I am fairly certain that General Motors executive Mark Reuss didn't intend to advertise his company's product this way. But when things spin out of control, as they did, literally, for Reuss on Sunday during a televised Indycar race in Detroit, it's understandable that GM's PR department would try to find a positive note in the debacle.
Reuss, who heads up product development at GM, was driving the official Pace Car, a 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, for the start of the Detroit Grand Prix's second race when he lost control of the 755-hp beast, which spun around and slammed into a cement wall.
Neither Reuss nor his passenger, IndyCar official Mark Sandy, were injured. The cause of the crash was unknown, but the race course, on Detroit's Belle Isle, is notoriously uneven. It rained earlier in the day, but the weather at the start of the race was 70 and sunny. The track was dry.
In a statement after the incident, GM said: "It is unfortunate that this incident happened. Many factors contributed, including weather and track conditions. The car's safety systems performed as expected."
And there it is: the positive spin. Debris from Chevrolet's $119,000 halo car, the legendary Corvette ZR1, was strewn across the track on national TV under a Chevy ad proclaiming "Find New Roads." But at least you know it is safe.
Reuss, a huge proponent of motorsports and an accomplished driver, was instrumental in bringing Indycar racing to Detroit's Belle Isle. So the whole incident was no doubt painfully embarrassing. But having walked away unhurt, he, too, found the bright spot.
In a Facebook post, Reuss wrote: "I want to thank you all for your well wishes today. I am ok. I have driven this course many many many times. I have paced this race in the wet, cold, hot, and calm. On Z06's, Grand Sports, and other things. It is never a casual thing for me, but an honor to be asked. Today I let down my friends, my family, Indycar, our city and my company. Sorry does not describe it. I want to thank our engineers for providing me the safety I know is the best in the world."
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