911ted

Recent west coast incident being brought up. Why, because you need to deal with the impact first, fire protection comes next. If you need fire suits, you need removable steering wheels too.

Incident starts with impact force to the rear of the car and the buckling of the tub caused the seat slider to become useless. The use of the seat slider also negated what the seat back brace is intended to do. The impact bent the seat rearward due to the seat back brace being set for the rearward position of the seat to allow ingress to the car over the roll bars. Driver slides seat forward after getting into car and now a huge gap exists between seat back brace and the rear surface of the seat back. During impact the seat buckling rearward into the gap between the seat back brace caused drivers helmet to impact the roll bar and it incapacitated the driver for a period of time. Extraction became an issue due to the drivers forward position and the steering wheel, if there was fire, would of been worse.
Its a chain of events not a single event, address all the risks on the function fault tree DURING and after an impact.

gbuff

I believe NASA requires racers to be able to get out within 15 seconds.

Olemiss540

Makes sense to me. I feel much less safe as an advanced driver in a spec miata with no race suit than a beginner driver with his 992 gt3rs, flame resistant alcantara, windows up using blinkers as point by, going a buck eighty down the back straight at Rd Amaerica.

Flame suit on!

Nizer

Did the driver survive?

FWIW, I fully support wearing race suits whenever you're tracking, regardless of what you're driving.

ProCoach

Yes, two occupants shimmied out the small openings available on either side. Shaken, for sure.

I agree, adopted that mindset a long time ago.

It’s disappointing that there is confusion here. I still have some questions after speaking to the folks in charge. Best thing is to reach out to the event organizers, because for now, I THINK that they may make the decision. Unless you have access to their contract with the track, we’re all just guessing.

analogmike

In related news, Summit Point is requiring deer bars on windshields.

LuigiVampa

You sound a lot like a lawyer!

Twice I have almost hit deer on my drive to Summit Point in the morning, but luckily have never seen them on track. (I knock wood as I say this!)

Veloce Raptor

Often times, the nearby gunfire and explosions from some of my old buddies keeps them away lol

cweed

How would they be able to measure or enforce that?

Olemiss540

They spray fuel in your engine compartment. Then they wait 15 seconds and either you lived or died.

Veloce Raptor

dgrobs

True.
I believe they got the idea from the Salem Witch Trials…

Matt Romanowski

I dislike you more for that statement.

ldamelio

Slightly OT but since it's been mentioned - deer fencing around the entirety of Summit Point was put in after 2018 season funded by Riesentoter PCA and Potomac PCA as well as an SCCA chapter.

LuigiVampa

Again, you sound like a lawyer! Keep it up.