acslater

As they say, all models are wrong, but some are useful. The value you ascribe to any of it is up to you. Point being, preparation is important. As an example of how this particular model affects me: every time I participate in a hot weather HPDE, part of me wants to skip the nomex... "it's just an HPDE, probably won't have any issues, no need to wear the nomex today" ... but then I remind myself how dumb I would feel having it in my truck if something did happen and my car caught on fire, because the probability over time of something happening is much greater than we want to think.

pkh

Very sad, please post fundraiser link ASAP will share.

Manifold

For DE crash stats, just count the number of crashes at events you attend and do some basic math. Not hard to know how many cars crashed. Or we can bury our heads in the sand and rely on unreliable gut feelings about the risk levels, which is how people rationalize not spending money on safety gear, but are ok with spending money modding their cars, using Hoosiers, etc. to go faster in non-competition DEs.

Manifold

Exactly. Our decision-making on risk management and safety is prone to optimism and overconfidence biases, as well as biases specifically related to judging probabilities. These biases tend to cause people to underestimate their own risks, because they tend to overestimate their ability to not crash, tend to assume that crashes happen to other people (not themselves), and tend to underestimate how events that are unlikely in the short-term become much more likely in the long-term.

paradocs98

Terrible news--so sad.

VID997

PM sent. A donation site has been set-up by Checker Flag Racing Association based out of the Bay Area. Laguna Seca is one of our local tracks which we have been holding events at for the last 24 years. If anyone is interest in donating to the family, please PM me and I will forward the link in order for you to do so.

Godspeed.
VID

DesmoSD

Rest in Peace to the corner worker. Until we know the full details, I wonder why he ran out onto the track when the red flags have been radioed in. It hits a little close to home since I used to help corner work for the Keith Code Superbike school and was at Laguna Seca back in 2015 when 2 riders died.

http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/...51bb5db43.html

911 Rod

Very sad.

Matt Romanowski

Just saw (posted in a personal FB comment) that it was a very experienced and long time flagger. This is really sad news.

gtfhercules

Question - would it be possible to post the link here? I'd love to donate, but don't seem to have PM abilities (I'll admit I signed up for Rennlist just for this).

VID997

gtfhercules

Not too sure. Most likely would need Admin approval in order to do so.

Mahler9th

Again, thoughts and prayers for all affected.

And I hope that as many of you as possible refrain from using these forums and other social media platforms for inappropriate rampant speculation, untoward debate and so on.

Some folks in my local network were there and I am sure they are shaken.

More facts may come out, or they may not. But again, I hope that people behave.

I am sure the CFRA folks (due to drive there today I believe) are upset and shaken (I know quite a few of them and was a member of CFRA for a couple of years-- great group).

I have lost a few friends and acquaintances from my track driving/racing hobby during the past 30 years. Most due to cardiovascular events, some due to accidents. More the former than the latter.

Oil down is one of those things I fear most-- in fact I had my own experience with oil down at Laguna in one of the first half dozen races I did there about 20 years ago. In my case a good friend lost his car in the braking zone for 5 but was uninjured. That was the last race he did.

I was following a friend and experienced PCA racer (her name is Ellen and she was driving a 914-- Peter K. knows her). When we got back to the paddock whilst they cleaned up, she indicated that she saw the ribbon of oil from 3 on... I had not seen it. The waving yellow was just going up in 3 as I went through. Learned a valuable lesson.

For some it is hard to envision the "blindness" of the approach to the corkscrew. That is one of those places where we heavily rely on workers. I have had students spin there, my wife has spun there, and I have a friend (somewhat famous in the 914 world) that just had a big crash there when the throttle stuck wide open on his 914 race car. He was uninjured, but the car was badly damaged.

That is a particularly bad place to have oil down.

gtfhercules

Fair enough - can you PM me the link then? I can't seem to PM yet...

yesyoucan

CFRA track day was cancelled.

Two weeks ago a similar incident with oil/fluid leak at turn 7 at Sonoma Raceway at HPDE event.

5 cars spun out, two hit the wall at turn 7 and one of them hit one of the other 3 cars. Video of that incident. Two parts to the video within the video. The car that leaked and the aftermath

Mahler9th

There appears to be a link in this news story:

https://www.kion546.com/news/employe...seca/807392226

I have not verified the link, so please take caution. Hopefully in the coming hours/days a verified link will be made public.