jamie645

Marc, I think you are correct, I was not thinking along all those lines. I guess I thought I was doing a service to those who might not appreciate what can happen to their car on a track with just words; images tend to be more persuasive.
I do not know how to take the images off at this point but I will pm the administrator.
I hope I haven't caused any harm. That was not my intent

Van

Sometime, the track should... I know of an incident a while back where a Green Group driver drove his car up and parked it opposit flag station #8 (uphill) so he could do his flag duty.

After about an hour, a Skippy Viper came careening out of control and hit his car hard! This poor PCA guy not only saw it happen from across the track, but also couldn't go over and look at it right away, because the track was hot!

The impact was right on the pass side front wheel -- it broke the suspension, frumpled the fender, hood, nose panel, frame, wheel, etc. The car, obviously, had to be towed home.

richard glickel.

Paul,

Without arguing the merits of the car's traction control, etc., in talking with the driver of the 996 after the incident, did he mention whether he had disabled the system prior to the run?

From the description of the incident, it doesn't sound like the 996's traction control was active.

Sean F

That puddle was causing all kinds of problems in white. The biggest issue was that when drivers would give the point, they did so right before the puddle and then started drifting back towards it - pinching the passing driver into the puddle. I wouldn't take a pass until after the puddle and then would take the inside line into the uphill. I agree there was liability on the part of the track. The thing kept growing as the day went on.

RonCT

Here's my perspective from Black... First session we were all taking it easy given it was about 30 degrees out (was I the only one on street tires?). I noticed the rumble strip was "dirty" and figured the brown stuff to the right was just dirt and also noticed out of peripheral vision the bank was disturbed and glistening as though wet and figured it was some spring-time groundwater seepage. So much visual input with all of the construction - dirt everywhere, ruts, rocks sticking up like potatoes in a field, Lake Lime Rock in the infield, etc. I was at the edge of the rumble strip several times as I passed.

Second session I noticed the rumble strip was "gone" - visual clues suggested this "dirt" wasn't really dirt anymore because it moved out into the line I usually use. At one point somebody put a few tires into it because the next lap there was a dark "stain" of wet. So, I avoided the puddle, but used the dark area for passing.

After the crash, everyone that I observed in Black still came up to the edge of it but had respect for the fact it was water. On one pass I got pinched and put 2 tires right through the water and splashed the guy behind me who also got a point-by (apologies in advance to you - sorry I threw muddy water all over your car). I stayed on throttle and went perfectly straight through it, but did feel a pull to the right as the tires hit the resistance. Years ago I might have counter-steered left, which would have put me into a deadly spin as the front tire cleared the water a tenth of a second later (much like a lift-throttle oversteer). As the pond grew, the pinching became more significant...

Update from yesterday with CVR - I reported all of what I felt happened on Thursday and suggested some cones and an announcement at the driver's meeting. Both were done and we were all told that the reason for the "growing pond" was that LRP turned on a water main (irrigation was quoted - but I think maybe the water system for the bathrooms) and there was a leak that came through the excavated hill side. I thought it odd that this was not discovered before we began our event - the track was inspected and even in the first laps some drivers reported seeing the water and figured it was natural seepage out of the hill side - snow melt, frost melt, groundwater, etc.). So for yesterday they had already shut down the water, the pond had subsided, and they put cones up and around the rumble strip area and advised everyone. Of course, as the day wore on and the track got warmer and faster, everyone edged closer and closer to the cones until one got clipped. They did the same today (put up cones, gave warnings).

Does anyone know the guy (David) that crashed? I'd like to check in with him to see if he's OK.

Gary R.

This crash was/is sad but the fact is it was avoidable if the driver was a bit more aware of what he was driving on. As Ron said Black went out (and no one ever mentioned the flood since out 1st run that day) and we had no issues with it. The one time it got splashed (thanks for owning up to that Ron) we got a debris flag leaving the S's so even that was no issue. There were a LOT of incidents over the 3 days that were just from overdriving.. one 996 ended up sideways in the middle of the downhill STOPPED with no flags before my buddy in a 928 came down at him. It was a depends moment and my buddy saved the guys life (literally) by being alert and doing the droving thing VERY well. A Miata (god rest it's soul) died in the same area and no flags to warn people (Red group). My point is to EXPECT a problem around each corner (like I used to do racing MC enduros) and you may save your DE buddy's life...

RonCT

Gary - just to clarify - the guy's Miata died, not the guy in the Miata He really could drive that thing, but when he hit the Apex of the downhill, he lost steering completely. Gave it all the brakes he had and was very lucky to walk away from the serious stuff-job in the tire wall.

Yes (with head hung low), I was one of the several that ran through the water - I wasn't the first, and wasn't the last

I did feel that people were pushing for the 1st day of the year in somewhat cold conditions. Ramping up went incredibly well and to be honest with you, that's one of the reasons I sat out the 4th session on Friday. I was being seduced because it was warming up and I was very excited about how well my new car was treating me...

jamie645

I washed my car yesterday and was unpleasantly surprised to find about 100 little rock chips on the front fender. It was pretty messy through the back strait. I guess that's what we get for being out the first day of the season. I just wished I had gone with my gut and put some racers tape along the front edge that morning.

Geoffrey

I had a good time yesterday. I spent some time playing with my shocks based on the MoTeC data from the damper position sensors I installed over the winter. It made a difference and I made some adjustments that I probably would not have thought to try. The track never really warmed up, the IR temp sensor I have in the car showed that during my last session, the track was on average about 56 degrees with coldest being 44 degrees at the second apex of Big Bend and the warmest being 71 at the entrance of noname straight (right where the puddle was on Thursday).

I thought Ron's son did great for his first time and thought it was a great "father/son" day. See you on the 21st.

butzip

Geoff,

You were crazy fast yesterday. What kind of lap times are you turning?

Gary R.

Yes, there were no injuries at all over the 3 days except some damaged pride and wallets. I didn't mean to insinuate the Miata was being overdriven, just that (me included) we were all full of winter snuff and ready to GO.. not always a good thing. Had a great time and can't wait to get back to try out a couple hints Rob (Skip Barber) gave me. Wish I was a better driver and could listen/talk/absorb/follow through while he was in the car but.... i'm not!

Geoffrey

I was running some old tires from last year at only 0.59s

rdstemler

As one who has had to deal with it..... does this guy have insurance that will pay?? Or is he on his own???