Your memory obviously was not "emptied". The car in question, was not too hard to notice, when you saw it run. It was "at times" campaigned on the street as well as the track. You would have to be away from the crowd to see it in action.
"Stupidity is Ignorance on Steroids" "Yeah, it's hopped to over 160" (quote by Kowalski in the movie Vanishing Point 1970 - Cupid Productions)