russo

Yes, HPDE can have some inherent risks; however, speaking from experience, I can tell you that the most dangerous part of HPDE participation is what happens prior to and after leaving the track. This happened on August 22. I had the unfortunate experience of T-boning a 97 Ford Escort traveling in the opposite direction on a busy country road. I had just picked up the car from a local tech shop following an event at Barber, the following weekend I was going to be at RA, my favorite track. I was heading back to the hotel when the above vehicle decided to make a left turn onto a driveway at the instant that I was driving through, the driver, a teenager? was making a left turn at speed and directly crossing onto my path. Needless to say, the impact was sudden, no reaction time, I was following traffic at about 40-50 mph when the impact occurred, plenty of distance between myself and the vehicle that I was following in front of me. In other words, I didn't even have the time to lift when the impact occurred. My wife was in the car with me and sustained a right foot fracture, this was the best possible outcome since her initial symptoms were total paralysis on the entire right side of her body. She has a history of multiple low back surgeries, seven to be exact. Myself and the other driver walked away. both cars didn't. This was supposed to be three consecutive weekends of track driving starting with Barber, onto RA and finishing at the Glenn. Well, at least I got to do Barber. The car is getting fixed and should be ready next Friday, at which time I am driving directly back to Barber for a weekend of track driving with my good friends at Rezoom.
Strange but true, close to 20k track miles at some of the most treacherous tracks on the east coast, never a scratch or a ding, thank God. Driving back the to hotel, approximately 15 miles, and bang just like that, lives could have been permanently and dramatically affected. Thank God that the only damage was metal.

GuyIncognito

despite all the doom and gloom on here lately about racing/track day/instructing safety, I feel safer on track than I do on the street. especially with harnesses, HANS, helmet, firesuit, etc...

glad you're OK. the car can be fixed.

any clue as to how the passenger side quarter window got smashed? that's an odd piece of damage. maybe it was the side airbags bouncing off the cage?

russo

The chassis suffered no damage but it is possible that the tiniest amount of flexion in the chassis at the time of impact may have been the culprit. Other than that no idea. I will admit I was very concerned at the time that there was damage to the chassis when considering how the side window popped.

TXE36

The most dangerous and idiotic things I've seen on a track weekend have always occurred on the street outside the track property.

It could have been a lot worse. Cars are replaceable, people aren't.

-Mike

mglobe

Glad you guys are (relatively) ok Tony.

IcemanG17

I am a FIRM believer in "don't put anything on track you are not willing to LEAVE on track!"

I have seen far to many nice-fast street cars get totally destroyed, typically from rollovers....GT3's are the most common, but you name it I have seen in destroyed.....typically the drivers are fine, just with massive damage to their ego's and wallets!!!!

russo

Thank you Mike.

Sean F

Been there, done that. Van full of teenage summer camp kids pull out in front of me on the way back from Lime Rock club race towing the race car a couple of years ago. Able to steer enough not to t bone them and kill the kids in the back of the van. Pushed the engine in the van over 1.5 feet.

Veloce Raptor

Damn, Tony, sorry to hear.

Texas RS

Tony, Glad to see you guys are ok. Sorry about the car. See you next time you are at TWS.

Van

On the Monday after my first Club Race, I was sitting stopped at an intersection (red light, waiting to turn left) - and there is a collision and the the car that was hit was pushed into me. Damage wasn't too bad, just a bent quarter panel, but I remember thinking, "Damn, yesterday, I was doing 120 MPH door-to-door in a *race*, and here I am stopped at a traffic light..."

Coochas

I wish you and your wife a speedy recovery.
Cars can be fixed or replaced.

Hella-Buggin'

Wow, sorry. When I read your subject line I was thinking to myself how unsafe I always feel on the public highway getting home from the DE event. You get so in tune and suddenly find yourself surrounded by idiots again.

Chaos

I was initially going to get well and to bad you were not in an Excursion...

RickBetterley

Umm, what the heck does this have to do with the poor OP getting run into on the street?