A Rocket-Powered Car and a Really Big Jump 🚀

So, there’s this Canadian guy named Ken Carter who spent five years trying to jump a rocket-powered car across the St. Lawrence River. You know, just a casual mile-wide jump from Canada toward the US. 😂

Here’s the best part: this isn’t a mockumentary. It’s a real story. The 1981 documentary The Devil at Your Heels follows Carter’s actual attempt, complete with a massive launch ramp, money problems, failed tests, and even some involvement from Evel Knievel.

Did he actually make the jump? Nope. After five years of trying, the whole thing never came together.

You’ve got to wonder what goes through someone’s head when they look at a river and decide the best way across is a rocket-powered car.

Maybe someone will give it another shot with the new Tesla Roadster? 😂🚀

Fun watch.

YouTube ↗

Oct 18, 2026

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Replies (9)

· 2w

I watched Evil Knievel's snake river jump live.

YouTube ↗

· 2w

I saw that too! Disappointing but at least he didn't kill himself.

· 2w

Hard way to make a living.

· 2w

He spent something like a million dollars building the 100 foot tall ramp. The thrust from the engines was enough to propel the car to 250 mph. Because of a number of issues the car never reached the 250 on approach and when launched the aero dynamics immediately or lack of any became a apparent. Car made it 1/4 of the way across and the stunt driver was close to being killed. He was really messed up but did eventually recover.

· 2w

There has to be something very wrong with a person’s brain to look at a ramp like that and think “I bet I can make it.”

· 2w

Just read up some more on this. Ken Carter got swapped out at the last minute for another stuntman who almost got killed trying this. I see similarities to that happened at Snake River. Crazy stuff. Carter died in the mid 80s doing some other stunt.

· 1w

Who would take a glance at that car and think you could make it fly?

· 1w

@69GoatMan
Our beer was around 7% in those days.

· 1w

😂