Great Day, ended bad...

Unless you can drive like Alonso, Massa et al why would anyone turn off the traction control????

You can leave the traction control on and have the illusion that you are a better driver than you really are

Or

You can take the traction control off and prove that you are nowhere as great as you thought. BTW this could be a fatal mistake. Really.

 

Just to be clear. It was DRY according to the OP. This was a municipal airport runway!!! The moral of the story, don't out drive your talent. The only thing he needed to do to avoid crashing was.... Ready for it....




Go slower.

 

And to add to the other points already made here... When you add HP ( Top Speed ) you really need to add on to the other parts of the car as well... ( better brakes ) suspension upgrades to handle the increased downforce, tire speed rating, etc.

Texas Mile was another example, where most adhered to that policy...

There are several examples out on YouTube that shows what happens when you don't
( Higher speed rating on tires as one example )

Good to hear the driver was ok, though he'll be known as " That Guy " for a while I'm sure.
S

 

Glad to hear he has plenty of disposable income.

 

I agree with RBK. I used to race "other things". You must work your way up before you actually start racing.

On a new circuit you must make test runs before you try to nail one. You should never try anything like this without testing the circuit at lower speeds and work up to your own limit, especially in an unfamiliar car. The most effective way to race is to do it second nature and you can't ever do that without practice. You must know your car, second nature. Otherwise, it's just a silly stunt, not a race and if you place well it's pure luck, not skill.

I also think there should be markers alongside the circuit to let you know how close you are to the end. So if you do the proper calculations, know your brakes and make some dry runs, you shouldn't ever run out of road except for mechanical failure.

There's also the breaking-in period for a new car - never a good idea to try these stunts in a new car. The engine and tranny will not break-in properly, handicapping their potential. Engines should gain a bit of power when properly broken-in. Otherwise, they can lose power and wear out faster. Racing teams can afford to "throw away" an engine after a race - most people can't.

 

UGR cars should come with driving lessons.

 

Yep, basically this. Seems like he was trying to see how fast he could get it, but didn't realize braking distance is exponential rather than linear.

62mph-0 is about 100ft
124mph-0 is about 410ft
200mph+ to 0 is about 1200+ ft.

Seems like he got it up to speed but didnt realize he needed 1200+ feet to brake and went off the runway into the bushes.

 

Proving once again that the right foot is man's SECOND dumbest appendage.

 

He is going to need a little more income the extra insurance premium for this accident.

 

Not right foots fault but the thing between his ears.

Pete

 

Here is a "before" photo when Craig Reed did some work to the car in Columbus.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Would insurance pay out on this?

 

You are right, but even those numbers are very aggressive - a perfect 1G stop from 200 is more like 1350ft - using a gentle apply to begin the braking and a firm but not absolutely at the limit deceleration of say .7-.8G you end up at more like 1800+ feet - a third of a mile.

Were there really no markers to aid the drivers in determining the required breaking zone ? - IMO they should have provided at least a 1/2 mile decel zone if these were the speeds expected.

 

I was just browsing on yahoo and just saw that they posted an article about this accident.

Twin-turbo, 700-hp Ferrari 458 crashed into swamp after top-speed run | Motoramic - Yahoo! Autos

 

Yeah totally, my numbers were aggressive (with warmed brakes/tires, dry pavement, etc.) more realistic for me would be like 2k feet to stop at that speed, since I value my well-being too much to just slam the brakes

"the airstrip where the event was held was just 0.56 miles long."

wow

 

Something hit right at the driver, looks almost like a bird strike, that windshield?

Or debris as it went into the woods, maybe...hope they are okay??
That's used all the way up....sad.

 

Unless a crosswind drags you into the cactus, at the Texas Mile....

 

Same car I believe.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClgJpUn4awk]Twin Turbo Ferrari 458 Italia by Underground Racing!! - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PPBrQ5O76U&feature=fvwp&NR=1]Underground Racing Twin Turbo Ferrari 458 Italia vs 2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 - YouTube[/ame]

 

Glad nobody was hurt though.

Hopefully - lesson learned.





PDG

 

I just registered here to correct a misconception. This did not occur on the Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport (FHB) which is on Amelia Island. It occurred at the Nassau Airport (83FL) in Yulee, which is a privately owned airstrip.


Sincerely,

Richard Gray

 

I doubt that "racing" is a covered peril on any policy.

 

Video from UR.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsP4DjEC8j4&list=PL2gRpsZ-LcCgDAoB8VVXTnsl_Gwe7JoDC

 

Gorgeous, one of my top color choices, it's too bad. And of course it made Yahoo news as well.

 

What he said...

 

The listed runway length is indeed only 3150 ft. For comparison the NHRA and IHRA list a minimum drag strip length of 4,000 feet Top Speed Motorplex: Phase 4: Design Dimensions - Drag Strip Requirements While the TT 458 power to weight ratio was not in funny car territory, it didn't have a parachute either. So a quarter mile run or a little more to touch about 150 mph would have been safe. It would have been tempting to overdo it.