ORP - Ken question

Someone else knows what an amplidyne is - I'm shocked. The "short circuit that moves mountains" Wow, I thought I was the only one older than dirt.
 
Hi Ken,
I have been forwarded your comments on the turn station towers. Thanks for your feedback. Although I am speaking just for myself, I am sure my partners also appreciate your input as much now as we did when we were drawing up the plans. As always, we will be continually working to improve safety and protection issues as risks are identified and analyzed.

With the input of yourself and many of the volunteers we worked hard on a design that was safe and affordable to build. We are generally pleased with the results. We have received good reports from the people that have used them. Improvements will be made as experience and best practices dictate. As you know protecting the workers has always been our highest priority.

I am a little confused though: you objected to the ladder for assess and egress of the station? I know, for my old bones, a staircase would be easier, but if I understand your objection, it had to do with how fast a threatened station can be exited?

Therein lies my confusion: If a car is off course and approaching rapidly, is it standard operating procedure for turn workers to abandon a fortified position and break and run? If so run to where? Is there any better cover available than the station itself, secured to its concrete base, behind concrete barriers, behind tire walls?

From a driver’s point of view, and by my own experience, as long as the car is “wheels down”, being off course seldom results in total loss of control. A gaggle of running turn workers presents an unpredictable and more dispersed target to miss.

Although the incident happened before I started racing, the only turn worker I know of ever being killed was one that did just that: bolted from the protection of his station and was picked off by the driver who had taken corrective action to miss the station.

Lets talk more about this in person. Again thanks for tour help.

Bill Murray
 
Therein lies my confusion: If a car is off course and approaching rapidly, is it standard operating procedure for turn workers to abandon a fortified position and break and run? If so run to where? Is there any better cover available than the station itself, secured to its concrete base, behind concrete barriers, behind tire walls?

Hi Bill,
Walls will move when a car hits them, hence the desire of the workers to leave the vicinity when an impact is about to happen. In my case, at least once, doing so saved my life. You have perhaps heard of the infamous Pantera incident in 80's? That was a morning warm up for IMSA GTO when a Pantera spun under braking at the end of the long straight at PIR (no chicane that weekend). The car caught air and skipped like a stone on a pond, impacting the old bunker drivers right at an estimated 150 mph. The 15,000 pound barrier was snapped in two and laid inside the turn station. The car bounced back from the impact some 10 feet before coming to a rest. There were a bunch of workers and photographers inside that station at the time the car spun. We all waited until we knew where the car was going to impact the bunker before fleeing en mass away from that point. Chunks of freshly broken concrete ripped right through some brand new flags that did no evacuate. I have no doubt that had anyone remained inside that station, depending on the walls to protect them, that they would have been badly injured if not killed outright. Sometimes you have to depend on your feet.

I haven't seen the stations out at ORP since I was out there in April, other than in the pictures. From what some of the folks that were out at the most recent event tell me, getting into and out of the stations is a challenge for us "full-figured" workers. It is a good thing that you are holding the test days out there. That way, the problems and limitations can be identified before we get to actual racing. Thanks.
 
Hi Bill,

As I'm the one that started this thread I feel it's my sworn duty to respond to your questions. Please note that with most threads here, this did decay into bizarre humor and madness. But there is a serious side to the topic.

As I mentioned above, I watched the video and it became PERFECTLY clear why the raised stations are a real necessity.

1.
I'm not too concerned about the stability of the structure in wind. I suspect the guy wires will stablize it as long as they are tensioned properly.

If I'm correct on the length of the legs from base to platform height of 8 to 9 feet, some cross bracing on the legs might add to stablity and would give the 'look' of a strudier structure to the eye's of worker climbing up there.

Should (through some good fortune) we have a fully staffed corner, you could have 4 people working up there (usually 3 due to lack of personel or 2 worst case). Then, the Flag Chief may visit you.

2.
Most workers (each one) lugs around a cooler, bucket of 'tools' and equipment, optional clothing and bags of nibbles. To avoid cluttering up the area around the turn station where RAPID movement may be necessary, these items are usually stored in the turn station under or on 'the bench'.

In the case of ORP, most of those items will probably have to be left on the ground under the tower. Which is 'okay' but not the most convenient.

3.
Yes, I'm still capable of climbing and descending a ladder. However, with any ladder situation the risk of injury (compared to stairs) goes up. There are 2 primary factors involved in turn station ladders.

A.
During the course of an event, one turn worker is 'designated' as 1st responder on a rotating basis. That job means, he/she is going to respond to any car that stops in the turn station zone of control (with a fire bottle) to verify the driver is okay and what's needed (flat tow, wrecker, tilt bed) to remove the car from the area. Heaven forbid it being worse then just a stop nearby, the need to get there safely and quicker is even more pressing.

B.
In between run groups, it's NOT uncommon for workers to exit the station and inspect the track up close. They check for unseen from the station oil and look for metalic desbris that's not visible from the station. Nuts, bolts, cotter pins, ducting, engine parts, black aluminum panels, fiberglass and carbon fiber (capable of cutting a tire down) are all common things we find. Being good housekeepers, they will often sweep gravel and dirt off the track between groups.

A and B increase the number of ladder trips per day and thus, the risk of a fall.

When I saw the station, my immediate thought was (assuming 3 people), 1st responder stations his/her self on the ground with the yellow, blue flaggers and comm person in the tower. That way no DASH down the ladder in the event of an incident. However, if there are only 2 people, both need to be above to flag/comm. and if there's a need, 1 will DASH down the ladder to respond. Thus, increased risk of a fall.

3.
The initial photo of the station with the ladder 'leaning' against it bothered me a little (well, a lot). Once up there, even with the rail on the open ladder side, I could visualize, in the haste of movements up there somebody putting a foot down OFF the platform and taking a quick trip to the concrete pad (nice pads by the way).

Can't see all sides of the station, but I would suggest adding about an 8 to 12 inch high 'kick plate' so that feet can't get out over the edge of the platform easily.

THAT will be particularly important if there's NO bench up there. People will be taking camper chairs up to sit on and I'd hate to see the leg of a seat slide off the edge of the platform!

4.
Can't tell you how many times I (we) have seen those Jersey Barriers 'moved' by race cars. One thing that helps (and saves drivers) is a double row of tires in FRONT of the barrier to attenuate energy and reduce damage to the car/driver. Most of our 'exposed' stations that use Jersey's have the tire linings as the 1st point of impact.

Even with all of that, we've all seen or heard (from other tracks) of cars "ramping" over the barriers/tires and entering the turn station. Which is why we ALWAYS (at hazardous stations) review our 'evacuation plan' in the event something like that seems eminent.

..... From a driver’s point of view, and by my own experience, as long as the car is “wheels down”, being off course seldom results in total loss of control. A gaggle of running turn workers presents an unpredictable and more dispersed target to miss.

That depends. Depends on what the surface conditions are off the track and, what put the car off track to begin with. It's simply amazing how far (and fast) a race car can travel once off the racing surface in grass or hard packed dirt with the driver having absolutely NO control over its direction of travel! Cars racing in the rain can do incredable things if they leave the racing surface and can go off at high velocity.

The most dramatic I recall was at Seattle working T-2B in the rain. Sedan came through T1 and lost it in the rain. My jaw was on the floor watching him going sideways, backwards, frontways, sideways, backwards ALL the way to the entry of T2 and finally off into the gravel (without damage, whew)!

This is not a criticism of ORP in ANY way. Just pointing out some concerns. And no, I never worked for OSHA!! Nor do their rules apply in this case as we all do this as volunteers :)

Wow, that brings a thought to my crazy mind though. Some clubs (such as NASA) pay their workers. Although they sign a waiver, does the fact that they are paid establish an employeer/employee relationship in the view of the courts??? Just a thought :) :)
 
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Thank you all for your input. I know all who are dedicated to directing the building and improvement of this facility take your comments very seriously.
Perspective is a wonderful thing. Like many, I cherish my memories of Westwood, but at its zenith, and after years of continued development, the track had not much more in the way of infrastructure and amenities than O.R.P. will have on its first race day. It certainly didn’t keep people from enjoying it.
Like most tracks O.R.P. is a work in progress. Although by comparison to tracks that have been continually improved over a period of 50 years, or had the luxury of ready millions to play with, O.R.P. is still very much in its infancy. The good news is: It is here, it is a great drive, and we all get to use it!
Time, money and hard work will continue to make this track better and better. Thanks to all who have, and continue, to lend their effort and support. This track gets better every week!

Yours for the sport.

Bill Murray
 
Nice picture, Ken.

Reminds us of why we stand exactly the way we do in the turn station. And, why it's important not to break down in to a 'pot luck' social hour while cars are running.
 
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