New York Safety Track Day
#2
WRONGLY ACCUSED!
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Pretty nice until you slide into the trees.
#3
Rennlist Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Mid-Atlantic (on land, not in the middle of the ocean)
Posts: 13,342
Received 4,525 Likes
on
2,576 Posts
Agreed, ironic to call it a 'safety track' with all those trees. Trees are among the worst hazards in runoff areas faced by vehicle passengers (on both road and track). I read that the track was designed by motorcycling enthusiasts, and I don't know if they had any proper engineering input on the safety aspect.
#4
Rennlist Member
Driver could use some guidance. Too much use of the equipment. Just my humble opinion. Trees are better then concrete. Overall, much respect to be on the track. Enjoy.
#5
Rennlist Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Mid-Atlantic (on land, not in the middle of the ocean)
Posts: 13,342
Received 4,525 Likes
on
2,576 Posts
Not always. Tree trunks can spear through a car, and an instructor I knew was killed that way. Tree branches can also come through windows. Decent-sized tree trunks also don't yield much, so don't be fooled by trees being woody and branches being flexible.
With a concrete barrier, you generally won't have the spearing problem unless hitting an unprotected end of a barrier. Unfortunately, that has happened on tracks as well, where such protection was lacking.
With a concrete barrier, you generally won't have the spearing problem unless hitting an unprotected end of a barrier. Unfortunately, that has happened on tracks as well, where such protection was lacking.
#6
I've got a bad feeling one of those unprotected trees is going to kill someone who is unlucky or runs out of talent.
If the barriers are not far enough in front of the trees, what happened to Allan Simonsen at Le Mans could happen again. He hit Armco backed by a tree.
-Mike
Last edited by TXE36; 04-24-2017 at 06:18 PM. Reason: added not before far enough
#7
Rennlist Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Flyoverland - Central, Ohio
Posts: 3,237
Received 259 Likes
on
181 Posts
Very scenic and reasonable grass run-off (if 2-wheels off), as others have commented, but then the tress come up quick. Corner worker stands seem unprotected too, but above car height (if not airborne) so secondary impacts (with ground if "legs" taken out by a wayward drover).
Trending Topics
#8
Rennlist Member
Thank you for education. I am new to hitting trees subject. In New England we have mostly concrete and not much runoffs. It will teach you to be smooth and respectful very quickly.
#9
WRONGLY ACCUSED!
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
That being said, many times (not all), the impact with concrete or armco barriers is more of a deflection rather than head on. You get to dissipate some of the force.
With a tree, not matter what angle you come at it from, it is a direct impact.
NYST makes Summit Point look like a bumper car ride at a carnival.
#12
Rennlist Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Mid-Atlantic (on land, not in the middle of the ocean)
Posts: 13,342
Received 4,525 Likes
on
2,576 Posts
Here is the effect of a car hitting a tree at a track. Instructor, who I knew, was in the right seat and was killed. The turn where the car went off wasn't particularly fast.
#13
Rennlist Member
I was there that day too, not in my Porsche but in my Evo, the Exocet in the OP's video is mine as well, my friend borrowed it for the day. NYST isn't that bad when it comes to safety, it is a relatively slow track and most trees are out of the way. I don't think a 2 or 4 off will be that bad, however I do worry about a failure such as brakes or even worse - a combo brake/ tie rod/ball joint where the car is aimed off into the woods at speed.
#15
Instructor
As for the trees, the whole thing reminds me of the George of the Jungle theme song. Ironically, if you let the video play through, the auto-next YouTube video is of a car spinning and getting a branch through the windshield.