bought some wheels from a dead racer yesterday

cockerpunk · 08-31-2023, 09:49 AM

i've been on the search for some spec boxster wheels for a while, to build into studded tires for my ice 996 project .... anyway, perfect wheels pop up on facebook marketplace, even have some dead hoosiers on them, included, for a killer price. hoosiers make great studded tires ....

anyway, arrange the full meet up, and during the conversation the other line mentions that shes selling them because her husband died. i didnt think too much about it, because it happens to old car guys. and then the wives liquidate the car stuff, and pass it on to the younger generation, and the cycle continues.

anyway, we meet up, im buying the wheels, and she says yeah, her husband died unexpectedly last fall ... at blackhawk farms. in his spec boxster.

which, if your not in amateur racing circles was a big news story last fall. blackhawk is of course a local track i have raced many times, and know quite a bit about (including knowing a tree at the exit of 7 quite well). he also hit a tree in 7, and died on impact.

combined with another local racer who was put into a wall ~3 weeks ago at the kat majors race on the exit of 1 at road america and had to be cut out of the car, and spent some time in the hospital ...

anyway, it was a lot of perspective.

when racing cars its not a matter of if ... its only a matter of when and how bad.

gsxrken · gsxrken's Garage

I went with a friend to buy a CBR1000 engine and the seller was in a wheelchair. We learned he had forgotten to retract his kickstand and levered off it in the first left hander he encountered.

Similar story but over text versus in person- I tracked down my old GSXR (thus my Pelican handle) and texted the phone number I had acquired. The guy immediately texted back hotly and wanted to know who I was and how I got the number. I identified myself as the original owner, and he then shared that his son died on the bike.
Yep.

Jeff Higgins · 08-31-2023, 01:39 PM

Was he someone you knew? Someone you had raced agains? Even if not (and from how you describe the situation, I assume not), it sure puts it in perspective, doesn't it?

I'm no racer, but I do spend a lot of time on a couple of local tracks. An acquaintance died on one two years ago during practice for a vintage race. Absolutely a freak occurrence, with many others going off exactly where he went off. Just bad luck - one of his front wheels hooked in an unusual way, starting as spin before it really dug in, which then started an end over end barrel roll. Kinda like that NASCAR guy last weekend.

In spite of his HANS and other safety gear, it snapped his neck and he died immediately. Just like that. No do-over. Many more have gone off in the same spot since. All they wound up having to do was pick some sod out of their brakes and wheels.

rockfan4 · 08-31-2023, 02:56 PM

If it's the guy I'm thinking of, he was 69 years old. I'm not saying age was a factor, but maybe age was a factor.

There's now a wall past turn 7 at Blackhawk. I hadn't been there in several years before going there in July, and I'm really impressed with the improvements.

David · David's Garage

The number of motorcycle races I’ve been to vs the number of motorcycle races I’ve been to when someone died is too close a number. Glad I’m 4 wheels only now but I wouldn’t mind dragging my knee one more time while I still can.

cockerpunk · 09-01-2023, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockfan4

If it's the guy I'm thinking of, he was 69 years old. I'm not saying age was a factor, but maybe age was a factor.

There's now a wall past turn 7 at Blackhawk. I hadn't been there in several years before going there in July, and I'm really impressed with the improvements.

yup its that guy. corner worker report was that the driver was attempting to counter ... ie, i dont think he was having a health issue. his wife didnt think that either.

im glad blackhawk is doing something about it. its such a fun little track, its a shame how dangerous it is. probably the only place in the country "i hit a tree at a racetrack" is something you can say.

i saw a car do end over ends in a single car crash there, landed on its wheels shockingly. guy walked away, i dont think the car did.

ADDvanced · ADDvanced's Garage

Holy ****. Never heard of someone dying at blackhawk. Yikes.

jhynesrockmtn · 09-01-2023, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

Was he someone you knew? Someone you had raced agains? Even if not (and from how you describe the situation, I assume not), it sure puts it in perspective, doesn't it?

I'm no racer, but I do spend a lot of time on a couple of local tracks. An acquaintance died on one two years ago during practice for a vintage race. Absolutely a freak occurrence, with many others going off exactly where he went off. Just bad luck - one of his front wheels hooked in an unusual way, starting as spin before it really dug in, which then started an end over end barrel roll. Kinda like that NASCAR guy last weekend.

In spite of his HANS and other safety gear, it snapped his neck and he died immediately. Just like that. No do-over. Many more have gone off in the same spot since. All they wound up having to do was pick some sod out of their brakes and wheels.

I wasn't at this SOVREN race but a bunch of buddies were. Honestly, this one and Chuck Lyford's death at our Spokane race were among the factors telling me to hang it up.

ted · ted's Garage

Racing is inherently dangerous more so on used wheels with unknown history.
Get them crack checked before you use them.

In my 25 years of road racing I've found 5 cracked wheels.
All of those were used rims that came with race cars.
Since then I have bought 28 new racing wheels for a variety of race cars.

Last year bought 8 new wheels from Jongbloed.
Most wives will agree on spending a little more when it relates to your safety.

CMDR Perry · CMDR Perry's Garage

CP I was at the race at BHF last fall in a support role and I had met the driver (CM) who passed about 30 years ago at the SCCA year end banquet for LOL region when I was racing wheel to wheel. A good friend of mine died there in a vintage Formula Vee 10 years ago. In that case it was a wheel over wheel type accident. Bob was a great guy and had been a very active MAC member in the 1980's. DP

jhynesrockmtn · 09-01-2023, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CMDR Perry

CP I was at the race at BHF last fall in a support role and I had met the driver (CM) who passed about 30 years ago at the SCCA year end banquet for LOL region when I was racing wheel to wheel. A good friend of mine died there in a vintage Formula Vee 10 years ago. In that case it was a wheel over wheel type accident. Bob was a great guy and had been a very active MAC member in the 1980's. DP

I raced vintage vees for several years and after watching my 3rd or 4th wheel to wheel contact wreck, I sold that car. Formula Fords as well. Those guys are often the best drivers on the track, but open wheel cars present a whole other level of danger.