Jeff Curtis

WOW Bill! ...just read this, sorry this happened, it's been said many times already, but it's the truth...we all make mistakes, that's fer sure.

Here's to a speedy recovery and the hopes that 'ol Yeller will see some twisties again here soon.

I too had an incident a few weekends ago, during the Valentine's Day 300 race at VIR, went to pass a slower car in the entrance to the uphill esses, thought I could beat him to the apex, instead, we about met at the apex.

I was currently 2nd overall and getting greedy by the lap as the 3rd place car came SCREAMING out of the pits, with a new (and pro) driver in a 996 GSII GAC car...I was trying to lengthen the amount of track I covered before he blew my doors off on the South Straight.

A game of chicken indeed, I bailed and ripped the whole front end off my Toyota Sports racer, not the first time, but the most dramatic indeed...I had never had an incident at 120MPH before!! ...the driver of the other car never saw me.

Thank God it was just a nice long trip through the weeds, watching my freshly painted bodywork to go pieces right in front (and all over) me.

A week later, after reporting to my Dr. for some pain in my left wrist that was getting MUCH worse...xrays revealed a hairline fracture. I'm confident the injury stemmed from my agricultural excursion as the car left the ground a few times...obviously I was holding onto that little steering wheel for dear life. The front of the car kept digging in with each abrupt elevation change and I'm sure that was MUCH harder braking than I had done all weekend.

It could've been MUCH worse, it's an open cockpit car, I don't use a HANS or ISAAC and I just missed the armco. UGH.

I will recover, so will the car...surely you will live to witness the same. I look forward to racing w/you again...will it be Beaver Run, Summit or VIR?

Take care of yourself Bill.

Dbltime

Sounds like it could have been a lot worse Jeff. Glad you are OK.

I will certainly see you at Beaverun where I have some unfinished business with one BMW GTU car. I am in GTU as well this year.

Me, and ole yeller, will be ready in 6 weeks or less.

Jeff Curtis

...don't I know it! Seems Howard was the only one who could bust his chops, what a car. I'm sure you'll have NO problem bustin' his chops with that powerplant of yours.

...and yes, in BOTH cases (yours and mine), it could've been MUCH worse.

Anir

Bill,

I'm also happy to hear that your personal injuries were relatively minor. I'm very impressed with the manner in which the 993 can sustain a serious impact.

Your vehicle's injury looks all too familiar. I paid the price for overconfidence last fall. It was my 5th day on the Road America circuit, and my lap times were consistently dropping. I knew that I could shave off additional time if I would just be more committed through the Kink. Despite the repeated warnings from those with more experience, I kept pushing just a bit harder each time through the Kink.

Prior to the event, one of the track stewards said, "If you are struck by a meteor on the track, that is an 'accident'. Everything else is human error." Try as I might, I could never find any meteor fragments in turn 10.

At least, the excellent design of our cars, and well-run nature of the PCA events, allows us to learn these lessons at a relatively low cost. My best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Alan C.

Bill,
Take care of the ribs. I cracked a couple in a shifter kart at Putnam Park. Glad to hear that the car will be going back together with you in it again.

It has been said that we all do dumb things. Some of us just get away with it a little longer than others. A lot to be learned here.