Really bad news at HyperFest
06-09-2014, 04:18 PM
#46
Quit Smokin'
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You are actually more likely to be injured on the road in a car with a roll cage... Unless you wear a helmet at all times. Head contact with the upper halo is not a good situation. Remember when padding a roll bar that low density (soft) foam is only good for bonking your head when getting in and out, and will do relatively little for a high energy impact. It's the dense hard SFI foam that will help in a high energy situation. I'm not trying to be a downer, and that being said I have a car with a cage that I drive on the road as well, but life has risks, and its important to realize that driving a small car on the road with a roll cage should not be assumed to be "safe". The ideal situation would be to completely prep the car for the track and trailer it to events with a car that is 100% suited for the road. We obviously don't live in an ideal world, so we choose our battles.
06-09-2014, 04:40 PM
#47
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I totally understand that my head will probably crack like an egg regardless of the fact I'd be wrapping with both types of foam... At this point, if it makes me feel safer, it's gonna be a good upgrade. Sorry for the hijack.
06-09-2014, 04:54 PM
#48
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Some of you are confusing NASA Hyperdrive, a lunchtime cruise around the track, with NASA Mid-Atlantic's Hyperfest, a huge motorsports festival with racing, HPDE, drifting, car show and at one time a Lemons race.
06-09-2014, 04:57 PM
#49
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This is awful to hear... At my first DE in the Miata a couple months back with NASA, I remember thinking "there's no efffing way I would wanna be shotgun in a car with a total noob." I have great appreciation for the instructors of all these major clubs, they really do a lot of good teaching car control to people so they can be quick on a track, but more importantly, safer on the street.
Riding to work a couple saturdays ago in the Miata, I had one of those 'sick' feelings as I passed a bunch of big rigs on I35 north of Austin: How have I not been hurt driving a car like this, amongst so many clueless drivers?
An hour later, I had just taken my food from the lady at the McD's drive through... Let the clutch out to pull forward and stopped... Must have gotten a bad feeling, as the pull out to the drive through is blind.
An ******* in a Tahoe ripped just past my bumper through the parking lot at something like 30mph, and I was very close to being in the hospital if not the morgue. I caught up to him and let him know that he almost killed me- he hadn't even noticed. Didn't apologize either.
Whether it helps me in that type of crash or not, I'm putting a full Spec cage in the car ASAP, and I'm not gonna drive it much on the street until that happens.
RIP to this instructor and the instructors that have died before him, and prayers going out to all involved, including the drivers who might need them most.
Riding to work a couple saturdays ago in the Miata, I had one of those 'sick' feelings as I passed a bunch of big rigs on I35 north of Austin: How have I not been hurt driving a car like this, amongst so many clueless drivers?
An hour later, I had just taken my food from the lady at the McD's drive through... Let the clutch out to pull forward and stopped... Must have gotten a bad feeling, as the pull out to the drive through is blind.
An ******* in a Tahoe ripped just past my bumper through the parking lot at something like 30mph, and I was very close to being in the hospital if not the morgue. I caught up to him and let him know that he almost killed me- he hadn't even noticed. Didn't apologize either.
Whether it helps me in that type of crash or not, I'm putting a full Spec cage in the car ASAP, and I'm not gonna drive it much on the street until that happens.
RIP to this instructor and the instructors that have died before him, and prayers going out to all involved, including the drivers who might need them most.
06-09-2014, 05:12 PM
#50
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I've met with the track rental coordinator at Summit many a times. Since Jefferson has been extended, the track has been offering Jefferson rentals at a much lower rate than the other two tracks. Clubs take this opportunity as it increases their margins, rather than if they host their event on Main or Shenandoah.
Something needs to be done about safety on all tracks at Summit Point. I hate to stop attending events there as it is so close, but I can't count how many times I've seen wildlife on the race tracks including deer, turkeys, and ground hogs. This time a year or two ago we were watching a vette smack a deer on the main straight away, probably doing between 120-140 mph. When the Porsche Roadshow paid a visit to the Shenandoah circuit I asked one of the school instructors what his thoughts were on the facility. His response was, "you couldn't pay me to race here." My thoughts are with everyone involved in this incident, and I would really like to thank all that volunteer their well being to sit in our right seats.
Something needs to be done about safety on all tracks at Summit Point. I hate to stop attending events there as it is so close, but I can't count how many times I've seen wildlife on the race tracks including deer, turkeys, and ground hogs. This time a year or two ago we were watching a vette smack a deer on the main straight away, probably doing between 120-140 mph. When the Porsche Roadshow paid a visit to the Shenandoah circuit I asked one of the school instructors what his thoughts were on the facility. His response was, "you couldn't pay me to race here." My thoughts are with everyone involved in this incident, and I would really like to thank all that volunteer their well being to sit in our right seats.
06-09-2014, 05:21 PM
#51
you don't have to be a newbie to get it wrong for the last time on a race track. Mistakes and speed are inherently linked.
I'm not sure how instructors ever agree to sit in the right seat unless another instructor, that they know very, very well, is in the left seat.
I'm not sure how instructors ever agree to sit in the right seat unless another instructor, that they know very, very well, is in the left seat.
06-09-2014, 05:33 PM
#53
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The instructor fatality occurred in the HyperDrive at HyperFest on the Jefferson Circuit. A BSR staff instructor, AFAIK. R.I.P.
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06-09-2014, 05:49 PM
#54
Mr. Excitement
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As to a cage in a street car. Don't do things that you think make you safer, do things that make you safer. Look at travel deaths per mile. when the resession hit air travel went down and people drove more. Deaths per mile went up. Few have a fear of driving but plenty fear flying.
06-09-2014, 06:30 PM
#55
Several of us were having the discussion of track safety today and it came to everyone's mind at the same time, kinda spooky, but all of us were like "When was the last time someone was critically hurt or killed at VIR?"
Summit Point has always had serious runoff issues on Main and Jefferson, along with all the concrete you can whack (which I prefer to trees in general) on Shenandoah. I was surprised that they extended the Jefferson Circuit without a thought of dealing with the safety concerns.
In 2008 I struck a ground hog at North of 135MPH in my Twin Turbo on the front straight...$5K in damage. Thats the other thing... Animals at Summit point have always been a higher concern than at VIR or other tracks I frequent.
All this won't bring back the dead, but it sure would be nice if changes were made to make that historic facility safe.
Mike
Summit Point has always had serious runoff issues on Main and Jefferson, along with all the concrete you can whack (which I prefer to trees in general) on Shenandoah. I was surprised that they extended the Jefferson Circuit without a thought of dealing with the safety concerns.
In 2008 I struck a ground hog at North of 135MPH in my Twin Turbo on the front straight...$5K in damage. Thats the other thing... Animals at Summit point have always been a higher concern than at VIR or other tracks I frequent.
All this won't bring back the dead, but it sure would be nice if changes were made to make that historic facility safe.
Mike
06-09-2014, 07:43 PM
#56
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06-09-2014, 08:19 PM
#58
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06-09-2014, 08:33 PM
#59
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