BMW M3 driver gets around Buttonwillow better than many people who have use of their legs.
The video above comes to us from the YouTube channel of Cory Sullivan and it features a paraplegic driver piloting a BMW E46 M3 around Buttonwillow. Of course, the car has been upfitted with full hand controls, but even when using only his hands for the steering, shifting, throttle and brake, this driver lays down an impressive lap. In fact, if you were to watch this run from outside of the vehicle, you would be hard-pressed to guess that the driver is unable to use his legs.
Driving with His Hands
We don’t know Cory Sullivan’s story, but we know that he is a paraplegic who road races an E46 M3, with hand controls for the throttle and brake replacing the foot pedals. As you can see in the video, Sullivan steers and shifts with his right hand, while his left hand controls the throttle and brake.
Anyone who has spent a significant amount of time road racing knows of how busy you are with your feet as you carve through twisty sections of the track while your hands steer and shift. To imagine doing that without your feet, using only your hands and a unique set of controls, is fairly mind-blowing, but Sullivan does it flawlessly.
Really, anyone who understands the passion of high performance driving has to admire the skill of this BMW M3 driver.
The Hot Lap
In the video, we are riding along the Sullivan as he rockets around Buttonwillow in his uniquely modified BMW. This M3 has been upgraded with an MCStwo-way remote suspension setup, Ground Control sway bars, Nitto NT01 tires on Rays TE37 wheels, a header setup from the European market and a “cheapo Magnaflow exhaust” system. Of course, it also has a hand control system on the left side of the steering wheel, and while we don’t know exactly how the system works, it looks as though Sullivan pushes down for throttle and pulls up for the brakes.
As you watch the video, take note of the fact that Sullivan is closing on the car out in front of him, and while we doesn’t catch the car before the video ends, the fact that he is gaining on the other car shows the quality of his lap. It is incredible how smoothly he is able to brake and throttle out of corners, sometimes fighting some wheelspin, all with the hand controls.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
