provoste

So Sad. I've run with a couple different track day open lapping clubs outside the normal DE's with PCA at the track closest to home- Putnam Park (~40 miles South of Indianapolis) over the past few years. My friend and I were kicking around attending the event at Putnam on 10/13-10/14 with an open lapping club I've run with before, but decided against it. We missed a very sad event The interesting bit is I've run with this club before and the CGT driver was in attendance. He is younger than me (I'm 30), and this isn't the first time he's put his CGT off track. At the event I attended with him, he was not surprisingly parked in the corners, then he'd let the V10 eat once the track straightened- not so graciously rarely allowing faster cars (like my boxster S or my Dad's track prepped 964) to pass him. He put the CGT off track hitting some bushes at the event we both attended a couple of years back- no major damage then. It's such a shame. These open lapping clubs are a mixed bag- you get a whole lot more track time, but after events like this- I'm concerned someone like this will collect me...


http://m.jalopnik.com/5951945/porsch...ace-track-gods

guardsredcab

If you think this can't happen at a PCA event, you are incorrect. I've seen unfortunate incidents like this happen at all kinds of events. As I understand it, the guy had an instructor in the car with him. The instructor was Danny Popp - an experienced racer and instructor. And, it was wet. Someone posted a video from 2009 on jalopnik that they said they "thought" was of this same guy. A lot of people jumped to the conclusion that he was an incompetent idiot. Even if it was the same guy, the video was from four years ago... I don't know about you, but I'm a much better driver today than I was in 2009. Let's give this guy a break... and perhaps a bit of sympathy since he just lost a $400+K car. The fact that he had a Lambo as a backup car should be irrelevant.

provoste

Greg,
No question, you're correct- these unfortunate incidents can happen at PCA events as well. I saw a 997 totaled at Mid Ohio in the first session of the day in the August DE this year. My only reservation about some of the open lapping clubs is that there isn't as much vetting as PCA to ensure adequate experience and car control. I only posted that link to provide additional information and pictures, not the opinions shared on the website. Agreed who cares if he had a diablo or second CGT as a back-up car for that matter- it's simply a shame.

Gator_86_951

I am with you prov. At times, when I used to do a bunch of DE, I would get wound up about how much track time was wasted in my DE region. But, I started going to Chin events, and quickly realized how different that club was. So, I would run with my grade school buddy as a two-car group in solo and when either of us felt uncomfortable, we would signal and come in. My brother and dad did a Chin event recently, and younger brother got basically run off the track at Road Atlanta going into the front straight by an inexperienced guy in a highpowered nissan GT-R.

While the foregoing isn't meant to say Chin is unsafe, it is just an observation that some clubs are different than others. Personally, I would only venture outside PCA if you are a solo driver and would run in the solo groups.

GuyIncognito

from what I understand the incident was triggered by a wet track (hydroplaning) and made worse by the presence of a corner worker's car in a very stupid spot....this from a friend who was at the event (with the guy who owns the CGT). so yeah, let's not jump on the jalopnik "ha ha rich idiot can't drive" bandwagon.

also, in my experience private track groups are actually safer, with higher-quality drivers and less tolerance of nonsense than club events. YMMV.

SirLapsalot

Yea I had two friends at the track as well, the guy couldn't drive.

FrankyV

No one who drives a $400k car gets a thing from me..effin one percenter

AudiOn19s

Sad deal no matter how you view it. There was a very well driven CGT at our Mid Ohio event this past weekend and it still looked like a handfull as I understand they can be to drive (I'll never know though). He had tire spin getting the car sideways onto the back straight in front of me once and I backed way off just to be safe!

Darkstar1

It is sad to see the car in that condition. Glad no one was hurt...

morganabowen

It was the Porsche gods that decided that this particular individual was ill equipped to drive that V10 CGT He got passed by a 5.0 mustang and a couple of other cars that normally didn't belong on the same track as the CGT

Streak

One of the youtube comments mentions the CGT was "notoriously difficult to drive." Ummm no, not at parking lot speeds it's not and no matter how hard the car is to drive at the limit (which this guy was nowhere close to) it should be able to keep pace with a 20 year old Mustang in the corners. It kept twitching at track out like the TC was catching it because he was mashing the gas pedal or something. No doubt he exceed the limits of the TC driving like that in the rain. I could be wrong but that's what it looked like.

kurt M

Have you driven one and know if they are hard to drive in the wet?

IIRC someone said the video of the CGT and the wreck are years apart. Perhaps he learned a bit of droving skils in the mean time a this wreck was just bad luck. He hit a car that could/should have been parked elsewhere.

Streak

Have you?

What I saw was TC saving him in the dry so one can guess what happened in the wet. If the video was in fact a few years prior to the crash/fire then he probably was pushing it harder where the "notoriously difficult" part would come into play. Maybe. Based on the video he was far too abrupt on the gas pedal and terrified to do anything but go straight.

BTW Kurt, some eye witnesses above indicate the drover's skillz have not improved. Just sayin.

TheOtherEric

Go ask Randy Pobst how a CGT drives on track. He'll tell you that Jalopnik is right about it being notoriously finicky. I would never scoff at someone who had an Oops in such a touchy car.

Granted this guy could be a bozo too, but the CGT is not a forgiving car.

bobt993

There really is a bias towards exotic sports cars showing up at the track. I personally think it's great to get a close up look at some of these machines and applaud anyone willing to bring one to the track. Okay so they are not always driven to the limit, but this is at a DE event not a race environment where a slowing car can get mixed up in your class race. If your driving session is not working out then pit and return to the track 20 seconds later. Last option is bolt in a cage get a log book and pass at will. (or get passed )