How NOT To Pass

[Feffman]

A wild ride for someone at Summit Point.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI5Y7Nl2Bic

Feff

[Yeti]

What kind of race was that? It seemed like a strange mix of cars.

[madden]

wo

[Demonized]

Holy crap... that'd be a scary 15 seconds.

[lotus69f2]

Guy in wrecked car made dumbass move and raced too aggressivly. He should have never tried to shoot the gap (and the other guy should have not squeezed him). Instead he should have tucked in behind the other SR, both would have passed TR before or into next turn, then continue head to head race between SRs.

[plastique999]

The driver sounded like a female?

I agree - to aggressive of a move....

I wonder if any penalties were assessed. Glad the driver was o.k.

Btw, I'm selling my SRF....

[Tracktimeplz]

Ya, looks like yet another clip to add to the women drivers compilation.....

[apk919]

Gotta love the ChaseCam with G-meter (even thought it wasn't calibrated properly)... some crazy G-forces at the moment of collision... there was also probably a brief moment of zero G (in all three axes) too

[fishguy]

here is the thread on the spec racer website

SpecRacer.Com - The Ups and Downs of Racing

I watched the video, and my thought was the same, dont split the gap, pick a car and tuck behind it; BUT as the person who got flipped states in the thread above, the official restarted the race and was told only 2 laps left.
she(the driver) got totally caught up in the red mist, and tried to force the issue.
I am not saying it was a good choice, but it does happen(to the best of us) on track at times which is why i am such a big believer in safety gear and being prepared for "the worst".

to her credit, the driver of the flipped car, rented a car and went back out the next day.

I watch videos of my races in closed wheeled sedans and i often think " i would never do that move in the openwheeler"
I guess from the reading the SRF with just fiberglass around the front tire, it can quickly become an openwheeler.

I was seriously in the market for a SRF the last few months but after seeing the absolute crap the way the run groups are done in most areas( at least in my proximity) by combining these SRF with either sedans, or formula cars it just started to make less and less sense to get one.
I know that the FF guys HATE running with the SRF group, and after really looking at the SRF, i would not want to be in one(SRF) in a wreck with a sedan like my 944(taller and packing and extra ~1K lbs).

I ended up commiting to getting a national level Spec Miata which will allow me safety, close competition, and the ability to run with SCCA, and NASA both competitively.

W/O a dedicated run group the SRF is sort of a bastard stuck in between run groups, bigger/slower than formula cars, and smaller and much lower to see than sedans.
I am glad the driver was unhurt.
Josh

[lotus69f2]

Originally Posted by fishguy

here is the thread on the spec racer website

SpecRacer.Com - The Ups and Downs of Racing

I watched the video, and my thought was the same, dont split the gap, pick a car and tuck behind it; BUT as the person who got flipped states in the thread above, the official restarted the race and was told only 2 laps left.
she(the driver) got totally caught up in the red mist, and tried to force the issue.
I am not saying it was a good choice, but it does happen(to the best of us) on track at times which is why i am such a big believer in safety gear and being prepared for "the worst".

to her credit, the driver of the flipped car, rented a car and went back out the next day.

I watch videos of my races in closed wheeled sedans and i often think " i would never do that move in the openwheeler"
I guess from the reading the SRF with just fiberglass around the front tire, it can quickly become an openwheeler.

I was seriously in the market for a SRF the last few months but after seeing the absolute crap the way the run groups are done in most areas( at least in my proximity) by combining these SRF with either sedans, or formula cars it just started to make less and less sense to get one.
I know that the FF guys HATE running with the SRF group, and after really looking at the SRF, i would not want to be in one(SRF) in a wreck with a sedan like my 944(taller and packing and extra ~1K lbs).

I ended up commiting to getting a national level Spec Miata which will allow me safety, close competition, and the ability to run with SCCA, and NASA both competitively.

W/O a dedicated run group the SRF is sort of a bastard stuck in between run groups, bigger/slower than formula cars, and smaller and much lower to see than sedans.
I am glad the driver was unhurt.
Josh

Interesting that the driver admitted to the red mist. This just indicates that racers still don't get that racing is a cognitive endeavor, becuase 2 laps to go or not it was still a dumb move. I would have (and I can say this because I've raced Summit Point a ton of times) would have tucked in and followed through turn 4 then passed on the left going into turn 6. If unsuccessful there are a number of opportunities to pass, especially in cars that are "equal" and subject to drafting.

My take on the flip is not related to wheel to wheel contact. It appears to me the the other SR was closing the gap as the flipper was forcing herself into it. The result was to squeeze the front of the car between two other effectively raising the front of the car off the ground. Raising the car off the ground allowed lift to occur. The lift was exacerbated by being between two cars that channelled additional air between them and therefore under the flipper. Next thing you know its Mercedes at Le Mans circa 1999.

When I do vintage racing I am often forced to run with SRs (because of reduced numbers of both). I don't mind being with them as they often are similarly designed cars with enclosed body work and similar speed potentials. WHat I don't want to run with is production cars.

In vintage BTW (and I think they are often too draconian) the driver of that vehicle would not have been allowed back on track that weekend and would be on probation for another 13 months.

[SteveLevin]

The only advantage the SRF has is that, as the biggest class in the US, many areas do run them as their own group. But in most non-pro classes, where you have different cars mixed in, there are always issues. It's part of club racing, to some extent.

But what happened in the video is, ultimately, just part of racing. If you are really out there, racing close with competitors, things like this happen. Sure, you can argue that "...if this...or that..." but the truth is, in close racing you have to put yourself in situations where bad things can happen.

For example, I was racing at Infineon, and one of the few places to make a pass is coming out of the Carousel (turn 6). That means getting a really good run on the person in front, and, ideally, timing it so that just as you exit the turn you are right behind them, moving faster than they are. That means that mid-corner, you are maybe 20 feet away from them, turning right on the limit. If they bobble and spin, you may not be able to avoid them.

That's just racing and part of the risks you take in participating.

Steve