Willow turn 9 claims an Evo

[cstreit]

Looks like he apexed early?

Want to see something scary though? LOOK at the roll cage joint in the post crash video.. You can see that the two bars were only tacked together. That dude is lucky they didn't seperate and spear thru his helmet!

http://my.break.com/media/view.aspx?ContentID=205579

[450knotOffice]

Thanks for the video.

Jack briefs this exact scenario all the time during the driver's meetings before hitting the track at Willow. If you cook it a bit too hot coming out of nine and go wide and off track, drive straight and don't try to be a hero and get her back onto the track. If you do, you'll probably slingshot across the track into the dirt on the other side and then hit that big berm on the infield side. A rollover is most likely the next scenario (which is exactly what happened here).

[jester911]

Well, I am glad the guy is okay. Yeah Chris, that rollbar looked like it could have went thru the back of his neck. The car had SCCA stickers on the side but I find it hard to believe that bar passed a tech inspection.

The only good thing about the crash is that the bar will never have to be tested again.

[Jack Olsen]

The YouTube version might play a little better.



He carries too much speed into a stupid-early entry to turn 9. Then he tries to save it.

He tries to re-start the car (and succeeds!), which is a typical response to that sort of thing. I have a hard time seeing the bad junction in the cage at the end, but I don't doubt it's there.

For more Willow Springs cautionary excitement, here's a Mini having a moment in turn 1:



You've got to be careful out there.

[charleskieffner]

seems like he got his bell rung. sho stayed in that car longer than i would have! lucky to be alive with that goofy ass bar there.

whomever teched the car should get some education on the finer art of welding and cage/rollbar technology!

found out why PCA was so strict on tech w/my cab............people have killed themselves! and that really puts a damper on the days FUN!

[DaveE]

Imagine being on track in a formula car with the tumbling Minis!!

[Cory M]

Imagine being on track in a formula car with the tumbling Minis!!

I was thinking the same thing, those little formula cars sure looked vulnerable

[charleskieffner]

after watching "tumbling mini" you guys are kinda hard on equipment out there!

that was ugly! hope hes ok..............cuz his mini NEVER WILL BE!

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Originally posted by Jack Olsen
... I have a hard time seeing the bad junction in the cage at the end...

The whole section of the in-car footage after the roll stops; there is a tube coming into view on the left side of the screen about 1/4 of the way down from the top. It meets the other tube visible on-screen at what looks to be a joint that does not have any weld at all! Except for one tiny blob near the bottom.

Could be an optical illusion from the lighting and such, or could be a really obscenely bad job of cage construction.

--DD

[4 Kurves]

Wasn't this quite awhile ago? I seem to remember this car being loaded into it's trailer (dragged would better describe it) last April (?) when I was leaving a POC event at Streets.

[Jack Olsen]

Yeah, it was a while back. I was at an event at Willow the week after it'd happened.

Evos and Sti's roll a lot, though. I was at an event where two rolled in one day.

[PCA7GGR]

Jack,

You state, "Evos and Sti's roll a lot". Is it the cars, the drivers or a bad combination?

[chancecasey]

Uh, I don't think that's a weld - I think you are looking at the padding, not the bar itself. Notice all the gouging in the "bar" - I don't see how a helmet could have done all that to steel - but I do see how it could happen to padding, particularly the kind I have on my bar which has a hard "skin" over a foam core.

[nostatic]

Originally posted by PCA7GGR
Jack,

You state, "Evos and Sti's roll a lot". Is it the cars, the drivers or a bad combination?

yes

over confident driver's, too much hp, relatively high c/g.

[Jbabic]

I don't like see these events before track season starts up....Monkey see Monkey Do......gives me the ibi jibbies...

[Tom W]

Jack: Are you think of the 2 EVOs that rolled in the NCRC event at Thunderhill a year or so ago? (One at turn 2 and one at 8?) I came up on 8 just after the guy fined rolling. This was in the session just after the guy rolled at the exit of 2.

[wastintime]

Lol, I've never managed to roll an STi or a WRX, and some would argue I've tried. Never driven an EVO on track though. The biggest problem is they make absolute idiots look like the best driver in the world... right until physics takes over.

The worst accidents I've ever seen were Spec Miatas... I've never seen more cars flip end over end. But, scary things happen when you try to go into the tightest turn at Roebling 4 wide.

[cstreit]

Sure looks like a tack weld to me... Quality of the vid isn't so great though... Could be high-sensity padding though, I see what you mean about the "Scratches"

[Tinker]

I've been off in 9 the same way and considered myself fortunate. Just took a few hours to get all the dirt out of the car.

Jack is absolutely right about not trying to save it, keep the car straight and merge back onto the track. I been "pushed" off Willow in a few spot (between 6 and 7 during a cup race was a memorable experience) and if you don't apply any aggressive inputs, you can usually get back on unscathed.

In watching the video (that EVO looks pretty quick) I didn't see any really wild steering inputs until it was past the point of no return.

That Mini crash is crazy. Is that a race car or pieces that pass the drivers door just before he heads off the track? Did he get hit from behind?

Tinker

[chancecasey]

Also note the straight cut-off of the "tube" at a 45 degree angle where they join. Common for foam padding, but not that kind of tubing joint which would be cut in a "U" shape.