Running at Big Willow? Why you need a roll cage there

[25psi_Elise_Killer]

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/4...a40048b12b.htm

[glb]

Wow. I admire that he was willing to share this.

[Serebo1]

Originally Posted by glb

Wow. I admire that he was willing to share this.

+1. Very valuable - glad he had the protection he did.

DO NOT early apex turn 9!!!!

[macfly]

I think that happened a couple of years back, if I'm correct it was a very, very fast car running on a day when many of us were out in our Porsches. It happened in the last hour of the day, when the track was starting to cool off. I had left before it happened, but remember seeing the pix of that car on Rennlist at the time.

I looked at the clip a dozen times, and if you watch his hands you can see he commits the cardinal sin of trying to get it back on track instead of opening and heading for pit in, the only way to survive turn 9's bite in the tail. I have seen many cars go off there, done it myself once too, and it rarely ends this badly. If you ever go off go straight, grazing the wall is much kinder than barrell rolling.

[Serebo1]

Originally Posted by macfly

I looked at the clip a dozen times, and if you watch his hands you can see he commits the cardinal sin of trying to get it back on track instead of opening and heading for pit in, the only way to survive turn 9's bite in the tail. I have seen many cars go off there, done it myself once too, and it rarely ends this badly. If you ever go off go straight, grazing the wall is much kinder than barrell rolling.

Right on. The "infield" at Big Willow leaves something to be desired, unless you're a tank commander. I early apex'd turn five once, (bottom of the Omega) and committed the same cardinal sin you mention above. Once two wheels went off, I should have let the car slow down in a straight line and then gently steered it back on track. Instead, I gave it more power and tried to bring it back immediately. I remember the horizon wobbling as I shot into the infield at breakneck speed, and I was waiting for the wobbling to turn into rolling. Seconds seem like hours when you're a passenger on that ride. Only luck and the Elise's low center of gravity kept me from the same fate as the Evo driver. Valuable lesson(s) learned that day.

[kaz]

Yowee only been there once and the whole time I was thinking my poor little plastic car needs a rollcage. Super fun track, it demands very large balls to drive fast there; taking it easy though is equally fun just not the point of the track that's the problem lol.

[Mark16q]

I was just there last week..1st time in the new Elise. Turn 9 was very dusty due to prior winds and it was scarier than usual. I probably could've hit it at 100 but stayed at 85-90 and survived.

That turn is just not worth the risk of pushing it unless you know it well. From what I could see on that video...he came in way too tight and missed the apex. Whatever the case, watching that made me quesy and glad he came away from it o.k.

mg

[mlk_f1]

Glad he was alright. Some scary stuff. Big willow is really something else if you are only used to driving the other SoCal tracks. I've only been there once. And it was pretty nerve wrecking for me on those fast stuff. 10/10 on 4th and 5th gear turns are not for the faint hearted.

[Jack]

Originally Posted by macfly

I think that happened a couple of years back, if I'm correct it was a very, very fast car running on a day when many of us were out in our Porsches. It happened in the last hour of the day, when the track was starting to cool off. I had left before it happened, but remember seeing the pix of that car on Rennlist at the time.

I looked at the clip a dozen times, and if you watch his hands you can see he commits the cardinal sin of trying to get it back on track instead of opening and heading for pit in, the only way to survive turn 9's bite in the tail. I have seen many cars go off there, done it myself once too, and it rarely ends this badly. If you ever go off go straight, grazing the wall is much kinder than barrell rolling.

Andrew is exactly correct.

This is an old video and the driver made several mistakes which resulted in the roll over -- early apex at turn 9 and then the attempt to snap the car back on track after running out of road. He could have gone straight off after dropping two wheels and everything would have been fine but for a dusty car and a little

[sonnythebull]

i think he should shoot his suspension set up guy. that car handled the bumps awfully and he was not helping at all with his bad driving. why do people snore when they get knocked out? i love that!

[codymac]

Originally Posted by sonnythebull

i think he should shoot his suspension set up guy.

Please don't - he's considered one of the best Evo set-up guys in the country.

[ZJChaser]

yup, the old muellerized evo track car. Lessons hard learned. The new car is brutally fast as well

[25psi_Elise_Killer]

Originally Posted by ZJChaser

yup, the old muellerized evo track car. Lessons hard learned. The new car is brutally fast as well

Actually, they fixed the wrecked car somehow....
The team has an impressive resume for a relatively new driver:
2006 San Francisco Region SCCA ITE & Super Production Champion

2005 San Francisco Region SCCA ITE Champion

SCCA track records at Thunderhill, Sears Point and Laguna Seca.

2005 Solo Uno Class C winner, new track record, EVO MR Ponce, Puerto Rico

2003, 2004 Sport Compact Car USCC Road Course Event Champion

[ZJChaser]

oh wow, I thought the current car was new. I didn't know they actually rebuilt that one. Impressive. haha.

[25psi_Elise_Killer]

Ya his car is running good and he's killing the competition in his class






He also has 2 ALMS GTR Vipers in the garage when they're ready to step it up to the next level