first time I've ever been able to see either vlogbrother in real life! :D Please come back to the twin cities again, soon!
Really really glad you are okay John. I read my RUclips notification this morning at work for your video and I could not sit and watch it ALL DAY LONG and it kinda freaked me out to think a fellow person who I admire and want more books from 《;) ;)》could be hurt so yeah I am glad you are good.
I love Maggie Stiefvater's books and of course I recognize her car from the Raven Cycle books! (have read 2, 3rd one is on my nightstand as we speak) So glad no-one got hurt, loved seeing Maggie dominate that track, even against the professionals!
Pardon my French, but John you are becoming quite a Badass. 1. Tattoo 3. Race cars catching on fire What will will be next? Thanks for staying awesome! Yeah!
I definitely watched this video when it came out, but I'm coming back to it after this week's Dear Hank and John, now knowing who Maggie Stiefvater is and having read her work and just reveling in how unexpected life is
+Andrea Breckenridge I was right in front of her in the stands. She didn't make a sound, but stood up and watched like the rest of the audience. Then later when talking to a fan said, "I can't believe he got back into it..." and chuckled. I couldn't tell if it was a nervous chuckle. Then during the speech John did at the very end, he apologized to her for getting back in. lol
i'm glad you didn't die in a fire john i've watched that footage of the car catching fire a bunch since that night, but every time-- even though i know it'll be fine-- my heart drops. even the first time, when i already knew it was fine and you didn't die a fiery death...
It sounds twisted, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching you catch on fire that night. Thanks for bringing your wonderful (still breathing, thank god) self to Princeton!
That is such an awesome experience, every second of it! I wish I could have been there in person, and I can't believe Maggie won against actual race car people.
That was genuinely terrifying to watch happen in front of me (though I've since been told it's not particularly uncommon?). But aside from those moments, the rest was great! Maggie was fun to watch and she completely stomped the competition. Watching you drive her car for a minute was cool too.
Congratulations on your racecar-driving retirement after a brief, thrilling, and glorious career. My friends Genevieve and Valerie who were there said their hearts stopped for a moment when the flames made their appearance. So glad you're okay.
I guess there aren't many gear-heads like myself in Nerdfighteria because as soon as I saw Maggie's Evo I thought this was all a bit strange and I wasn't surprised at all that she had John off the line because 1. The Evo is all-wheel drive and has a 2l turbo 4 cylinder with a manual transmission, and 2. the circle track cars are real-wheel drive, and are meant to start from a roll not standing as they did here. Even with John's inexperience though, I am surprised that her couldn't catch/keep up with Maggie because the suspension of the circle track cars are made to slide around those corners at high speeds and they have much more powerful engines based on the Chevy v8. Still, it takes skill to drive one and I doubt that if the owner of the circle track car had driven Maggie would have won. Also, I'm assuming John wasn't talking about the other v8 race cars when he mentions Maggie's victory over pro drivers because in the shot he says that in there are lower class 4 cylinder cars on the track. That is the car guy's analysis of the most car-involved Vlogbrothers video.
Of course! And I love teaching people about vehicles and how they work because they're my passion; hell I'm even at school right now for a degree in high performance auto! So if you have any questions I'd be happy to explain! And if I don't know the answer I'll find out!
+Vocaloidict It has to do with cornering- or more specifically - sliding and controlling that slide. Basically when sliding around the corner like those cars are designed to the driver has to find a balance. If one over-corrects in the corner or exit like John did, the car will grip and whip the other direction then back and so on until the vehicle looses all speed and stops. Listen to what John says in the video and maybe try google to help you understand more. It's pretty complicated and that's about the best I can explain it.
+Wyatt B It has to do with weight transfer as well as some other physics stuff. If he lets off the gas, weight will transfer to the front and the front tires will have more grip and the weight will be lifter from the back wheels lessening their grip. This causes the back of the car to swing around. Does that make sense?
It was probably one of the most intense moments I've witnessed in a long time! I was there, sitting just a bleacher seat in front of and a few feet to the left of Sarah Green, and I give her soooooooo many props for not freaking the eff out when this happened. She stood up (like everyone) but didn't run down to see John until after the last race about an hour to an hour and a half later. John, congratulations on not dying in a fiery inferno in front of a ton of fans. And on winning that one race/heat. (Even if Maggie "let" you win...you did really well.)
+NinjaNerd007 HOLY CRAP I'M IN A VLOGBROTHERS VIDEO!!!! 2:06, you can see Sarah Green sitting by herself off on the right side, I'm in the brownish sweatshirt on the far left in front!
HEY! Mille Lacs! I just filmed a documentary there over the summer! The anishinaabe culture is freaking beautiful. I'm so sad I had to miss out, it would have been awesome to meet you guys
lol Don't feel bad, John. Her Evo X is AWD, and turbo. You got a rwd v8, and on a dirt track I don't fell that you stood a chance. Excellent race, and congrats on not dying! ;)
So I'm listening back to Dear Hank and John and heard you announce this, so I went to check if this had actually happened. Yes. It did. And spectacularly so!
This is full of so much win I don't know where to start, so I won't. Just awesome! Too bad we won't see you hanging around the pits looking for a ride come May, John.
Glad to see John OK. As a motorcycle road racer & ex gokart racer, I'm drawn to speculate about what happened there, because I could see fire break out on that car about the time it first got lateral from the wrong side. It is true that John shouldn't have got all messed up and crossed up the wrong way, but the car should not have burst into flames because of that... I would speculate that when John went the other way, the fuel sloshed in the tank and then overflowed, down onto an exhaust collector. But, with a properly build and maintained fuel system, that simply shouldn't happen. You would not have got me back in that car a second time...
I’m revisiting this video because when I preordered The Anthropocene Reviewed and Mister Impossible from my local bookshop, it turned out they’re coming out the same day, and it gave me an excuse to tell the owner about this delightful story
"It's not the size of your fwoosh. It's how you wield it" - Richard, Looking For Group. I am glad your safe, John, and that you went back into that car and won.
"Vlogbrothers uploaded the video 'john green's fiery race car disaster'" I had to sit through class with the TERROR of what happened to you plaguing my mind. Overjoyed to hear that you are alright.
As someone who's dad got her into reading and auto racing (of all types) seeing one of my favorite authors compete against another one of my favorites was like some sort of dream Glad you are okay John!
Can I just say that being a Minnesotan that has seen all of the places in this video personally, this video is very satisfying on the whole? I can't be the only one.
I really have to hand it to you for getting back in that car, John. I have no idea how you did that. If it had been me you'd have had trouble getting me into so much as one of those red and yellow Little Tikes Cozy Coupes, ha!
+Matthew Williams I was all "oh, wait, don't say anything I don't want to hear" while simultaneously KNOWING he wouldn't say anything terrible. Interesting how much you can think and how much anxiety can build up within such a little time frame.
"Maggie won the race, but I caught fire and didn't get hurt"
I'd say that's a win in my book!
+William Bowles Now that I think about it, it also sounds like a super hero origin story.
Maybe you should check and see if you have any super powers you may not have had before.
+William Bowles details of the new book!! spoilers!
+William Bowles Check if there are baby dragons.
+William Bowles Well, Maggie set her car on fire and didn't get hurt on the way home, so I guess that puts her ahead again.
Proof that sometimes clickbaity headlines aren't so bad, and are in fact an accurate description of the content they title.
That's not whatsoever clickbaity. A clickbait headline withholds the most important information to force you to click through. This is upfront. "fiery racecar disaster" is exactly what happened. "I can't believe what happened during the race" is clickbait
I work in media, and have realised that one man's (person's?) clickbait is another's perfectly reasonable headline.
Some feel that any superlative or strong adjective is unacceptable, while others only consider Upworthy-style headlines to be clickbait.
Anyway... My comment was mainly just riffing off of the video description and the other comments praising John's self-awareness about the clickbaity-ness of the headline.
+Jan Vermeulen As the car was quickly fixable it was not much of a disaster, therefore the headline is using an exaggeration and can be classified as clickbait. (using the definition of "a headline that is fabricated in a way to make the user click because of mistakanly assuming interesting content")
My question is how did you end up getting verified if you have 6 subscribers and no videos
Alanna R. I'm not actually sure... Probably through linking various online identities to Google+ when it first launched. Likely it's because my Google+ page is linked to and from my author profile on the site where I write.
It's so clear in some of John's videos that he is an author, and a damn good one at that.
"The heat of the flame against my back, my panicked hands as I tried to unbuckle the belts, the smokey relief of being pulled from the car..."
John really knows how to put you in the story
2:07 looks awefully close to a shivering, lonely Yeti
+Nuran On Or maybe just a Yeti that is wondering why she agreed to let her husband drive a race car lol
+Nuran On yeah it does.
+Nuran On She was kinda mad at me. -John
+vlogbrothers Rightfully so, as it turns out.
well thats relatable ;) ...all those memories of standing/sitting somewhere in the cold while something mildly interesting happens (totally subjective of course)...I hope they had something warm to drink :)
I was getting the live (but vague) updates from your Twitter and I was like "WHAT DO YOU MEAN JOHN'S CAR CAUGHT FIRE?!?!"
Nice John another job on your resume
John Green: Author
RUclips Star
Racecar Driver
Awesome guy!
+Der Nudelexpress You forgot bestselling Author, which I think would disappoint John
Retired Racing Driver*
+Der Nudelexpress *Also semi-professional FIFA Player.
* Executive Producer
* Novelist
Proud of you! That must've been TERRIFYING
+Evan Edinger You could have at least had TERRI*FRYING*. :D
This reminds me of a conversation I had recently with my (9yr old) son in which I said, "There's gonna be times in your life that you kind of regret doing a thing but you're glad you did it. You won't necessarily want to do it again, but if you rewound time with your memories intact you'd still do it the first time...er, again. I'm sure that doesn't make as much sense said out loud as it does in my heart."
Your awareness of clickbaity titles is commendable. And it is an accurate title, lovely lovely.
This is so nice to see! Stiefvater was my first favorite author and now I have a multitude of favorites, and John and Maggie are still ranked at the very top! So great to see a video with both of them.
Yesterday my mom began to tell my dad some quote of John's, which went like this:
Mom: "You know what John Green said?"
Dad: "AHHHH MY CAR'S ON FIRE"
Mom: "No- well I mean, probably, but-"
Wish I could've gone to the race, but it was so nice to see you IRL at Nerdcon, even though I didn't actually meet you. I feel like I'm also constantly in that space of doing things I know I'm not supposed to be doing and then overcorrecting. But like your fantastic crew at the track, I have people to help me put out the fires, which is nice to know.
This was the most stressful thing I've ever actually been a part of, I'm still so glad you're okay and weren't to shaken up that you could still meet with us :)
Even for those of us who made it to NerdCon but were foolish enough to miss the race (It was quite a ways out of town and there were still things going on in the Convention Center, after all) it was awesome to sit around and watch the videos of the race with the other convention goers...because not surprisingly in this day and age--we saw them almost, if not quite exactly, in real time. Good job...and are you SURE you couldn't be talked into a rematch next year? Or better yet, somewhere around VidCon, maybe?
Yeah, like, why does he even bother writing books and making RUclips videos and such anymore if he could just focus on his professional race car career instead??
+juststeveschannel Aw man, that would've been #1 priority for me! :-D
I was there! What a weird feeling to be able to rewatch something I saw live! You raced well John and everyone I talked to admired your courage in getting back into a car that had been on fire!
Johns starting to have a midlife crisis getting a tattoo and racing are two main signs
+Will Leonard. Is it also a midlife crisis symptom to write lots of books? I hope it is!
J. van der Linden maybe if he needs money for all of his expensive hobbies
+Will Leonard I think he's got plenty of money now! Coming from being an overly cautious person to getting a taste of what real adrenaline is like can certainly change a person! I was shy and stayed home most weekends growing up and through high school, but now as a young adult I try to check off bucket list items as often as I can! Once you start you can't stop
+J. van der Linden just being a writer is a sign of a mid life crisis
+Will Leonard
Let's wait for the day he drives off in a sports car with a young blonde named Chrissy.
Words cannot explain how much I love vlogbrothers videos with voice over narration.
Hi John! I rode an escalator next to you and fan girl-ed like a moron while people below looked at me like I was, well, a moron. You did not flinch though. No you did not even look my way, but instead graciously continued to speak to your fans who had chosen the escalator with you. Thanks John for not forgetting to be awesome.
+Xenolilly Oh, John is such a good guy. This made me realllly happy to read. I'm sure you didn't look like a moron.
+Xenolilly haha I did the same thing! I was on the escalator and heard his voice behind me talking to some awesome fans.
"Maggie showed up with the awesome car"
Because it had a door
John, We have never met in person nor have we ever interacted online, but after watching your videos for many years, I feel I have become close to you and Hank. You've both become a very important part of my life. And after watching this video, I now find myself quite literally unable to stop myself from openly weeping at the thought of you in peril. I'm SO happy you are safe and sound! The idea of a world without you in it is simply not one I would like to be in. I'm glad you exist and still exist.
I'm so glad you did this John! What a great experience. We need more nerd racecar drivers, so I hope you'll consider taking the wheel again.
I'm so glad you got back in after the first firey mishap. So happy you didn't let it stop you from enjoying the rest of the evening, thought it no doubt rattled your cage. Way to be awesome, John.
This is my new favorite John Green video. John, I normally like your brother better, but seeing you climb safely out of a burning car is so cool! Hank, you have to top this!!!!
You never know until you try it. And if you are smart, you never try it again
Words to live by
I love your profile picture hahah.
+Leftyloveshuskies To the contrary.
Once you understand the danger, you wield it's power and cackle in glorious domination.
+Leftyloveshuskies Had a friend who used to say: I"ll try anything once, and if it doesn't kill me, I'll do it again.
ps
Sometimes your videos can be about something complete irrelevant to my life such as race car driving but the message seems to always fit with whatever I am currently worrying about. Thank you for always unknowingly helping me with me problems.
as a fellow anxious person, I think the fact that you were able to get back in the car and race again is the true victory.
This is why I admire you; time and time again you let us see you be anxious about a thing, and not let it stop you. it's inspiring.
I never thought I could have a cameo in one of your videos, John. I suppose that the only reason I was able to pick myself out is because wore a bright red scarf and hat. We were so happy to have been able to make it to the track. I was scared for your life, so I am happy to hear of your retirement. Thank you for visiting Minnesota, John.
I really love how you are able to analyse situations and come up with the sound advice!!
You won the race in our hearts, John.
Maggie drove a very technical line. She was in the pocket on those curves. On a dirt track! Impressive as all get out.
One of my favorite and most exciting Vlogbrothers videos ever.
Minnesota, race cars, FIRE.
So Maggie won.
John, are you sure you didn't go Green with envy?
Anyone? Anyone?
No? Okay. (T_T)
Hahahaha you win!
+HelenaEatsBooks thats very flirtatious. are you sure you want to go there?
HelenaEatsBooks all I know is that I'm not letting you near any of my books.
HelenaEatsBooks I'm not so sure about that. I think I'll check this on Omnictionary.
-_-
love the moral behind everything. Also glad your still among us John. World would suck alot more without you.
We, your fans are all glad you were unscathed in the fire and that you won a trophy. We expect to see it in the background in your next video from the office.
My question is: Who was your film crew? They did a great job of filming the action.
This is an incredibly important lesson I wish far more people took seriously.
+Viper magi It is probably related in some way to the George Carlin quote of "...Famous Potatoes, and LIVE FREE OR DIE!! ... and somewhere in the middle the truth lies."
The exact three minutes and three seconds of auditory introspection I needed tonight. You are stellar, and , in a non creepy way, Love! Thank you
You continue to post well shot, thoughtful videos that are both reflective and insightful. Thanks.
I really like the idea that being too cautious is at least as dangerous as being too reckless.
That's awesome! Glad to hear you're safe John. Hopefully you had some fun in all the excitement.
I was totally there! I was one of the four people that, if John hadn't braked so hard and had a wall in the way, you would have hit us. I was the one who trilled in-stead of whooping and hollering. (Not that any-one would have heard me, but still.) Wish I could have talked to John, and seen/talked to Hank while they were in my home town! I've been an avid Nerdfighter since year 1.5, and this was the first time I've ever been able to see either vlogbrother in real life! :D Please come back to the twin cities again, soon!
*gets notification for this in the middle of gym*
*drops everything to watch this video*
This is why nobody picks me to be on their team....
The narration was so eloquent and beautiful! I really enjoyed this video. :)
Really really glad you are okay John. I read my RUclips notification this morning at work for your video and I could not sit and watch it ALL DAY LONG and it kinda freaked me out to think a fellow person who I admire and want more books from 《;) ;)》could be hurt so yeah I am glad you are good.
I love Maggie Stiefvater's books and of course I recognize her car from the Raven Cycle books! (have read 2, 3rd one is on my nightstand as we speak) So glad no-one got hurt, loved seeing Maggie dominate that track, even against the professionals!
I love your videos, John. You make me feel inadequate as a human being, but you also fill me full of awesome. Thank you :-)
~Trav
Pardon my French, but John you are becoming quite a Badass.
1. Tattoo
3. Race cars catching on fire
What will will be next?
Thanks for staying awesome! Yeah!
Where is 2?
+Sophia Nguyen 2 be continued
I definitely watched this video when it came out, but I'm coming back to it after this week's Dear Hank and John, now knowing who Maggie Stiefvater is and having read her work and just reveling in how unexpected life is
I feel like the Yeti was probably like, "OH GOSH OH GOSH OH GOSH."
+Andrea Breckenridge I was right in front of her in the stands. She didn't make a sound, but stood up and watched like the rest of the audience. Then later when talking to a fan said, "I can't believe he got back into it..." and chuckled. I couldn't tell if it was a nervous chuckle. Then during the speech John did at the very end, he apologized to her for getting back in. lol
The fault in our Cars
Clearly, should have been actual vid title
Great video John, I really enjoyed it. Keep up the good work. Also I just watched Papertowns todays and I thought it was amazing!
Easily the most exciting "Thoughts from places."
i'm glad you didn't die in a fire john
i've watched that footage of the car catching fire a bunch since that night,
but every time-- even though i know it'll be fine-- my heart drops.
even the first time, when i already knew it was fine and you didn't die a fiery death...
One of the best vlogbrothers video ever!
It sounds twisted, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching you catch on fire that night. Thanks for bringing your wonderful (still breathing, thank god) self to Princeton!
That is such an awesome experience, every second of it! I wish I could have been there in person, and I can't believe Maggie won against actual race car people.
glad that no one injured
+Eko ari wibowo The car may be.
+7GehirneUndKeinsGeht Poor car :c Get well soon!
Outstanding. What a great experience. DFTBA!
YAY MAGGIE FOR DOMINATING!! YAY John for not dying in a fiery car crash!
I have my drivers test tomorrow and watching this makes me crazy excited. Race tracks, here I come!
I had a bad day, but watching your videos, that would always made my day.
That was genuinely terrifying to watch happen in front of me (though I've since been told it's not particularly uncommon?). But aside from those moments, the rest was great! Maggie was fun to watch and she completely stomped the competition. Watching you drive her car for a minute was cool too.
Wow. Your car caught fire and you still got back into it.
There's no doubt in my mind that was a win. Epic Win!
When he said "Announce my retirement..." At 2:57 my heart stopped because I thought he was about to say from RUclips. DFTBA
What a bizarre life you lead, John. Thanks for taking us along.
John is so great and such a brilliant champion of people with panic and anxiety!
Congratulations on your racecar-driving retirement after a brief, thrilling, and glorious career.
My friends Genevieve and Valerie who were there said their hearts stopped for a moment when the flames made their appearance. So glad you're okay.
I guess there aren't many gear-heads like myself in Nerdfighteria because as soon as I saw Maggie's Evo I thought this was all a bit strange and I wasn't surprised at all that she had John off the line because 1. The Evo is all-wheel drive and has a 2l turbo 4 cylinder with a manual transmission, and 2. the circle track cars are real-wheel drive, and are meant to start from a roll not standing as they did here. Even with John's inexperience though, I am surprised that her couldn't catch/keep up with Maggie because the suspension of the circle track cars are made to slide around those corners at high speeds and they have much more powerful engines based on the Chevy v8. Still, it takes skill to drive one and I doubt that if the owner of the circle track car had driven Maggie would have won. Also, I'm assuming John wasn't talking about the other v8 race cars when he mentions Maggie's victory over pro drivers because in the shot he says that in there are lower class 4 cylinder cars on the track. That is the car guy's analysis of the most car-involved Vlogbrothers video.
+Wyatt B I didn't understand anything of what you wrote but I did understand this: you can be a nerd about literally anything! :)
Of course! And I love teaching people about vehicles and how they work because they're my passion; hell I'm even at school right now for a degree in high performance auto! So if you have any questions I'd be happy to explain! And if I don't know the answer I'll find out!
+Wyatt B Can you explain what exactly the car owner was warning John about and why he spun out?
+Vocaloidict It has to do with cornering- or more specifically - sliding and controlling that slide. Basically when sliding around the corner like those cars are designed to the driver has to find a balance. If one over-corrects in the corner or exit like John did, the car will grip and whip the other direction then back and so on until the vehicle looses all speed and stops. Listen to what John says in the video and maybe try google to help you understand more. It's pretty complicated and that's about the best I can explain it.
+Wyatt B It has to do with weight transfer as well as some other physics stuff. If he lets off the gas, weight will transfer to the front and the front tires will have more grip and the weight will be lifter from the back wheels lessening their grip. This causes the back of the car to swing around. Does that make sense?
How fun. I'm glad you got to have that experience. Smile!
I am very happy to say I witnessed this historical event in person:) it was also terrifying - everybody screamed
It was probably one of the most intense moments I've witnessed in a long time! I was there, sitting just a bleacher seat in front of and a few feet to the left of Sarah Green, and I give her soooooooo many props for not freaking the eff out when this happened. She stood up (like everyone) but didn't run down to see John until after the last race about an hour to an hour and a half later.
John, congratulations on not dying in a fiery inferno in front of a ton of fans. And on winning that one race/heat. (Even if Maggie "let" you win...you did really well.)
+NinjaNerd007 HOLY CRAP I'M IN A VLOGBROTHERS VIDEO!!!! 2:06, you can see Sarah Green sitting by herself off on the right side, I'm in the brownish sweatshirt on the far left in front!
HEY! Mille Lacs! I just filmed a documentary there over the summer!
The anishinaabe culture is freaking beautiful.
I'm so sad I had to miss out, it would have been awesome to meet you guys
lol Don't feel bad, John. Her Evo X is AWD, and turbo. You got a rwd v8, and on a dirt track I don't fell that you stood a chance. Excellent race, and congrats on not dying! ;)
It's amazing how good you are at storytelling.
AHHH 😢 I live in Princeton Minnesota and I never ever thought any of my idols would come to this little town but you did and I was out of town 😣😢
So I'm listening back to Dear Hank and John and heard you announce this, so I went to check if this had actually happened. Yes. It did. And spectacularly so!
happy you are ok, John. looks like it was an awesome race!
This is full of so much win I don't know where to start, so I won't. Just awesome! Too bad we won't see you hanging around the pits looking for a ride come May, John.
I thought the title was a joke-!! John, solid gold stud and Happy Retirement!
Glad to see John OK. As a motorcycle road racer & ex gokart racer, I'm drawn to speculate about what happened there, because I could see fire break out on that car about the time it first got lateral from the wrong side. It is true that John shouldn't have got all messed up and crossed up the wrong way, but the car should not have burst into flames because of that... I would speculate that when John went the other way, the fuel sloshed in the tank and then overflowed, down onto an exhaust collector. But, with a properly build and maintained fuel system, that simply shouldn't happen. You would not have got me back in that car a second time...
I’m revisiting this video because when I preordered The Anthropocene Reviewed and Mister Impossible from my local bookshop, it turned out they’re coming out the same day, and it gave me an excuse to tell the owner about this delightful story
"It's not the size of your fwoosh. It's how you wield it" - Richard, Looking For Group. I am glad your safe, John, and that you went back into that car and won.
"Vlogbrothers uploaded the video 'john green's fiery race car disaster'"
I had to sit through class with the TERROR of what happened to you plaguing my mind.
Overjoyed to hear that you are alright.
You/your characters said it best: "My heart is really pounding." "That's how you know you're having fun."
I'm so glad that you're okay! Hope the writing is going well :)
As someone who's dad got her into reading and auto racing (of all types) seeing one of my favorite authors compete against another one of my favorites was like some sort of dream
Glad you are okay John!
Its kinda weird to see you at the place I used to volunteer at when I was in 4H, I got me a lot of good memories there at the Princeton speedway.
I really wish I was there but I couldn't make it to the race or nerdcon stories. I hope you guys come back to Minnesota next year!
Omg I love your Eleanor and Park t-shirt, one of the best books I've ever read
Can I just say that being a Minnesotan that has seen all of the places in this video personally, this video is very satisfying on the whole?
I can't be the only one.
I really have to hand it to you for getting back in that car, John. I have no idea how you did that.
If it had been me you'd have had trouble getting me into so much as one of those red and yellow Little Tikes Cozy Coupes, ha!
As a nerdfighter and petrolhead, it was a pleasure to see John Green racing :)
Nice Job John. I have raced (not cars), and from the footage you have here it looks like you did great for your first time racing.
I am proud that you caught on fire and did not panic and are okay. These are all important things.
This Nerd is on fiiiiiireeeee...
I appologise, I just had to -_-
Did anyone else have a small heart attack when he said he was announcing his retirement before the end of the sentence? Because I sure did.
+Matthew Williams I was all "oh, wait, don't say anything I don't want to hear" while simultaneously KNOWING he wouldn't say anything terrible. Interesting how much you can think and how much anxiety can build up within such a little time frame.
So spine-shiver-inducing that everything that is familiar and beautiful can change in a fraction of a second
Lost to Maggie but not to myself :) powerful and inspiring. thank you!
So cool to see the backstory to Allen's car!
Love John! Thanks for being an example of doing something that scares you!
The fact that you tried after the fire is a testament to your tenacious and valiant although often hidden nature. DFTBA!
That infinitesimal moment between when he says "I'm retiring from" and "racecar driving"