Alpine951

You are correct Gregg. I forgot what exactly it looked like since I saw one only last August at NHIS at a DE. Must be getting old. This one at the AUgust DE I was at at NHIS.

Gary R.

It is the one area at LRP that you depend 100% on the Flag station just below the crest of the hill (on the outside), there is no other way to know whats over that crest and you are under WOT coming over it. If you go wide there the track actually falls off into dirt and usually puts you into the left wall and you ARE going to go somewhere unintended at that point.

Alpine951

If I new how to paste a link to a different thread i would. Instead on page 4 of this forum there is a post titled "Video of a lap at LRP...what not to do! " It has a link to a lap at LRP. The uphill will be obvious. All you see is asphalt for a horizon.

Gary R.

Here is a direct link to the video Alpine951 mentioned - http://www.zippyvideos.com/957330933...t_8_2005/*rjay

onasled

Just takes the wind out of ones sails to hear such horrible news.

Here is a quick video of that corner for those who do not know it.
http://members.tripod.com/ghmyc_1m/UPHILL.wmv

Figure for a slow car like mine, I'm doing about 80. Figure that a Radical is doing closer to 90

H2OJazz

Gary is right. The flaggers are crucial on the uphill at LPR. This summer I got a waving yellow as I came up that blind climb. Sure enough there was a car spun out in the path. Fortunately I was able to slow down and avoid him.

A little later someone drove another car into the wall right before the downhill.

This is such sad news. I think it makes recent three deaths I have heard about in DE or some kind of club event (one in CA was not a PCA thing, I think).

Let's be careful out there.

Antonio

I ran the Time Trial on Friday and I considered running the sprint race on Saturday. My car was running poorly, so I left. The accident happened during the 1 hour enduro which brings up an interesting question: should prototypes and street cars be allowed to be on the track at the same time? Obviously we don't know all the facts and it is purely speculation at this point but my instinct tells me that they should not. Had the unfortunate driver of the Radical been in a full bodied car when he ran into the back of the Acura Integra the consequences may not have been too severe.

I'd like to make one more point . I have run with EMRA a few times throughout the years, all Time Trials, never racing. They are a very nice bunch of people working hard to put on a safe event but I wonder whether they actually have the resources. During the TT on Friday not all of the flagging stations were manned. Those that were, there was only one person at then. I'm sure what was happening on Saturday because I was not at the track.

As I said, only food for thought.

RJay

I was wondering about this. I hadn't heard what type of car the Radical hit, but it has occurred to before that running open wheel cars or SRFs, Radicals, etc, i.e things that weigh under 1500 lbs along side of 3000 lbs GT cars seems like a bad idea. I have run along side all three types of these cars at various DEs before without incident. Nevertheless, as I'm on this years slate for VP of Activities here in the NER region, and we're in the midst of reviewing our safety policies given the tragic events of this year, I'm hestitant, but wondering whether we should consider banning these cars at our events altogether.

ltc

The incident in CA was rennlist member 'ben in lj' in a Carrera GT. It was a Ferrari Owners Club event IIRC.
The other was a single car incident at Watkins Glen involving a Boxster in Green/Yellow during a PCA DE.

Wreck Me Otter

Condolences to the drivers family.


Well, I was at a test day at Sears Point recently in my Spec Miata along side (very briefly) some Formula Atlantics...while the IRL team had his own separate session....really really had to pay attention to the mirrors as those guys closing speed was bording on ridiculous....

onasled

Just to note on that photo of the Radical at NHIS. It was the same one I saw there that was in fact driven to the track. Note the licence plate on the back.

RJay

More to its infamy, it competed in this years One Lap of America and its owner is both a very good driver and a helluva nice guy, if, as should be pretty obvious, a little nuts.

Gary R.

Thats a good video showing the Flag station as you are pointed right at it at the bottom of the turn. Can't imagine he missed a waving yellow (or red) flag if it was there... but we will never know. Godspeed to him.

Greg Fishman

Having ridden in a radical I would say i would easily be 20-30 mph faster than most any production car. If he was a good driver he would be at well over 2 gs in a fast corner. Until you ride in or drive one you really can't imagine how well they get through the corners and the braking is even more amazing.

mooty

greg is right.
i have had several rides in radicals. at laguna seca, approaching andretti hairpin (2nd gear turn, needs **** load of braking), the radicals are UPSHIFTING when the porsches are HARD on the binders.