Manifold

I wasn't aware of this fatality, and of course speed at this location is much lower than the end half of the front straight where speeds are usually well over 100 mph and deer hits are even more common. Please provide further details on the fatality. Other info you can provide on deer strikes at SP would be appreciated also.

Manifold

To me, this one is even more chilling:


Go frame by frame in the slow motion part and you'll find this:

Macca

I can't sleep at night any more!

Aircooled14

Wow this is crazy! Glad you are ok!

bronson7

That is nuts. What a mess.

konakai

The one and only time I drove Summit Pt main, in Oct 2013, there was a very similar deer impact in the same spot of the track during my session. Clearly this was not a freak incident.
In my opinion it is reckless of the track owners to operate under these conditions (I speak from a moral standpoint, not a legal one... Though one could argue that the waivers in this circumstance are insufficient).
At any rate, I hope everyone thinks twice before driving that track during deer season. Just not worth the risk.

Carrera51

Track management is taking steps to reduce the chances of a deer strike. They can't just go out and start shooting them when they please. It has to be deer season. They obtained permits to thin the herd out of season. They are taking steps.

sccchiii

I think it is pretty clear as I said early in this thread, more must be done ...getting permits to shoot them isn't enough, in fact that's the legal argument they are using to say they have taken "measures" to protect track. They clearly don't want to do much more because of cost or purely because they don't care about the potential for someone/s to lose there life or get critically injured. How it has not happened up to this point is a miracle. The track is unsafe and at some point someone will get critically injured. Disagree with me I could care less but imo they must high fence the track around perimeter at a minimum.

CAlexio

Sounds like a fence is only real option, but probably not financially viable for a track which probably doesn't operate on big margins. Maybe they spend the money on extra insurance and hope for the best... Terrible but realistic

Carrera51

I think they do care. Why wouldn't they? The last thing any business owner wants is for someone to sustain serious injury or worse on their property. Not good for business. I would imagine they can't just build a fence since they would probably have to get building permits approved by the county. Then the animal rights people would complain that it upsets the natural habitat for the deer and file lawsuits trying to prevent it. Then of course there is the cost. Then there is how high to build the fence. And can a fence be 100 effective in keeping them out? And I suppose it's not as simple as removing all the trees inside the track.

I wonder if it would be possible to put sensors in the areas the deer seem to always be crossing that would alert the corner workers of movement. I don't know what would work since pest control is not my area of expertise.

gt2urbo

not a deer but nearly hit a dog at turn 6 at willow springs.... really close call. really pissed me off . i'm a animal person. next time i went the same dogs on the front straight... i think they solved the problem XD

GiuseppeM

I'm in Northern Virginia and I've been thinking to try one of the near tracks but based on these comments Summit Point is just too dangerous.
They shouldn't try to reduce it, they should prevent it completely.

jlanka

Curious... What does a 12 foot fence cost (or whatever height you need that a deer can't get over) per foot?