Do tracks do enough to mitigate the impact of going off?
#31
Here is a cross post from another rennlister about WSIR. This is totally unneccessary and his car could be saved if that dumb berm/ski jump was smoothed out. It's still there today for the next unlucky victim...
<<Professor,
That reminds me of a qualy at willow springs years ago. Weather was fine and I went out did a decient out lap and stood on it hard. Got in one lap and was working on the second when the car got lose in turn 9 and the only reaction I had was to straighten out and head off into the desert. I ran up a berm and bent the front suspesion. Lucky for everyone else the track stayed green since I was so far off the track. I get dragged and came to find out my 1 complete lap got me class pole. So I fixed the car and won the race from pole. Fun stuff.>>
<<Professor,
That reminds me of a qualy at willow springs years ago. Weather was fine and I went out did a decient out lap and stood on it hard. Got in one lap and was working on the second when the car got lose in turn 9 and the only reaction I had was to straighten out and head off into the desert. I ran up a berm and bent the front suspesion. Lucky for everyone else the track stayed green since I was so far off the track. I get dragged and came to find out my 1 complete lap got me class pole. So I fixed the car and won the race from pole. Fun stuff.>>
#32
While we worry about our safety in the car, how about flag stations? Many are really unsafe...
I lost a friend when a vette hit the unsecured jersey barricade and both landed on him. In the flag station!
Thats an often neglected, & overlooked area of safety. IMHO.
-(very few stations I would want to be in with a flying loose wheel headed my way... for $75 a day)
I lost a friend when a vette hit the unsecured jersey barricade and both landed on him. In the flag station!
Thats an often neglected, & overlooked area of safety. IMHO.
-(very few stations I would want to be in with a flying loose wheel headed my way... for $75 a day)
Last edited by mrbill_fl; 05-22-2008 at 02:18 PM.
#33
Well yes but I think 2 guys died at BW in the last 5 yrs from rolls. They could still do alot to repack the dirt to the level of the track so that cars are not encouraged to dig in and flip. WSIR could do many things too. Some of the offs at WSIR are like a motocross track with jumps.
WSIR has some nasty spots - combination of rocks, large grave and soft dirt. Fortunately the only really big off I ever had there was in the Radical when I decided I could do T1 flat - damn near made it too - LOL.
#34
Here is a cross post from another rennlister about WSIR. This is totally unneccessary and his car could be saved if that dumb berm/ski jump was smoothed out. It's still there today for the next unlucky victim...
<<Professor,
That reminds me of a qualy at willow springs years ago. Weather was fine and I went out did a decient out lap and stood on it hard. Got in one lap and was working on the second when the car got lose in turn 9 and the only reaction I had was to straighten out and head off into the desert. I ran up a berm and bent the front suspesion. Lucky for everyone else the track stayed green since I was so far off the track. I get dragged and came to find out my 1 complete lap got me class pole. So I fixed the car and won the race from pole. Fun stuff.>>
<<Professor,
That reminds me of a qualy at willow springs years ago. Weather was fine and I went out did a decient out lap and stood on it hard. Got in one lap and was working on the second when the car got lose in turn 9 and the only reaction I had was to straighten out and head off into the desert. I ran up a berm and bent the front suspesion. Lucky for everyone else the track stayed green since I was so far off the track. I get dragged and came to find out my 1 complete lap got me class pole. So I fixed the car and won the race from pole. Fun stuff.>>
That post came from me. And to be honest it there was not a ski jump anywhere. I went off track straight at 100+ mph and got on the brakes hard as I got in the dirt. I figured I was fine because I could not see anything infront of me. I figure just wait for the car to slow and then clean our the dirt. Well at 100+ mph and soft dirt the brakes don't work all that well. It probably took me 100 yards to slow down and by this time I noticed a large (5-6 ft) berm that formed the edge of the track. So at maybe 30 mph I ran up that berm.
Damage was
- Torn up front spoiler
- Bent left front tie rod
- twisted left front control arm
Nothing else was damaged. Not even the wheel. So while the car did not roll after that I had it fixed in 2 hrs and need only a spare control arm. Total damage bill was $25 since I had spare parts car spoiler at home and I could hammer straight the tie rod.
I will see if I can find a picture of where the berm was in relation to the racing surface.
#37
We are the main customer for a lot of the tracks in our area. Unlike the big name tracks that have been mentioned, i.e LS, VIR, WG, the tracks we are frequenting are older or are no longer in vogue for the racing circuit. They may have one or two races a year that bring in large chunks of money but we are their regular customers. And I agree with the vast majority of the respondents, the tracks are not doing enough. As to the static barriers (walls) many of them cannot be moved, however many of them could be made temporary and easily moved for us. The run offs can be made so that we do not destroy the undersides of our cars from minor run offs. The culverts in the infield can be redesigned so that they do not eat your car, etc.
Please excuse the rant but I have seen too many people having their weekend ruined because of a minor off.
Please excuse the rant but I have seen too many people having their weekend ruined because of a minor off.
#38
Addict
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 40,449
Likes: 98
From: Insane Diego, California
#39
Thread Starter
The Penguin King
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 9,839
Likes: 120
From: Houston
#41
There's always Lake Lakeville at Lime Rock in the esses. Plenty of money, plenty of races, no permanent solution for the lake. It really does stuff up the underside of the car with an off.