Hard crash at Moroso...

If you seriously thought there was danger of crashing you should have punched him hard in the arm and gestured slow down with both hands palms flat, down and put on his right blinker.

If he didn't get the message you should have reached over and killed the engine.

 

Glad you are OK, Steven. Since you made no mention of the driver I assume he/she is ok.

Best to all involved...

 

Hello Steve:

glad you are ok.

Derek Bell told me he once had to physically yank up the leg of a similar big ego small skill chap from the accelerator when he was obviously going to crash them in the old high speed esses at Moroso...there are far too many of these types who think they can drive it just because they can afford it...

You know the trick for the aches and pains now: get into a jacuzzi!

best regards,

Marc

 

Steve, on the positive side, you were able to tell the story.

 

For me it was Tylenol 3 with Codeine AND a very hot bath.

 

Pain is a good teacher! Some people unfortunately learn the hard way. Thank God no one was seriously injured.

I couldn't imagine being an instructor, no thank you!!!! You have to be both a little brave and crazy to get in that seat. Hopefully lessons like this won't someday eliminate track events or stop clubs from letting people drive in anything other than a parade.

 

I end up using hand signals over vocal communications. Its faster for the driver to see the hands move and regbister what the DI wants than vocally--and there is no chance of battery or connector failure. (Less change of brain fade too) I came to this conclusion when a student would answer "yes" to every command and obey none of them. Over 5 years no-student has either ignored nor misobeyed these signals.

Hands flat--get ready to brake
Hands flat push down--start braking right now
point--follow the line
Fingers flip forward--add speed as you wish
Fists vertically --reposition hands on steering wheel 9-3

Sorry to hear about the 430

 

Scarey stuff. Glad to hear you are ok

I would definately have been more aggressive in getting him to pull in

 

Sorry to hear of this incident. Sounds like the hand signal thing is the answer for future. That'll be a nice owie for the owner as he'll need to eat that totaled car.

 

Glad to hear you weren't seriously hurt, Steve.

Short of the audio system, I like the hand signals Mitch mentioned myself. He lists them just as I always used them. But they did result in a spin for my student and me once in the esses at the old Moroso track. The student said afterwards he thought palm down flat, lowering meant stand on the gas, not the brake. We all know what they mean, but I guess newbies may not. Hard to find a perfect system....

 

I could never be an instructor. Occasionally I'm asked to help out newbies at club events even though all I can do is give some pointers. I am a really bad passenger and some newbies are really bad drivers with way too much testosterone. I don't like doing it.

I am concerned about the future of DE's with today's cars that are so frickin' fast yet have no more safety equipment than a Honda Fit. I had my 430 at Road America this summer, but I'm pretty careful with that car. On Friday, I had an instructor and listened carefully always mindful that his safety as well as mine and the car's was in my hands. The high speeds in the 430 at ROA and some other tracks certainly make me feel vulnerable without a harness and a roll cage. I fear with all the very fast cars available and the increasing popularity of DE's that deaths and injuries may increase to the point that insurance will be impossible to get on the part of operators.

Dave

 

I've pretty much stopped instructing for just this reason. You never know what you are going to get in terms of a student. Most are good and it is a great experience when you get to watch them "get it" and really start to turn on. Then there are ones who believe that just because they can afford a very fast car that they have the ability to drive it.

Sadly that is sometimes not the case and the lack of ability can still scare the you know what out of you if it ends well. If it ends badly you can hurt for months, as you will undoubtly find out.

And the statement above about cars being so much faster today is really true. Almost any serious car is so fast that if you put it on the track a cage is mandatory.

Now I only instruct for people who are recommended or I know and we do a lot of discussion before we ever get to the track on both signals and attitude. I've just gotten too old and had the crap scared out of me too many times to do it any other way.

 

This is one of those things that are gifts in disguise, to the OP: you will forever change the way you instruct, at least in your safety regimen; you're wiser for the experience.

 

Perhaps one more thing to add to the checklist in the future, teach?

Glad you're ok.

 

Good thing there was plenty of tape on the car to protect it from those nasty stone chips that you get at the track!

 

If that's the same crash then that's a (flawed) 360 not a 430. Those 360's are pretty hard to control once they break loose and the rear end wants to come around. Completely different story in a 430.

 

ummm maybe im wrong but isnt that a 360?

 

Those are 360 wheels and rear tailights....

That's just crazy to Blue Tape the car that much, then damage it so heavily...

+1 to the comments on 360 handling traits, I'd sure take the time to learn them before I drove the brakes off of it....

 

WTF, they used an all Terrain FORKLIFT to carry it back????

It's a (was anyway) a flat bottomed car!!!!!

 

I saw them use that same forklift on a 250 at Cavallino a few years ago....

 

*head in hands*

I guess the Roll Backs and Landolls are all doing repos, in Sobe........

That's just odd.

 

I guess..."once it's wrecked, it's a wreck.."