A nightmare situation has been unfolding at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. About two months ago, an extremely odd incident occurred: A telehandler used by the track to move barriers and stuck cars crashed into several stopped vehicles during a red flag period, totaling an R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R in the process.
After the initial incident made the rounds on social media, the car’s owner sought damages privately. But following failed negotiations with track officials, he’s now going public with details of the suit. And it ain’t pretty.
For those who missed the original incident, it happened at R’s Day 2025, an annual GT-R festival and track day. During an early morning session, officials threw a red flag for a chain reaction of incidents: Another car had a mechanical failure and spilled oil on the track, causing a few spins and sending a car to the barriers. Officials initially threw a black flag, then a red flag.
To be clear, this red flag procedure is completely normal and commonplace at track days. But what makes this incident odd is that track workers initially threw a black flag, instructing cars to leave the circuit, then the red flag, leaving several cars stuck on the track—including Artin Nazaryan’s beautiful R34 Nissan Skyline V-Spec.
Once the cars were deemed safely off the racing line, the telehandler was released to repair barriers, as it was carrying a stack of tires. Footage from another car shows the telehandler plowing into the back of Nazaryan’s R34, with the tires clearly blocking the telehandler’s forward field of view. You can watch the incident unfold on video below:
The car is damaged beyond repair, with the entire rear driver’s quarter destroyed well past the C-pillar. This particular car was a genuine V-Spec and a track weapon, with a sequential transmission, a 2.8-liter HKS-built engine, a single turbo, a roll cage, a full standalone engine management system, and countless other upgrades.
The value of the car is around $250,000, and Nazaryan sought damages from the track for the incident.
Yet, in an Instagram post on the Nazaryan’s profile (@gtrtin), Laguna Seca is reportedly not only avoiding paying any damages, but track officials are also allegedly blaming Nazaryan for the incident. In what appears to be a partial version of Laguna Seca’s response to the suit, officials claim Nazaryan did not stop in a safe place and did not follow proper flagging procedure.
Nazaryan’s response outlined the exact nature of the incident. And to be frank, it matches the videos that have been posted; the telehandler operator clearly plows into a parked car off the racing line, while having their field of view obstructed, all while the flaggers called a red flag.
In an Instagram post, Nazaryan says:
‘For the record, I have never made a harassing phone call to Laguna Seca or any of its employees; I have never made a harassing social media post directed at them or their employees; and, I have never defamed them. I shared a video of what happened to my car and what the current situation is. I’m not asking anyone to contact them, harass them, or do anything on my behalf.’
The result is a colossal backlash for the track, with hundreds of commenters calling for Laguna Seca to settle the situation. But it’s never quite that simple.
Nazaryan offered to settle it quietly and offer good PR for the track, praising their swiftness and conduct in making him whole. To make the deal even sweeter, he is only seeking damages for his car. No injury or punitive claims. He is an attorney, though he isn’t representing himself in the suit.
Instead, this has become a much bigger story than it needed to be. Thankfully, Nazaryan seems OK, but his R34 was needlessly totaled. No matter how you slice it, it’s a rough situation.
Motor1’s Take: Often, these kinds of issues get handled behind closed doors and by insurance. My read of the situation is that Laguna’s insurance isn’t covering the accident, and therefore, Laguna is trying to avoid paying out of pocket—though that’s pure speculation. In these sorts of claims, especially in the case of gross negligence, as claimed by Nazaryan, corporate general liability insurance doesn’t cover it. Hopefully it’s resolved soon.
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