sugarwood

This is going to be a dumb question, but when he spins, he does the obvious thing. He countersteers, and locks to the left.
But, there is a point of no return (sideways) when the countersteering doesn't do anything.
My question is, when he is sideways, point of no return, what would happen if he turned the wheel right? Anything?

Skip directly to 5:29

Turbodan

IMO if he turns the wheel the other way he does a 360 away from the wall and his car lives another day. Either that or he could come all the way around and drive straight into the wall when he catches traction, which is why when spinning both feet in is best.

1990nein

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Jferrante

On that turn you're supposed to just let the car go off if you put a wheel off and not correct for that exact reason. I have gone off there and simply got back on before 2.

TXE36

Exactly, only that applies to nearly all turns unless there is something close to hit on the left. Don't be hero, let it go off in a reasonable straight and controlled manner. Rotations are what cause bad things to happen. Difficult enough to catch on pavement, nearly impossible on pavement and grass. Once the car rotates it goes in directions one can't control or digs in sideways in the grass and the car rolls.

The hook to the inside at turn exit is a fairly common thing - he is certainly not the first to do it. IMO, that video is very educational. The reason for the specific advice for that turn is the barrier on the inside.

-Mike

ETA: Note all the other skid marks there - he ain't the first.

Jabs1542

Which is why they teach you to have a bail out plan for every corner, some corners need counter steer, some need straight run off. This is something you explore on your first laps at a new track while you're learning your reference points and corner stations, plus talking to people who know.

I haven't driven Lightning but I did drive a Thunderbolt and, as an example, the known bail out for Turn 12 is straight off.

jaundice

Looks like he actually didn't have a chance to go off straight. He had already lost it at turn in and was counter steering at apex and was sideways at track out. Just finished slide across track.

StoogeMoe

Yes, this is a very common thing at Lightning - Turn 1 and 5. That's why they have the inside walls lined with tires. This can happen at any track, but the hills make the car light at mid-corner, so you have to be easy with the throttle. Turning the wheel the other way should induce a spin, but you'd have to do it real early. Once the car's trajectory starts heading for the wall, there's nothing you can do.

Here's a video of me at turn 5. I gave him racing room, but got punted. I just drove off. There's plenty of room out there. If you try to keep it on track, you end up in the inside wall. This was in a race, so I was quick to get back on. In a DE you should wait for the corner worker to signal you back on.

sugarwood

Note, I'm a beginner.
I rewatched the video in slow motion.

Right at 5:39, he gets 2 wheels off.
Normally, here, you'd just steer straight, and run off the left grass, safely.
Just like Stooge does in his video.

But, at 5:39, he's not going straight. It's oversteering.
So, he then steers slightly left to correct the oversteer.
The car continues to oversteer, so he locks the wheel left.
Then the car goes sideways.
Could he have stayed on the grass?
If he did not countersteer, I think he would have spun, but on the left side?
I guess that would have been better, but it's probably hard not to try correcting.

mglobe

This is what I saw also. It was not a two-off that he snap-hooked to the other side. The car was basically out of control by apex. Completely different type of situation.

HoBoJoe

LOL!

mark kibort

he actually had the correction perfectly, then, his intuition of "getting back on track" took over and thats when it became unrecoverable. had he continued with correction, he would have been off track, but straight, but hurried to go back to the track...........this forced the irrecoverable slide.. however, even at that point. both feet in would have saved him.... but thats a narrow window of opportunity. the best thing you can do , is get the front end straight and keep it straight , regardless of being on or off track. cars drive amazingly well in the dirt, on grass and over wet, if you dont make wild swings of the controls! too bad he had the contact! hope the damage wasnt too bad


wise analysis!

Veloce Raptor

He did not brake enough. Car got light at turn in as it does there. Combined with too much entry speed and no throttle to settle the back end and it was gone.

joeykid

I agree with Peter. He came into the turn too hot. But it's the panic induced lift off throttle in a rear engine car that did him in.

Veloce Raptor

It's not a rear engined car is it?