Gordon Jones

Then close your eyes Scott 'cuz you probably won't want to see what that eternal vortex at T8 can do to the uninitiated.

Pre-pave T8 and wet sm.jpg

Wall 1 BMW 0.jpg

DT Beemer sm.jpg

I think a Brewer was the closest to the wall on this one.​
 
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I was sooooooooooo freakin lucky when I messed up 3a in last years 6 hrs of Pacific! I walked up the hill were I went off. How did I not hit a tree? How did I keep running? Sheer luck!
 
Since we are bringing back the highlight reel... here's last September @ PIR - fast forward to 3:20 to watch the end of a 5 car battle. I'm 2nd in line and lose it in turn 6 (#3 & #4 are able to avoid) when the camera car lights me up!


 
I read the students post in that subaru forum where he states...

"I learned the hard way however it was partially my mistake as I started to understear due to me abruptly letting off the gas too quickly."

...but it sounds like snap oversteer to me?
 
DavidG said:
I read the students post in that subaru forum where he states...

"I learned the hard way however it was partially my mistake as I started to understear due to me abruptly letting off the gas too quickly."

...but it sounds like snap oversteer to me?
Click to expand...

You're probably correct. 90% of Subaru accidents are snap oversteer. The car wags one way, driver corrects, front grips, then the car snaps the other direction so fast that the driver can't react. Its the reason I set my car up with some understeer, because slightly loose scares the piss out of me. I've personally witnessed 2 STi's snap oversteer and total the car.
 
hehe.. Always funny to read first person accounts of newbie crashes :) Mine was something like "I was catching up to her, then her engine cover snapped in half down the main straight, I got distracted pointing at it so the corner workers would flag her, missed my braking point and I guess it was partly my mistake as I hit the brakes and the car somehow spun around and smacked her mid turn 1!"
 
yep...like it was "partially my mistake" when i spun on T16...err I mean Continental Corner...at ORP in front of Tony and he hit me? and Ken had to come pry us apart? that was a sudden-lift-on-off-camber-corner-snap-oversteer-event imho which is why this incident interests me...i drive an Rx-7 (prone to snap o/s) and have gotten that not-so-fresh feeling on the outskirts of Banana Bend myself...just didn't realize this could happen there :/
 
I wish I had a picture other than that in my memory's eye as I watched a 2002 launch up the 'conveyor' belted tire wall @ T12. It's a bit fuzzy, but it was white, and I could see space between the tops of the workers head and the roof of the car as it went inverted. That was many years ago.

I believe that the car number started with a '2'.

bmw2002ti_200707.jpg

And this one wasn't it.

Wes, I didn't start it... this time.​
 
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Mike, it's driver's left past the Turn 9 station on the back straight.
It's just before the left hander, at the end of the back straight, going into Turn 10/11. (it's a small piece of ashphalt)
It's the place where some drivers have ended up as they were being too "optomistic" in thinking they could make it back to the pits before their car quit moving/running/making expensive noises. Hence the name.
 
I wish I had a nickel... "I have the momentum. I think I can make it. There's the folks at the T9 station... no, I still have some momentum. I can make it. Come on, we can make it. Traffic's coming up on the right. I think I can. I think I can... No. I don't think I can..."

"Turn Nine's on yellow for ## <color> off drivers' left. Apparent mechanical." "Yes, out of power by us, but thought he/she could."

Now they have just shut down most of the back section for passing. How rude.

As a matter of more facts, there is a big split in the fence right there that would easily hide the whole car and driver from traffic as they awaited a Safety vehicle which should be approaching 'back door' from their T12 (South Park) station. Safety-wise speaking, it would be much more convenient if a driver were so enlightened as to use that option should they require our assistance.

Thanks so much for asking.
 
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Ken, this has never been mentioned at any driver meeting I've been to at Portland. Good info. Maybe it should be mentioned?
 
As many times as we might try, stuff like that rarely gets put out at the drivers' meetings because there are so many more important things to talk about, ya know.

Stuff to consider when you might be on your out-lap and take the time to really look. Like when you drive PIR, and have any kind of issues that might require looking for a safe haven to land, think to go off 'safe' to the RIGHT at many places from T12 to T8, to make it much easier to get to you. Past the crossing @T8 parking is on Drivers' left until the end of the back straight, then you have a choice to talk to the nice folks at T11, if you can't make it all the way to the pits, or
the south paddock road and speak to the nice folks stationed behind the "Drat-wall" (T12).

Just stuff to think about, especially in an ENDURO situation when the minutes to get through race traffic, expose ourselves to hook up, and then to haul you around the circuit, in the dark, with no lights can really count.

I know that your local Safety Team would certainly appreciate the extra consideration.
 
David,
From the looks of the Sat. accident, the guy was on the left side of the track (had been passing cars)--so the car was turning a bit rightward, and the track is off-camber. A sudden (oh ***) lift off the throttle would definitely lighten the rear and snap him into oversteer. He probably didn't have time (and experience) to do anything else before his AWD car went into the wall.
It's an unfortunate "novice in high HP, sensitive car" response. High HP/sensitive cars require a sensitive driver, like riding an Arabian racehorse.

Likewise, the Rx7s can definitely be tail happy. Come talk to me sometime--always happy to share experiences. Alot of controlling the beast is learning to feather the throttle (both increase and decrease) and to learn to use throttle blips and oversteer to your advantage. A little oversteer can be alot of fun (except in the rain on slicks, say at Mission.... then not so much fun :)

Karen
 
MikeA said:
Since we are bringing back the highlight reel... here's last September @ PIR - fast forward to 3:20 to watch the end of a 5 car battle. I'm 2nd in line and lose it in turn 6 (#3 & #4 are able to avoid) when the camera car lights me up!


Click to expand...

What is the name of the band and the song in this video? Sounds great.
 
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