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The accidents I’ve had that have MESSED me up are the ones where I didn’t know what I did wrong.... leaving me not knowing how to prevent it in the future.
Glad you’re healing up. I still owe you a phone call!
Lol small world Jim, always wondered if you were on Rennlist
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Yes- our hobby- I got a cortisone shot today. I've been down since Right seating at Lime RocK Park. Holding on in right seat - Right shoulder .Subdeltoid Bursitis .. Worried about Coaching in future. Next event next Sunday.
Lol small world Jim, always wondered if you were on Rennlist
Soul Performance
At WGI, what area of the track did you have the accident and were your in a street car or full race car with 6 point harness and full containment seat?
In 1975, we were racing at Pocono and the driver Warren Agor had a tire blow and the race car hit the steel barrier wall (road course with part oval tan CW) on the driver's side at 140 mph. The left side suspension and rail buckled. Warren was transported to hospital with concussion. Next day we, including Warren are at the shop starting to repair the race car because there was $2000 appearance money for a race at Mid-Ohio in 2 weeks. We made the show
Soul Performance
At WGI, what area of the track did you have the accident and were your in a street car or full race car with 6 point harness and full containment seat?
In 1975, we were racing at Pocono and the driver Warren Agor had a tire blow and the race car hit the steel barrier wall (road course with part oval tan CW) on the driver's side at 140 mph. The left side suspension and rail buckled. Warren was transported to hospital with concussion. Next day we, including Warren are at the shop starting to repair the race car because there was $2000 appearance money for a race at Mid-Ohio in 2 weeks. We made the show
I must say as a father and a husband... it’s really hard to strap into the right seat. I don’t need to do it for $$, but I enjoy teaching and sharing my obsessions.
I’ve seen first hand how quickly the feces hits the reciprocating device, and how helpless you can feel.
I was at CoTA when it was frog strangling rain. We did two recon laps with a proficient blue student who was very much paying attention and listening... we were even working on where do we have grip and where do we not.
the third lap we come up in a really slow car and carefully coming out of 11 pull to the left and pass. Unfortunately the left ‘lane’ became a wet weather creek and one rear tire hydroplaned and the other thrust vectored us towards the wall. The driver did his best to gather it, but we still found a hard surface, slightly damaging the car and our pride. I was able to guide him to safety off track and back to the garages.
But then I had to jump into my green student with a 991.1 Turbo. I had been struggling to reign him in all weekend and was on his *** about the track conditions.
damned if coming out of 11 just as he wanted to romp on it, a CTS hits that same creek and looked like gym kanaka. Somehow avoiding both sides of track limits. But it did give my Turbo student a moment of clarity, and he decided to listen to me the rest of the weekend. I checked back on my Blue student and made sure he and his car were relatively alright. I’d jump in the right seat with him again anytime, we just had some bad luck... but it could easily have been a lot worse.
Will I do it again... yes, in fact I’m signing up for the PCA national ITS (I’m a BMW Instructor and PCA Club Racer).
Why, I don’t know. Guess it’s my desire to help, as well as realizing I get better myself regardless of what seat I’m in.
But given the choice, I’ll take the 944 or Boxster, or pick your favorite momentum car... the 20-40mph difference doesn’t take the fun out of it, but sure deludes me into decreases the risk factor.
I must say as a father and a husband... it’s really hard to strap into the right seat. I don’t need to do it for $$, but I enjoy teaching and sharing my obsessions.
I’ve seen first hand how quickly the feces hits the reciprocating device, and how helpless you can feel.
I was at CoTA when it was frog strangling rain. We did two recon laps with a proficient blue student who was very much paying attention and listening... we were even working on where do we have grip and where do we not.
the third lap we come up in a really slow car and carefully coming out of 11 pull to the left and pass. Unfortunately the left ‘lane’ became a wet weather creek and one rear tire hydroplaned and the other thrust vectored us towards the wall. The driver did his best to gather it, but we still found a hard surface, slightly damaging the car and our pride. I was able to guide him to safety off track and back to the garages.
But then I had to jump into my green student with a 991.1 Turbo. I had been struggling to reign him in all weekend and was on his *** about the track conditions.
damned if coming out of 11 just as he wanted to romp on it, a CTS hits that same creek and looked like gym kanaka. Somehow avoiding both sides of track limits. But it did give my Turbo student a moment of clarity, and he decided to listen to me the rest of the weekend. I checked back on my Blue student and made sure he and his car were relatively alright. I’d jump in the right seat with him again anytime, we just had some bad luck... but it could easily have been a lot worse.
Will I do it again... yes, in fact I’m signing up for the PCA national ITS (I’m a BMW Instructor and PCA Club Racer).
Why, I don’t know. Guess it’s my desire to help, as well as realizing I get better myself regardless of what seat I’m in.
But given the choice, I’ll take the 944 or Boxster, or pick your favorite momentum car... the 20-40mph difference doesn’t take the fun out of it, but sure deludes me into decreases the risk factor.
Mike
Amen.
I still own a 944 and thus get many 944 students, as I am familiar with the car, and I feel all the better for it. That being said, the lack of nannies, while better from an instructor standpoint, does inject a different type of risk.
No matter what you do you can't escape the fact the things can and do go wrong. When I have witnessed it all going wrong I always think "there, but for the grace of God, go I."
No matter what you do you can't escape the fact the things can and do go wrong. When I have witnessed it all going wrong I always think "there, but for the grace of God, go I."
No...luckily I didn't hit anything at Sebring the two times I raced there. (2nd oa to BMW factory in '75, then 1st oa in '77).
No, I did something really stupid at Hockenheim during a track day, put on by a Porsche builder-tuner. He offered me his latest creation, then at the last moment asked me to let his nephew, an up and coming F3 driver, go out first. I jumped in the passenger seat, not wanting to miss my chance to drive later. No helmets, suits etc. Little did I know that the driver was out to prove himself to the crowd. By the end of the pit exit I was telling him to slow and by the hairpin I was yelling at him to stop. Too late. Full gas in 5th, he approached the high speed kink before the Mercedes Tribune, missed the apex, ran wide, then lifted. I knew the result as soon as he lifted so I got real small in the bucket set, drew back my legs and relaxed. Predictably the back end came around and we backed into the wall going super fast, then ricocheted off spinning for another 400', close to an 800' ride after losing it. The driver's head was cut up, but I got out without a scratch.
I still own a 944 and thus get many 944 students, as I am familiar with the car, and I feel all the better for it. That being said, the lack of nannies, while better from an instructor standpoint, does inject a different type of risk.
No matter what you do you can't escape the fact the things can and do go wrong. When I have witnessed it all going wrong I always think "there, but for the grace of God, go I."
The plus side to 944 students is they rarely run all the sessions :-)
05-10-2019, 02:52 PM
