Why I need to think long and hard before I DE my car again

ChrisBennet · ChrisBennet's Garage

This is the 3rd in a series of inexplicable posts (or at least not explainable by me at this time so please don't ask). If you missed the previous two, here are links:

FS: Belly Button Lint

I Like Plaid Underwear

If your curiousity is peaked, you might want to check this thread out also: My project roller has gone missing

Back in September of 2003 in the afternoon of the last DE of the year I "took the road less travelled" at Lime Rock. I was recently able to get the "exciting" bit of this adventure digitized. I'm posting for reasons I can't go into.

If you've never hit a wall, please try to refrain from pointing out that I missed the apex.

Lime Rock crash

-Chris

emcon5 · emcon5's Garage

I bet that left a mark........

Tom

sweet97m3 · 05-04-2006, 01:47 PM

Okay...track the Cab again??...I don't think so....you have helped me rest my own case...

Sorry to see this. Damage bad?

Jeff Alton · 05-04-2006, 02:50 PM

Chris, not sure how I miss all this stuff. I guess you need to weigh the thrill vs safety thing....... It is different for everyone. I have not crashed yet (thankfully) so my perspective is certainly different.

Cheers

ChrisBennet · ChrisBennet's Garage

The car was totalled as far as insurance is concerned (though body guys would say it was salvagable). It took a year and half and a lawyer to get the insurance to pay up.

There are some pics in this thread:
Post accident observation

No worries or night mares about the incident so if you have questions feel free to ask. You aren't going to hurt my feelings or anything.

-Chris

xsboost90 · xsboost90's Garage

once you overshot the turn, wouldnt your first thought to be to put both feet in? Im not in the car obviously so my perspective is different. Did it feel "savable" at the time you went back onto the track? Ive had some close calls but that would be scary.

ChrisBennet · ChrisBennet's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by xsboost90
once you overshot the turn, wouldnt your first thought to be to put both feet in? Im not in the car obviously so my perspective is different. Did it feel "savable" at the time you went back onto the track? Ive had some close calls but that would be scary.

It felt totally savable. I thought I was going to drive off the track and then ease back on once I'd slowed down. The rotation once I got 2 wheels off was a surprise.
-Chris

jacko241 · 05-07-2006, 05:02 AM

If you watch the video, and watch your hands, you are still turning pretty hard right when you go off. Natural instinct, one that is difficult to overcome and takes lots of track time to slow everything down in your head so you can make the right moves.

ChrisBennet · ChrisBennet's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by jacko241
If you watch the video, and watch your hands, you are still turning pretty hard right when you go off. Natural instinct, one that is difficult to overcome and takes lots of track time to slow everything down in your head so you can make the right moves.

You know, I didn't notice that.
-Chris

jester911 · jester911's Garage

Chris I am really sorry about your car. Somehow I missed the original posting of all of this when it happened.

Having just went to SCCA drivers school one of the things that was stressed many times over by our instructors is to avoid the temptation of trying to make a save by pulling back onto the track after going off even if only with 2 wheels.

Ideally in that situation it would have been possible to stay off going parallel with the track until you could regain complete control of the car and come to a stop before trying to reenter the track.

I know this is all hindsight for you but maybe it will be a teaching tool for others that see it.

One thing that was interesting is that it appears that you were experiencing understeer coming into the turn. I watched it several times trying to see how much you were turning in. Once the rear tire was off the understeer went directly to oversteer.

Scary stuff no doubt. The thing with any kind of track driving is the driver never knows where his limits or the cars are until they are reached or exceeded.

ChrisBennet · ChrisBennet's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by jester911
Chris I am really sorry about your car. Somehow I missed the original posting of all of this when it happened.

Having just went to SCCA drivers school one of the things that was stressed many times over by our instructors is to avoid the temptation of trying to make a save by pulling back onto the track after going off even if only with 2 wheels.

Ideally in that situation it would have been possible to stay off going parallel with the track until you could regain complete control of the car and come to a stop before trying to reenter the track.

I know this is all hindsight for you but maybe it will be a teaching tool for others that see it.

One thing that was interesting is that it appears that you were experiencing understeer coming into the turn. I watched it several times trying to see how much you were turning in. Once the rear tire was off the understeer went directly to oversteer.

Scary stuff no doubt. The thing with any kind of track driving is the driver never knows where his limits or the cars are until they are reached or exceeded.

If you watch my hands I think you'll see that I didn't change the steering angle "to try to catch it". I just didn't straighten the wheel out. I basically turned the wheel for the corner and held there until I ran out of track - and then instead of straightening it, I kept it there (wheel turned). I think my thought process at the time was "not to try to catch it" but in the moment I didn't think to straighten the wheel out.
I've driven off a corner and back on before on the track and in the snow so I know the drill.
-Chris

jester911 · jester911's Garage

Chris, I see what you are saying. The point I was making is to straighten the wheels parallel to the track. You realized that is what you failed to do. Again not to torture you with that, but to maybe help others.

I am sure you have played it over and over in your mind.
So you don't need me or anyone else to do that for you.

ChrisBennet · ChrisBennet's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by jester911
Chris, I see what you are saying. The point I was making is to straighten the wheels parallel to the track. You realized that is what you failed to do. Again not to torture you with that, but to maybe help others.

I am sure you have played it over and over in your mind.
So you don't need me or anyone else to do that for you.

No that's OK, I'm learning/seeing stuff I didn't before. It's all good.
-Chris

glickster · 05-08-2006, 06:24 PM

Been there, done that. Totaled my 968 in 9/11/04 right there (head on into the tire wall), cracked a couple of ribs, cervical sprain, etc. I was back at LRP in my 911 10 days later.

Although that 968 was done, we were able to transplant the engine and drivetrain into a '92 chassis I bought from GAD in Nov '04. Drove a stock 968 all last season without incident. The "new" car is about ready for PCA F class club race. Just have to remember to stay out of those walls.

Good luck to you Chris.

Richard