Only in crashcar

[URY914]

She finished 38th out of 43. Montoya finished 36th after taking out the truck.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by mjohnson

. Who knew they carry the ball caps with them in the cars? Afraid of helmet hair?

I guess you're one of those one-race-a-season guys. Don't worry, me too sometimes. I just have 30 years of TV watching to fall back on.

They have the hats for sponsors, of course. Cameras tend to be pointed at the head.

[VINMAN]

Originally Posted by patssle

God could have proved his/her existence by having Danica Patrick crash into that truck instead of Juan. That would have been true hilarity.

Seriously, what would have been funny about that??

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by VINMAN

Seriously, what would have been funny about that??

Vinny, don't get started in this sewer thread. Some guys just have to show how cool they are because they can snob stock car racing. I'm sure they would feel very out of place at a WOO race in their Gucci's and estate bottled in their bag.

I have to wonder though, they have a pit road speed and a pace car, but they've always allowed drivers to run close to race speed while circling the track to catch up. With safety equipment on the track, that's probably going to change.

[URY914]

New NASCAR rule for the next race:

"When passing a truck on the track that you could hit, catch fire, burn the track and make us look stupid on prime time TV, drivers must slow to 15 mph."

[looneybin]

Originally Posted by Zeke

I have to wonder though, they have a pit road speed and a pace car, but they've always allowed drivers to run close to race speed while circling the track to catch up. With safety equipment on the track, that's probably going to change.

that was my thought exactly - what was Juan doing going 100+ MPH with safety equipment on the track. lucky nobody got killed

[Tim Hancock]

Yeah, they need more rules because freak incidents like this happen all the time.

[Zeke]

I drove a hook at Talladega during the race in '92. We were out drying the track with every other ambulance, pace car, roll back, whatever they could find. It took a min on 70MPH to stay on the banking. The roll backs actually dog track with the ass end sliding downwards on the bank.

Then, when the big one came, we went out and brought back 2 cars one by one. Doing 50 on the flat with a car on the hook is how it's done. But, it was only a yellow then, not red flagged. When the pack came by above on the banking, they were doing about 100. To them, that's idling.

JPM was likely doing a buck fifty or more. The way his car looked, he had to be haulin' ass. It had no front end or back end, only the frame and center section. Anyone blaming JPM for that crash is ignorant of this kind of racing.

It looks like a freeway cruise on TV, but when you get there and see it for real, it's just plain awesome. I spent 4 days driving a wrecker at Talladega for NASCAR and ARCA. Even towed a few in the parking lot after hours.

[dhrcr911s]

Zeke, i'm with you..

"Anyone blaming JPM for that crash is ignorant of this kind of racing."

I've met JPM. Watched him grow up in ChampCars. None of us could do his job at the level he is doing it.

[VINMAN]

[QUOTE=Zeke;6588286]Vinny, don't get started in this sewer thread. Some guys just have to show how cool they are because they can snob stock car racing. I'm sure they would feel very out of place at a WOO race in their Gucci's and estate bottled in their bag.[/quote ]

Yeah I know .

I can't wait to see these guys bash Tim when he gets his dirt tracker running ....

[Tervuren]

Originally Posted by Zeke

I drove a hook at Talladega during the race in '92. We were out drying the track with every other ambulance, pace car, roll back, whatever they could find. It took a min on 70MPH to stay on the banking. The roll backs actually dog track with the ass end sliding downwards on the bank.

Then, when the big one came, we went out and brought back 2 cars one by one. Doing 50 on the flat with a car on the hook is how it's done. But, it was only a yellow then, not red flagged. When the pack came by above on the banking, they were doing about 100. To them, that's idling.

JPM was likely doing a buck fifty or more. The way his car looked, he had to be haulin' ass. It had no front end or back end, only the frame and center section. Anyone blaming JPM for that crash is ignorant of this kind of racing.

It looks like a freeway cruise on TV, but when you get there and see it for real, it's just plain awesome. I spent 4 days driving a wrecker at Talladega for NASCAR and ARCA. Even towed a few in the parking lot after hours.

One of the oval racers I know said, that if JPM knew his car had major issues, why keep accelerating full speed in the area of the jet dryers. Thats a mistake for rookies, or pig headed.

Example, Trevor Bayne last year, one of his first cup races, totaled his car in practice in his opening lap. He'd gotten on the radio when in the pits saying the brakes didn't feel right, and he'd hope they'd come in. Well...they didn't. A smart driver would of brought it back in again before going full speed.

I know of *lots* of oval racing stories where when the car picked up a big vibration, it was time to stop. Having the drive shaft come into the cockpit with you is not on the list of things you want to happen.

[Tim Hancock]

Originally Posted by VINMAN

I can't wait to see these guys bash Tim when he gets his dirt tracker running ....

Yeah that will be a fun.

I must admit that when I was younger and participating in Autocross, I had dreams of racing sports cars at Mid Ohio someday. Back then, I too made jokes about the "redneck" circle track boys. As I got older however I have come to realize that my favorite kind of racing is the type that relies on the skill/bravery/decision making of the driver/rider more than who spent the most money on the latest machinery. Upper level Nascar drivers all compete in similar equipment and while some luck is required to win, most all of them prove weekly that they have guts and skill by driving their cars at the ragged edge at high speed in traffic.

My favorite hobby/motorsport of all time is/was motocross where in the amatuer levels, the money spent on the bike has little to do with who crosses the finish line first. In my eyes it is truly the ultimate contest between competitors where the winner is the one with the most skill and the biggest balls.

At 45, I do not race motocross anymore as I can't afford to be hurt all summer long. I am hoping that the relatively inexpensive dirt oval bomber cars will provide me with a similar sort of experience that will allow skill in both driving and setting up the car to be the deciding factor of how well I do vs how much money is spent.

I would much rather be running as hard as I possibly can trying to make beat the other guy in bomber cars than carefully driving my 911SC around Mid Ohio being careful not to scratch or wreck it. YMMV

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by Tervuren

One of the oval racers I know said, that if JPM knew his car had major issues, why keep accelerating full speed in the area of the jet dryers. Thats a mistake for rookies, or pig headed.

Example, Trevor Bayne last year, one of his first cup races, totaled his car in practice in his opening lap. He'd gotten on the radio when in the pits saying the brakes didn't feel right, and he'd hope they'd come in. Well...they didn't. A smart driver would of brought it back in again before going full speed.

I know of *lots* of oval racing stories where when the car picked up a big vibration, it was time to stop. Having the drive shaft come into the cockpit with you is not on the list of things you want to happen.

It could very well be "pig headed." JPM has that tendency.

Or, it could be that these guys are paid to go balls to the wall at all times. If the car was dying, it was dying. But if there was any chance of getting it fixed, get it back to the pits and now! Time really is money (and points) in Sprint Cup.

They talk about putting a new rear axle in Danica's car so she could "go out there and get some more laps and experience." Bullpuckey. Go out there and get some Go Daddy camera time is more like it. And some points because that car will race all year with another driver. They need to stay in the top 35 positions for guaranteed starting position at the next race (something I don't necessarily believe in).

Actually I'm glad they didn't show Danica much after she walked away from the social meeting to take a pee during the red flag.

[Heel n Toe]

JPM was very fortunate that he wasn't seriously injured or worse.

From the (admittedly limited) views of the crash, because of the direction of the spin, it looked like the impact could have ended up being very close to the driver area of his car.

It would be all too easy for a piece of that jet dryer to be at just the right height and shape to punch into the car and go right at his head or neck. Window netting, rollcage, and/or HANS ain't gonna stop something like that at 100+.

[LeeH]

[Rick V]

Originally Posted by Heel n Toe

JPM was very fortunate that he wasn't seriously injured or worse.

From the (admittedly limited) views of the crash, because of the direction of the spin, it looked like the impact could have ended up being very close to the driver area of his car.

It would be all too easy for a piece of that jet dryer to be at just the right height and shape to punch into the car and go right at his head or neck. Window netting, rollcage, and/or HANS ain't gonna stop something like that at 100+.

Forget the fact that he caved in the drivers door on the truck, there could be nothing dangerous about that.

[Zeke]

I haven't seen the jet-dryer on the banks at Talladega. The banks are a couple of degrees steeper. The thrust won't necessarily hold the truck because the jet is on a trailer. FWIK, it's a different hitch system that won't allow the jet to rotate the trailer, so maybe that's what kept the thing up there at Daytona. They travel at about 3 MPH which is to say it's a sitting duck.

I've seen a few other things that happened under the caution. Look at this, the incident is at 3:00



There is a Part 2 if you want to see the whole story.

What's crazy is that cars kept going round and round with a friggin' helicopter a few yards off the track.

[Heel n Toe]

Originally Posted by Rick V

Forget the fact that he caved in the drivers door on the truck, there could be nothing dangerous about that.

I completely agree that the truck's driver was also in danger at the speed the impact occurred.

The point I'm making is that in the pre-impact footage that was shown, JPM's car had spun in such a way that it looked like his driver area would be the point of impact. Apparently, it was more toward the front.

It must have looked pretty bad to him to see that jet dryer headed toward him... wouldn't be surprised if he $#!t his driver's suit.

[Super_Dave_D]

This all all I could think about for some reason

[motion]

Originally Posted by looneybin

that was my thought exactly - what was Juan doing going 100+ MPH with safety equipment on the track. lucky nobody got killed

Yeah, that is completely stupid and is allowed for the sake of the show. That stuff does not go down in any level of motorcycle racing - even amateur club level stuff.