Geoffrey

My final outing this year was the Summit Point Club race. I've not been to the track before and wasn't aware of its history with deer problems, but now I know and probably won't go back. The track isn't interesting enough for me to risk myself or the car again. I am very please at how well the season went, and how well this race was going. The first practice session I had the 3rd fastest time and was .5 seconds off the leader's time (long time racer) in spite of never having been on the track before. I ended up winning the fun race by 33 seconds over a GT3 RS. In Sprint Race #1, I was in 3rd or 4th place and on the second to last lap I hit a deer which instantly ended my race. I am shown in 4th place overall and 2nd in class so I must have lapped up through 5th place since I didn't complete the final lap of the race.

Looking at my MoTeC data, I hit the deer at 123 mph between turn 3 and 4 and I never lifted because I only saw the deer the instant before I hit it. The right corner of the car hit the deer in the front shoulders which knocked it back over and into the headlight bucket which was then torn off the car and ripped the deer in 1/2. The back half of the deer swung around and smashed into the door. A lapped car behind me said it looked like the deer simply exploded and when I went back to look at the accident site, all I found was an *** with two legs. So, I am very lucky because if I had hit it in the middle of the car, it would have done more significant damage, and/or injured me. As it was, there is only damage to the hood, bumper, fender, door, and parts under the car like the oil cooler, fender liner, and some substructure parts. Very unfortunate and not what I expected.

As it turns out, another deer was hit in the race after mine.

ilko

Sorry to hear Geoffrey, hope you get it fixed soon. You're absolutely right - luckily the hit was on the side and not head-on. I have an extra oil cooler if you need one.

Geoffrey

Thanks, but I bought a new one.

elbeee964

video? (hey, it's the Sam Peckinpah in me...)


...and good to take the hit where you did.

Geoffrey

I wish I had turned on the video camera...I would have liked to see it myself...and of course share it here...

deep_uv

Ouch. Sorry about the damage to your car. You are very fortunate it went the way it did, that could've been much uglier.

cobalt

Doesn't look as bad as it could have been. At least you have the winter to repair it and your OK.

Yeah SP is notorious for its deer issues. We had an event where a car hit a deer and it flew over the first and just about came down on the car directly behind it. Not a good scenario.

BTW did the fixes to the track help any. I had heard it was in really bad shape and they had done some major repairs a few weeks back.

Uber 911

Hmmmm.. Venison, delicious!

PS: Glad your OK - Reminds me of a friend who did night rallies in the Uk before they were banned, pulled into the time gate at the end of a stage with a sheeps head where the headlight should be, just the head mind. Turns out the sheep pocked its head through a hedge on a left corner just as the car was passing..

elbeee964

edit: thread tangent -- a deer's laser-guided surgical strike on BMW.

Cupcar#12

Crazy -
Glad your Ok

wsybert

Sorry about the car, and glad to hear your ok.
I was supposed to go tomorrow, but can't... may reconsider the next invitation now. Never heard this was a problem... I will have to ask the driver that invited me.

MitchB

Very Lucky. Hitting a deer is much different than hitting a dog or squirrel...
I grew up in a rural area in the South. A very common occurance - because the mass of a deer is on top of long skinny legs - is for the front of the car to go through the legs allowing the body of the deer to come straight over the hood right through the windshield. A 60 to 100 lb sack of muscle hitting you in the chest/head at 60 to 70 (or 123..!) MPH is traumatic with very often a fatal result.

frankvan

Very lucky indeed. Collissions with wildlife can often be fatal for human and animal!

A friend wrote off his 750iL a couple of years back hitting a small deer on his way home. Airbags deployed, windshield shattered, roof caved in. He and his two young ones in the back seat escaped unharmed. (mind you, he never told me how fast he was driving...)

Also reminds of this one a little while back:
http://www.car-accidents.com/2006-Au...e_chicken.html
(imagine the detailing bill on that one)

DAVISRILEY

Holy s**t! Glad to see you are okay, and the car is repairable. Best of luck.

Rocket Rob

Glad you are ok. Cars can be repaired. Are you going to make any "improvements" while you are doing the repair?