We’re not sure why or how the ¼ mile became the standard measurement for drag racing, at least here in North America it is the most common drag strip you’ll find. Smaller tracks are often relegated to just a ⅛ mile track, half-the-distance but much more accommodating when space is at a premium. Sure, the races are quick, but you can still get going pretty quick.

But a 100-foot drag race? Sure, we’ve heard of them, but by the time you get going you’re at the end of the track. What could possibly happen in 100 feet that is exciting? Well, this supercharged 1974 Chevy Vega crashing into the wall at a 100-foot drag racing competition is actually pretty entertaining, though the driver of said Vega probably disagrees.

This video comes from the 34th annual Street Machine Weekend in Lethbridge, Canada, where 100-foot drags are apparently all the rage. And why not? If you don’t have a fully functional ¼- or 1/8th-mile drag strip, well 100 feet of drag racing is better than none. Besides, such a short distance of drag racing minimizes the possibility of an accident.

Minimizes, but does not eliminate. It’s hard to say what exactly went wrong, but by the end of the 100 feet the supercharged Vega gets away from driver Justin Willms, and ends up in the wall. It’s a hard crash, and as the pictures towards the end of the video show, the damage is pretty gnarly. That will not be buffing out.

But there is an upside. Despite smashing full speed into a barrier, Willms managed to pull out the fastest time of the day out of all the classes. That damaging run right there took just 1.826 seconds, beating the runner-up by .033 seconds. So even though Willms probably ruined his car, at least he managed to take home first place, right?