It was tragic. I was in the race. I never witnessed the wreck but I did notice passing a kart near the bridge with the driver still in it. I didn't think anything of it when I saw the kart there. The red flag went out at T3. I started to slowly make my way to the pit lane when everybody was told to stop right before T6. I got out of the kart, made my way to the front of our pack of karts to talk to the guys who witnessed the accident. We are doing 100 mph when we go under the bridge. He hit the deer head on with his helmet hitting the chest/belly area of the female deer. The deer was also killed. 20 minutes later while we were still sitting at T6, I head a helicopter. That's when I knew it was serious. They air lifted him out. Then we were all towed back to pit lane to restart the race. Before we restarted, we were told he was concious. We figured maybe he would make it. We ended up restarting and running a shortened 20 minute race. I didn't learn until later that night at around 11pm, that the driver, David Smith, had passed away. I was pitting next to the VP of WKC. So I was pretty much informed right away as to what happened. But it was decided not to let everyone else know until the weekend was over. We pretty much let everyone know he was on life support and his condition was not good.

Tough race, Tough weekend.

I know none of you guys may know him and his family, but I ask for you to keep them in your prayers.

Here is a thread concerning the incident:

http://www.ekartingnews.com/viewtopic.php?t=26749

AJ Nealey

 

That could have been any of us out there.

Best wishes to his friends, family and fellow racers.

 

 

 

sorry you had to be there for that.

i was witness to a racing casualty a couple months ago, so i know what it's like. racing is a family, no matter if you knew the person well or not, it still has a significant impact.

 

That's horrible. So sorry for his family and friends. I was just talking the other night about how devastating it must be to hit a deer on a motorcycle at speed.

RIP

 

Sorry I knew a kart driver when I raced karts a lot he was racing at Daytona and a kart got airborn he hit the kart and the kart in the air hit is head snapping his neck, even with the neck brace, luckily he lived but cannot walk, my prayers go to this drivers family.

 

That's really upsetting to know.

I just wonder if there's anything that can be done, relatively easily, to ease the deer population away from the racetrack grounds. It seems like I hear about a deer on the track everytime I'm up there and that there should be a simple solution. On the other hand, maybe it IS impossible due to the amount of sheer acreage of the facility.

Who knows?

 

Isn't there some type of sound emitter that can be placed at strategic locations around a track to deter fowel and animals from approaching the track?

 

 

Thats terrible.

A couple of years ago at a Solo I on an airfield at Fort Rucker Alabama a deer ran out in front of a guy in a Formula Vee. It was on the fastest part of the course (of course) and the driver said it happened so fast all he could do was close his eyes and hold his breath.
What he missed when he closed his eyes was the deer leaping at just the right moment and actually mostly clearing the car. It just barely clipped one of its legs on the cowling and ran back into the woods.

Just *that close* to changing everything.
Really makes you think sometimes.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Mike P. &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">That's really upsetting to know.

I just wonder if there's anything that can be done, relatively easily, to ease the deer population away from the racetrack grounds. It seems like I hear about a deer on the track everytime I'm up there and that there should be a simple solution. On the other hand, maybe it IS impossible due to the amount of sheer acreage of the facility.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

i agree.. i am saddened to hear about this, and send my condolences out to his family, friends, and fellow racers..

i personally have seen a deer run out during a race at summit.. last year during a NASA weekend, one of the non-HC races was going and a guy had to go off track and wreck to miss the deer.. was insane.. they need to thin the population with hunting on and around the grounds..

 

RIP fellow racer. Prayers go out to his friends and family.

 

Why not taller fencing around the track?

That is horrible thing to happen.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Mike P. &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">That's really upsetting to know.

I just wonder if there's anything that can be done, relatively easily, to ease the deer population away from the racetrack grounds. It seems like I hear about a deer on the track everytime I'm up there and that there should be a simple solution. On the other hand, maybe it IS impossible due to the amount of sheer acreage of the facility.

Who knows? </TD></TR></TABLE>

yeah there is.......... tell these ******* hippie tree hugging wildlife **** to lay off the tag limit for a few years,

 

As somebody who has hit an animal at Summit, this is really scary to hear. When an animal jumps in front of you at racing speeds, there is just *nothing* you can do. By the time you see it, it's already too late.

My thoughts go out to his family, friends, and co-racers.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by alphajesse &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Why not taller fencing around the track?

That is horrible thing to happen.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I agree. How much could a basic 10' chain link fence around the track really cost? This is not the first time a deer has caused a fatality at Summit, and I'm certain it won't be the last.

John, who has corner worked there and seen a herd of 12-15 deer sprint across that very section of track with no forewarning.

 

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

I agree. How much could a basic 10' chain link fence around the track really cost? </TD></TR></TABLE>

I was curious about this too. Just using the first estimator I hit on google, the cheapest 10 ft. fence with a couple of gates would be about $38,000.00 per 1000 ft. Figuring at least 5 miles to surround the entire complex it comes to a bit over a million bucks, not including any site prep or clearing required.

 

RIP

 

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

I agree. How much could a basic 10' chain link fence around the track really cost? </TD></TR></TABLE>

The worst part? 10' isn't enough. A friend of mine had a 12' fence around his property with iron spikes sticking up another foot or so. Walking the fence line one day, he found a buck impaled on one of the spikes.

I'm really sorry to hear about this... it's a tragedy for sure.

 

Unsettling news.....thoughts go out to the family and friends and fellow racers....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The worst part? 10' isn't enough. A friend of mine had a 12' fence around his property with iron spikes sticking up another foot or so. Walking the fence line one day, he found a buck impaled on one of the spikes. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Sounds like 12' is the perfect height to me. I agree the track should look into some methode of keeping the deer off the track. It's too the point that they have deer crossing the track every weekend (not allways hitting something but drivers/workers see them all the time).

 

I am very sorry to hear this and would like to have my deepest condolence for Mr. Smith's family.

At the same time, I am also very angry at the Summit Point managment team.
It is not the first time, a deer, or recoon or turtle came out of that field in Summit Point and totalled several cars. Isn't that enough to warrant them to setup higher fences?

Looking at their efficiency at Shannadoah, it is no doubt that Summit Point's managing system needs a reality check and a bitch slap to the face.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 577HondaPrelude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Sounds like 12' is the perfect height to me. </TD></TR></TABLE>

You do realize that, in order to impale himself, he had to be ABOVE 12' (+spike) at some point in his jump, right?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nEoMuGen &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Looking at their efficiency at Shannadoah, it is no doubt that Summit Point's managing system needs a reality check and a bitch slap to the face.</TD></TR></TABLE>

as accomodating and supportive they have been of NASA and ECHC, I agree.. totally confounds me how they run their new developments..