Teen Driver Gabe Zahner Stuns Tulsa Shootout, Lands in Dumpster
The Tulsa Shootout delivered one of its most surreal moments yet when 16-year-old micro sprint driver Gabe Zahner went airborne during a heat race and came to rest upright inside a nearby dumpster. The indoor event—known for its chaotic, high-adrenaline racing—saw Zahner’s car become tangled in a sequence that launched the machine over a chain-link fence. Video clips and photos spread almost immediately across social feeds, leaving fans and commentators stunned by the improbable final resting spot.
Remarkably, Zahner climbed out of the car wearing his helmet and appeared unhurt, later joking about whether the car was still “fixable.” Track officials used a heavy vehicle to carefully lift the car out of the dumpster as a crowd looked on. That swift recovery and the visibility of the incident underscored how the Tulsa Shootout blends spectacle with the safety measures that, on this occasion, allowed a dramatic crash to end without serious injury.
Fans’ reactions mixed relief, dark humor, and safety concerns. Memes and jokes about the dumpster landing proliferated almost as fast as the footage, while observers noted how the indoor layout and perimeter fencing leave little margin for error. Even NASCAR driver Corey LaJoie weighed in with a quip referencing why he’s cautious about certain dirt events, adding to the viral conversation. The moment also called to mind a previous terrifying incident at Tulsa in 2023—when Cory Kelley’s car tumbled violently across the track—reminding viewers that indoor dirt racing can quickly turn dangerous.
While social media highlights the absurdity of a car parked in a dumpster, the larger takeaway was how quickly officials and fans shifted from shock to relief that Zahner walked away. The clip is likely to become part of Tulsa Shootout lore: equal parts heart-stopping and oddly comical, it illustrates both the unpredictable nature of grassroots indoor racing and the thin line between spectacle and serious risk.
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