Racing cars crash in nearly every race and category the world over. But the Nissan DeltaWing, a lightweight, open prototype racer with the body of a fighter jet, is not your average race car. So when it crashes, it's just as dramatic as its radical shape.

During a practice session for the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, a 1,000-mile, 10-hour endurance race scheduled for Saturday, the skinny-nose DeltaWing was clipped from behind by a slower Porsche. The force was enough to cause the DeltaWing to flip immediately, dragging driver Gunnar Jeannette's exposed helmet over the tarmac for several seconds before coming to rest right side up. Jeannette was out of the race, but as is the norm with most racing accidents, he escaped unharmed. Nissan said the damage would be repaired in time for tomorrow's practice session. The full video is below.

During the car's June debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, it was again knocked aside by another competitor, forcing it (albeit less radically) into a barrier. The DeltaWing is rightly classified as an experiment, with extreme differences in body width and track from front to rear. Some critics call the car unsafe, as most conventional race cars would slide in such an accident rather than instantly flip. Whoever is right, it's certainly incredible to watch.

[Source: Nissan]