They say it’s better to be lucky than good, and sometimes, that maxim extends to the world of fast cars. Because no matter how much you prep for an event, no matter how ready you think you are, auto racing is a chaotic, tumultuous thing, chock-full of surprises and unexpected occurrences. Whether it’s an erratic competitor, mechanical failure, or just plain bad timing, things can go wrong, and in that moment, you better hope luck is on your side.

As it happens, luck is definitely on display in each of these four videos, with prominent examples coming from the worlds of rally racing, drag racing, and formula car racing. And don’t worry – each of these videos has a happy ending!

Continue reading to view our list of lucky racing saves.

Kris Meeke – World Rally Championship Rally Guanajuato Mexico 2017

Talk about appropriate. Our first video is from the most recent WRC event in Mexico, where Northern Irishman Kris Meeke managed to secure the overall win for Citroen in his top-spec C3. However, the race wasn’t without drama. Heading into the final half mile of the rally, Meeke went off the road and into an adjacent dirt parking lot, forcing a frantic search for a way back onto the course. After what felt like an eternity of dodging passenger cars, trucks, and spectators alike, Meeke finally made it back to the stage, but to make matter worse, one of his tires had picked up a puncture.

“I made a mistake, a big mistake,” he later told WRC.com. “I braked and got the car too sideways through this fast right, and as I hit the compression it popped me out and we went into a field. After that I was in the hands of the Gods”

Thankfully, Meeke managed to hold onto his lead over defending champ Sebastien Ogier, despite seeing it shrink from 40 seconds to just under 14 seconds.

Rally Jump Saves One Lucky Dog

Here’s another one from the sideways action of rally racing. In this video, we see a stray dog cruising along a dirt road, oblivious to the fact that a Mitsubishi Evo is charging hard behind it. The car emerges from a blind left-hander, but the dog is still walking in the middle of the course. Luckily, a bump in the road sends the Evo soaring, giving the Mitsu racer just enough air to sail over the top the dog, saving its life.

Drag Race GT-R Almost Eats Two Walls

A prepped drag strip and AWD grip isn’t always enough to keep it straight when you’re running huge boost and something goes pop. This one is a few years old and comes from the TX2K event in Texas, and shows what happens when Godzilla loses its tail. It’s unclear what caused the spin (some folks say a driveline failure, others say fluid on the track), but mercifully, the driver manages to keep it off the barriers while doing a double pirouette.

Unbelievable Recovery In A Wet Formula 2 Car

This one is also a little old, but absolutely worth a watch. It shows racing driver Dino Zamparelli at 19 years old, wringing it out at Spa in the rain. Zamparelli is on the throttle out of Eau Rouge, but the spray is so heavy, visibility is almost non-existent. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the rear end of another racer pops into view. With almost no time to react, Zamparelli not only avoids a massive collision, but somehow keeps his car straight. Clearly, the man is hugely talented, but there’s certainly some degree of luck involved here as well.