<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by bb6h22a &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Let's be fair.
It was raining very hard and in my mind, if it's not for points and the weather is that bad, I don't go.
It is terrible that he wrecked and I do hope he's okay but that particular wreck could have been avoided if he'd passed on that particular, rained out event.
This is NOT to say that accidents can't happen in the dry, the damp, or even under perfect conditions but as this is a hobby it would be prudent to consider the entertainment v. risk factor per given event and a rained out event like that has the possibility for a high risk return.
</TD></TR></TABLE>


don't be a panzy.....rain=MUCH REDUCED SPEED much reduced grip

that accident could have happened in the dry...i can show you a video but have been requested not to show it on the internet...
crap happens faster in the dry!

 

Worst conditions I can think of = dry track/wet grass....

My current longest slide/off = ~ 1/4 mile, from the kink at VIR all the way to the corner worker station at T1.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by El Pollo Diablo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">My current longest slide/off = ~ 1/4 mile, from the kink at VIR all the way to the corner worker station at T1.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Is that further than a slide from South bend to the back straight?

 

j00 slid all the way on brakes, or just continued part way under power?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by .RJ &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Is that further than a slide from South bend to the back straight?</TD></TR></TABLE>

yes....cause the kink to t1 is almost 1/2 mile

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by El Pollo Diablo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">j00 slid all the way on brakes, or just continued part way under power?</TD></TR></TABLE>

slid all the way

 

that's the biggest pipe bowl I've seen in a while.

replace grass with weed, make sure brakes are red hot, and eliminate the competition - two laps and evrybody will be too stoned to even want to drive. eheh. weeeee.

 

I'll call and raise j00:

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by El Pollo Diablo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'll call and raise j00</TD></TR></TABLE>

Alright

 

That's Aaron's old car, j00 kumquat, and it's from Slummit.

Cheater!

 

Dammit

&lt;-- busted

But the front of my kaa did look like that... with grass stuffed in the front bumpar

 

it's called car control RJ

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by urbanlegend21 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">it's called car control RJ</TD></TR></TABLE>

At that time, at 95+ mph after dragging dirt on the track, i plain ran out of it.

 

You jackn00bs do know that the object is to actually stay ON the paved surface???

Right???

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by .RJ &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

slid all the way

</TD></TR></TABLE>

WTF is that in your wheel?!? That doesn't look like any kind of dirt or cactus I have ever seen

 

So, I had my first off at a racetrack, ever.

I was in a group of four Spec Miatas running within a second of the lap record in 30 degree temperatures, me in 3rd at the time I believe and the leader pulling away but still within striking distance of P2. We came up on a slower miata about to be lapped in a tight right-hand corner and the leader got impatient and tagged him. The lap Miata spun and leader and P2 car got through cleanly. I'm in P3 and I looked outside because I can't pinch off the tight corner any tighter, but he did't have his feet in and he backed it up toward the outside curb. Time to cut some grass! Luckily it was relatively dry and I went in straight as I was able to rejoin with only one position lost. I watched my hopes for a podium in my first race vanish in a dusty cacophony of bumpy grass and futile wheelspin.

It was cool, but my car wasn't very dirty afterwards.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by speedracer33 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Out of curiousity, do you think that the H/N restraint was the difference between
walking away and a major injury? In other words, if you had all of the safety
equipment *other* than the H/N restraint, do you think it would have been a lot
worse?


Matt</TD></TR></TABLE>

That's a good question but I really don't have the confidence I could answer it
correctly in absolute terms. The data points I have that were interesting was that
standing in an informal circle of guys that have hit stuff, someone (maybe Walt,
maybe Blake) asked me how my neck felt. I said I was shocked that it felt
completely fine (now mind you, at that moment I have a significant bone bruise
on my left arm, a bitten tongue, a strained right hand middle finger and what
would show up later that night, huge surface bruise on inside right thigh).
Collectively they said that I will probably start to feel it in the next day or two. So
I waited to see how I felt before I was convinced how I felt.

I made a couple calls on Monday, one was to Blake (he built the cage - it was his
first one) the other was to Gregg Baker to thank him for how much I loved his
product. Two days later and no neck or head pain. Its kind of remarkable since it
was a sideways hit (one that broke the back out of the transmission and motor,
bent the halfshafts, just did a number on the car - I went to counting what we
saved vs. what we lost because is was SUCH a lower number added a link to
some pics of the damage in the v1 link below). Everything that is great about
the added rigidity of the cage I would think is working against you when you hit
squarely on the side.

So the roundabout way to answer your question, I think its fair to say that there
was luck, the seat, the cage, the seating position, the brand new 6pt harnesses
(and the luck that they were pulled so tight I doubt I could replicate it), the window
net, the SFI padding where it counted, the luck of the wink hitting the psgr floor
and not me, and certainly the Isaac device all playing a role in the fact that after
we unloaded the heap off the flatbed and I got back from medical, Walt, Alycia and
I were eating Mexican, drinking a couple beers and talking about v.2. So, the long
way to answer your question, I definitely put it (the Isaac) in there with the major
ticket items and I would not want to go through the exact same scenario without it.

FWIW, a guy in an ITA Miata went into the wall in pretty much the same place and
from what I was told pretty much the same angle just a little slower and he left in
an ambulance (concussion IIRC). This was exactly one session after mine. What
was different? The belts, the seat, the net, no H&N device ?? the reality (from my
limited perspective) is that his head was right next to the tubing.

Sorry for the super long winded response but I thought about this a fair amount
and think its an important subject. I would not profess myself as a subject matter
expert but I do have a unique (to some) perspective. I guess I only answered the
part of the question out of preference, its really the only way I can answer it.

[reformatted so folks that don't have 18000x24000 resolution monitors can read it
without scrolling from side to side due to RJ's posting pirated off-track excursion pics ]

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Catch 22 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You jackn00bs do know that the object is to actually stay ON the paved surface???</TD></TR></TABLE>

Hey, i was just helping out the groundskeeping crew and providing live entertainment for the cornerworkers

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by travis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">WTF is that in your wheel?!? That doesn't look like any kind of dirt or cactus I have ever seen </TD></TR></TABLE>

Its called grass, travis You guys dont have that in arizona?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by .RJ &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Its called grass, travis You guys dont have that in arizona?</TD></TR></TABLE>

If it doesn't have thorns or venom, we don't have it near the track

 

Sorry for the super long winded response but I thought about this a fair amount
and think its an important subject.

There is no thought that Adam can have on this subject that is too long winded. We specualte and pontificate alot around here when it comes to safety equipment, but Adam had what I'd say is the hardest hit I've personally witnessed in my 10 years around the sport and walked away from it in such good shape that we were making fun of his tongue 30 minutes later.
I'm still amazed at that.

You have to understand. This was a 2140lb CRX that hit that barrier so hard it not only moved it, but it silenced everyone at that end of the paddock. Everything just froze and every head turned towards turn 1. I was in mid sentence to Will and Vesa and all I remember is that I immediately forgot what we were talking about. All I could say was "Thats a friend of mine." I was absolutely scared shitless for a few seconds, then Adam hopped his happy *** out of the car and jumped over the wall. There was a collective sigh in the paddock.

And when I saw the car I was more dumbfounded. The rear shock towers destroyed, cage bent in several places, transmission case broken in half, battery sitting in the wrong place... And Adam standing there talking about it.

And I wouldn't assign any luck to it at all. It was a well prepared driver in a well prepared car. A very good cage and very good personal equipment is why Adam walked away from that effectively uninjured.
It wasn't luck.
It wasn't "his day."
It was a driver that had prepared for a bad thing to happen walking away virtually unscathed from that bad thing happening.

Let that be a lesson to all of us. Racers and DEers.

Scott, who needs a better seat and will be getting one soon (maybe this weekend).