President’s Day Car-Toon: Mini back-flip

World's First Automotive Backflip

Published on Feb 17, 2013

From Patrick George at Jalopnik:

They claim it's the world's first car backflip, anyway. If anyone else out there has evidence that this has been done before, we'd love to see it. 

Chicherit launched a Mini Countryman into the air, flipped a 360, then landed all four tires onto an 8-meter high snow ramp in southeastern France. He did it twice, according to Monster — once in a private attempt this morning, and later in front of some spectators. 

Congratulations, Monsieur Chicherit. You did a stellar job.

From the Dakar 2013 website:

Guerlain Chicherit is world class in everything he does. The former extreme ski world champion finished 49th overall in his first Dakar in 2005. Spotted by the X-Raid Team, the blonde haired Frenchman quickly showed he was a force to be reckoned with in 2006, completing the world's most challenging rally-raid in 9th place. After two disappointing runs, including a spectacular barrell roll in 2007, then mechanical woes in 2009, Guerlian came back strong in 2010, taking 5th place.

For the 2011 edition, the team entrusted him to debut the Mini. But a rest day accident while testing a set-up change brought Chicherit's relationship with Swen Quandt to an end. Left out of the X-Raid squad, he spent a year in the motor racing wilderness, before studying a proposal from Philippe Gache. Chicherit promises to put on a show at the wheel of his buggy in his return to the Dakar.

“When you make serious errors, you have to own up to them. And I accepted the fact thatI would never compete with the X-Raid Team again. I undersood Sven Quandt's decision. Then the downward spiral continued on all fronts. And when you are totally committed, you have to battle to keep your head above water. Happily, some of my partners stayed with me, like Monster and Mini. I believe I am still a good driver.

I was a little anxious.when Phillipe Gache propsed I test his buggy in Morocco. But then we began to drive it and I was stunned. It is a proper off-road car, which is very fast on torn up terrain. It is built for me and corresponds to my driving style. I have had an awesome time with it, and it will be quite spectacular because it jumps very well. For the rest, I don't have much of a reference to guess as to what overall position we can aim for. But we have all we need for the fight. In any case, we're going to get stuck right in the middle of it.”

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

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• Saturday Car-Toon: Street Racing in Reykjavik – July 14, 2012
• Saturday CarToon: Circuit of the Americas – November 17, 2012
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