| Author | Message | ||
| Bill Sawyer (Wsawyer)
Member Username: Wsawyer Post Number: 661 Registered: 2-2002 |
Sorry, Lawrence, I got my "Akin accidents" mixed up. I was at Road America the day he flipped the 962 but I was not at Road Atlanta. | ||
| Mitchell L. Davidson (Jussumfastgi)
Member Username: Jussumfastgi Post Number: 457 Registered: 4-2002 |
Get the Mosler MT900R http://www.moslerauto.com/mt900r/index.html You can buy the MT900R, less than 2k pounds, and easy engine mods make over 750hp, can be raced all day and have minimal costs and down time. | ||
| Tim N (Timn88)
Intermediate Member Username: Timn88 Post Number: 2249 Registered: 6-2001 |
Less money and more fun...this should be a no-brainer. the only downside is you wont own a 962, which are cool cars. | ||
| Hubert Otlik (Hugh)
Member Username: Hugh Post Number: 485 Registered: 1-2002 |
William- My nod goes to the Radical. Simply b/c the operating costs will be less, the machinery is less exotic/rare (read: less expensive to replace), and will offer nearly the same, if not the same thrills as the 962; for my money it would be the Radical, hands down. Also, since their debut, Radical cars have been resetting track records all across the UK (some time equalling F3 times), also, if you check the Radical website, you could probably pick up a car w/ spares for 30-40k. Which model are you conisdering? | ||
| Jon P. Kofod (95f355c)
Member Username: 95f355c Post Number: 423 Registered: 8-2001 |
Went back and checked the archieves, my mistake it was turn 4 which is indeed the esses, most likely was going well in excess of 100. Read artcile below apparently the other driver was an ex-professional too. http://www.darkhorseracing.net/walter_mitty_02.htm Regards, Jon | ||
| Bill Sawyer (Wsawyer)
Member Username: Wsawyer Post Number: 660 Registered: 2-2002 |
Not turn 1, Lawrence, turn 6. | ||
| Lawrence Coppari (Lawrence)
Member Username: Lawrence Post Number: 493 Registered: 4-2002 |
So the accident (Akin's) happened in turn 1 rather than the esses as I read some time ago. | ||
| William H (Countachxx)
Intermediate Member Username: Countachxx Post Number: 1892 Registered: 2-2001 |
What I heard from a 962 driver who was there was that Akin was going into that fast corner, there were 2 cars. The rule states that if the car passing you has his front wheels ahead of yours you have to give up the corner. The other guy didnt give up, he tapped Akin & that caused the wreck | ||
| Bill Sawyer (Wsawyer)
Member Username: Wsawyer Post Number: 659 Registered: 2-2002 |
I remember seeing Bob Akin's Coca Cola 962 upside down in a tree about 15 feet off the ground at Road America. He had gone off at corner 6. I didn't see the accident or watch him get out but I bet it was terrifying. Just goes to show that even the most experienced and talented drivers can run into trouble. | ||
| Randy (Schatten)
Member Username: Schatten Post Number: 642 Registered: 4-2001 |
I would vouch for the Radical. I'm quite sure a small company like that would be great for remote service/parts/etc. Especially when the cost of the car is so much lower than the 962. also, very cool that they have a webcam in their little factory! I'll give them points for that. | ||
| Jon P. Kofod (95f355c)
Member Username: 95f355c Post Number: 422 Registered: 8-2001 |
Akin was killed about a week later (after he was at Summit) at Road Atlanta while doing a practice session for the Walter Mitty Historic races in C class which is mostly GTP cars and IMSA Camel Lights cars. It's my understanding that he was hit by another car in turn 1 while trying to pass (which in a GTP is taken nearly flat out at well over 100 mph)and flipped the car several times and went over the retaining wall. The car then caught fire. Most of the people he was racing with (this was a race not a track day) are all professionals or semi-professionals and in most cases hold an FIA approved class C "limited" license (limited licenses are for mainly historic race sanctioning bodies if I recall). Akin is indeed a professional having competed at LeMans and having won Sebring several times. He has extensive race history in factory backed 962's and 935's. If you see the Coco Cola 962 and 935's those were both his cars he won with in the 80's. While I am sure there were non-pros (however one might want to define that) on the track with him that day most are still very skilled drivers to be able to race 900 hp cars at Road Atlanta. Regards, Jon | ||
| Rob Lay (Rob328gts)
Board Administrator Username: Rob328gts Post Number: 3458 Registered: 12-2000 |
I thought Bob Akin was a ex-pro or did he wreck because of a non-pro? | ||
| Joseph (Mojo)
Member Username: Mojo Post Number: 268 Registered: 9-2002 |
William Buy the 962, and drive it on the street. You will have more fun than you know what to do with. Mojo | ||
| James Glickenhaus (Napolis)
Member Username: Napolis Post Number: 483 Registered: 10-2002 |
William Plan to. Best Jim | ||
| William H (Countachxx)
Intermediate Member Username: Countachxx Post Number: 1890 Registered: 2-2001 |
Jon, thanks, good points. i usually drive Lime Rock, the Glen, Pocono, Moroso, Homestead and Summit Point once in a while. After Bob Akin died clubs are a lot stricter about letting non pros out in serious machinery. Jim, you drive your P4 on the street ? I heard Dean Martin Jr used to drive his down the strip in Vegas in the 70s  | ||
| James Glickenhaus (Napolis)
Member Username: Napolis Post Number: 482 Registered: 10-2002 |
Jon That's why I love driving my cars on the street. Best Jim | ||
| Jon P. Kofod (95f355c)
Member Username: 95f355c Post Number: 420 Registered: 8-2001 |
Will, Something to consider that you have not talked about is what tracks you will run with either car. The Radical can be run anywhere but think about it. There are plenty of tracks where running a 962 wouldn't make sense. Summit Point, Lime Rock, and other smaller tracks would be a complete waste of time, especially if you are running with much slower cars and large fields of inexperienced drivers who will get quite nervous having a 962 bare down on them. I was at Summit Point last year in my BMW Club Racer and the late Bob Akin was out in a customer's NISSAN GTP car as was an asscoiate in a Spice GTP car. They were stuck in traffic all day and of course they couldn't pass anyone except in the designated areas. I waved them through in the carosel and of course we all three got balck flagged and yelled at by the chief steward who said I had no business doing a point by in the middle of a turn. Akin later came over in the day and complimented me (not knowing I also was a Ferrari owner). He said it was a bit ironic that all these folks were here in their expensive Challenge race cars but none of them had any idea where to be on the track when his two GTP cars came balzing down the track and here I was in my Club Racer giving him a perfect pass in a turn. He said many of them did weird things like lift in turns, brake on the straight etc. Point is there will be very few folks to "play" with and a lot of moving chicanes. Your best tracks for a 962 are obviously the Glen, Road America, Laguna and such. Another item is "downtime". Ignoring the cost of running for a weekend think about all the GTP, Can Am, F1 cars and such we see at track events. Many of these cars spend significant donwtime at each event. Lastly, you need to check around as most Vintage race groups do indeed allow 962 and some like HSVR actively court these cars. There is no shortage of Vintage groups that will gladly issue a license to run a GTP or Open wheeled f1 car. You could always buy the Radical and then get rid of it at minimal loss if you decide it's not for you but selling a 962 in the current market environment will be a whole lot harder. Just my 2 cents worth. Regards, Jon P. Kofod 1995 F355 Challenge #23 | ||
| Bill Sawyer (Wsawyer)
Member Username: Wsawyer Post Number: 655 Registered: 2-2002 |
I'd go for the Radical. Having five buddies in equal cars sounds like a blast. You can always buy a 962 later if you want. | ||
| William H (Countachxx)
Intermediate Member Username: Countachxx Post Number: 1888 Registered: 2-2001 |
Ok so i was all horny for a Porsche 962, awesome car, LeMans dominator etc Now I have 5 friends who all want to get Radicals http://www.radicalmotorsport.com/frames.htm I'm not comparing the 2 cars cus that would be dumb. Its more like I can get this aweosme historic sportscar, its gonna cost at least $200k & cost at leats $10k per weekend to run and I may not be able to get a liscence to run it in Vintage cus its so fast. Now the Radical costs around $62k fully loaded & it will give a Ferrari 333SP a bad hair day, especially in the twisties. I'll probably have a lot more fun and soend a lot less $ running with my friends than with the 962. Truth is I am headed towards fun over investment. Opinions ? Thanks |