Rip #96

[tim88325is]

Glad to hear you are safe, thanks for the quality posts and info you contribute to this forum.

[jlevie]

So far the list of things that'll be done differently next time looks like:

NASCAR door bars
Foot Protection
Battery relocated to between the shock towers
Full cradle for the fire bottle
RaceTech Viper seat
HANS specific harness

While not my safety related, the exhaust will have one or two tethers so it can't come off the car.

[Moberg12]

Jim after my near miss with Fred at RA in June I have also be rethinking safety. I would love to get a run down on things you would do different as you tear the car apart.

Greg

[jlevie]

I always questioned whether the conventional wisdom about the spare being a part of the crush zone was correct. At least in a quartering impact the tub fails first. I suspect the same may be true in all cases. in my case the car collapsed up to where the down tubes from the cage ended.

Another thing that I figured out today once the wreck was off the trailer. In a race car the OE battery location is "not so good". A much better location would be in between the shock towers. Which is where it will be in the new car.

[Stu]

Saw this on SpecE30.com the other day, shame to hear about your car Jim. First thing I noticed in your pictures was the spare well and what I've heard about it being protecting the rear up to the transverse unibody rail that the differential ties into. Apparently that isn't the case in all instances!

In light of this...prepping a car, having it built, spec'd, and caged by early September is great determination.

[jlevie]

I might be just a tad biased, but in my opinion the Miata driver showed incredibly poor judgment and a blatant disregard for the rules. First of all that area of the track is just a terrible place to attempt a pass (the judgment part) unless the passed driver gives you a point-by, which I didn't. He didn't have overlap at turn-in (the rules), which meant that I owned the line. According to my IQ3 I have .75G of lateral load on the car at the point of collision, which implies that I was well into the turn when contact occurs. The Miata had no right to racing room because he had not established overlap at turn-in.

This driver was ejected from the event Sunday morning. I can't say whether other sanctions can be or were invoked.

When I put on my helmet I "sign a contract" with my fellow racers to exercise good judgment and to obey the rules. As a racer I have to believe that my fellow racers will do likewise. Bad things happen when both parties aren't signatories to that contract.

I had some interesting conversations today with the HANS folks. I didn't know what needed to be done w/respect to my HANS. The seat and harness is a given, they get replaced. What they told me is that as long as there aren't any cracks in the HANS it is good to go once the tethers are are replaced. A quick check shows no cracks and the HANS folks are upgrading me to their new Quick Click system with new sliding tethers at no cost. My HANS took two of the worst case hits (significant quartering impacts) and I had no injuries. So much for the urban myth of the HANS not being able to survive multiple hits. As they put it (and I sent them had pics of the aftermath) "Well, you just disproved the old myth that the HANS doesn't work at 30%....TWICE!"

A HANS device is great and their support is awesome! I'm now a member of a rather exclusive club that you never want to join, but if you do you are very happy to be able to say that you are a member. A HANS Survivor!

[2002maniac]

Sorry to see this! At least you're ok, cars come and go.

[Massive Lee]

It sucks. Shows that as good one is, as a driver, he still can't drive for the others... Depending on the nature of the hit, and how bad was the behaviour, can the Miata's driver have his license suspended temporarely?

[RangerGress]

is that you in the pic?

Well, that is MY jack that is in the pic.

[ZM Blue Devil]

Glad you are ok but sorry you lost your car. Sounds like you will be back soon.

[Hick]

Im not mistaken, there is a HUGE difference between racing and HPDE's but in the back of my mind i always worry about crashing, blowing up, or breaking something on the car that would leave me shit outta luck for a little while.

Anyway, back on topic... DAVE pm me back jerk!

[jlevie]

this is why i need another car [and a lot more money] before i run any track days.

glad youre okay, looks like you had a 'fun' ride. is the video form the 944 on the internets, and if so, link please!

Track days are one thing, W2W racing is another. The risk at any well run HPDE is minimal. Just about the only risk you run at an HPDE would be from making a stupid mistake (like driving beyond your current abilities) or from an equipment failure. Car to car contact in a DE is almost unknown.

I don't have the video yet and it may be a few days before I do have. When I get it I will post it.

[Dave]

but there is a chance, and im a paranoid poor little man.

gimme your 2002 to run around the track chuckles!

c'mon girlie man. Just borrow your dad's Henna for the track day . . . . then you dont need to worry about balling up your DD.

I have yet to see any car to car contact in any of my run groups at the track, even with passing in the corners. You'd be in the novice group and would only be allowed limited passing in certain straights.

Come to an event at Putnam - vast expanses of grass runoff room, very little armco/tire barriers to worry about, unlike at MidOhio. ;)

[nando]

There's a distinct difference between drivers schools/track days and real racing. You're typically not pushing more than 8/10ths at a school, and you're generally not making stupid moves in traffic. Even with open passing and time trial events, you're still more inclined to give "racing room" vs a real race. Car to car contact at schools is very rare.

-Charlie

Yep. I'm 10 times more worried about getting hit by another car in street traffic than I am on a track. At least on a track you are surrounded by car enthusiasts who (hopefully) are there because they enjoy driving, and not some stupid bimbo putting on makeup and doing her hair in the middle of traffic.

[Hick]

There's a distinct difference between drivers schools/track days and real racing. You're typically not pushing more than 8/10ths at a school, and you're generally not making stupid moves in traffic. Even with open passing and time trial events, you're still more inclined to give "racing room" vs a real race. Car to car contact at schools is very rare.

-Charlie

but there is a chance, and im a paranoid poor little man.

gimme your 2002 to run around the track chuckles!