jons355

For years I have been concerned with the one issue that scares me most. It's not my driving or me pushing the limit nor is it other's that are doing the same.

I know my limits and my cars and I also know most of the organizations I race with or do track days with.

What has concerned me most is inadequate tech inspections by either the students ahead of time or at the track. This issue was something I escaped for nearly 5 years.

In the course of two weeks and two events this past March I nearly totaled both my race cars for the same reason. Someone didn't maintain their car properly and put others at risk by dumping fluid on the track.

First one was at Friday At the Track when some idiot who had just taken delivery of a Porsche Super Cup car a few days prior dumped all his oil in turn 3 and I nearly totaled my M5 spinning in it. The guy showed up late, missed tech and the drivers meeting and had a crew working on his $100,000 baby that didn't look fit to work the parts counter at Autozone.

Next week some PCA guys brought their Porsche GT3 RS's and Cup Cars out for practice and setup. They hired ex-Porsche factory driver David Murray to set up their cars. I was following David through turn 10 onto the main straight at Summit Point at over 150 mph when the car dumped it's anti freeze in the braking zone. I narrowly missed T-boning his sudents $150,000 car and totalling my $100,000 car. He ended up going off in three on his leak.

Two weeks, two huge risks.

I am no longer worried about my driving, my car breaking, or other drivers acting like jack@sses, what worried me most is coming through a turn only to find someone dumped oil or anti freeze. At that point you are normally toast.

I was lucky take a look at the video (and please excuse the language)

It's like investing in the stock market where people tell you not to put your money there if you can't afford to lose it all. Same principle here if you can't afford to total your car you shouldn't be there without adequate insurance.

Regards,

Jon<ul><li><a href="http://www.ferrarichat.com/videos/jon355c/Lockup.mpg">F355C meets Porsche 996GT3R</a></li></ul>

Nogaro

Or was that totally force?

Liam in Montreal

I don't even know if my eyes would have been open during that. makes me scream every time I replay it (and I know how it ends too).

doesn't get any closer.. (without a bang that is)

lucky you!

regards,
Liam

jyoteen

Pretty scary, and you're right. I gotta say that if I get caught up in trains or traffic, I pull in and give myself as much a clear track as possible. But then again, stuff like this you cannot see coming.

Boy, this doesn't comfort me any, but I'm just trying to buy time so I can buy a track car. :-(

Thank god your incident didn't go any farther than what happened in the video.

jons355

As soon as I tapped the brakes the car started to wiggle. My first inclination was not to overeact. While the wiggle took me off line to the inside that is where I wanted to be anyway since the fluid was online. As soon as I saw fluid on my windshield (a split second before I noticed it out the back of his car)I started to go offline but this occured about the same time I needed to tap the brakes.

I got off the brakes until the last moment and made sure I was on dry asphalt when I locked up. I know the benefit of ABS but in this case I think the abscence of ABS (disconnected on my car) saved me. The pulsating would have caused further instability and prevented a good lock up.

I corded all four slicks and they were practicaly brand new. Lot cheaper than metal and carbon fiber

hammerwerfer

Spare a thought for the guys and girls on the motorbikes though. When they come across a bit of oil or antifreeze the consequences are that much more severe.

hammerwerfer

Thanks for the entertainment. Language was appropriate.

hammerwerfer

normal insurance covers cars driven there. Rent a car and you won't have to worry about buying new tyres, brake pads etc. Might just pay for the plane fare!

valium

they're really there to verify that the pre-event inspection was done, and that people know to remove items from their vehicle, etc.

I'm guessing that with insurance a worry more and more, those on-site techs will go away. Too much liability. Instead, attendees sign a waiver and if something fails it's their fault, not the fault of a guy who is checking to make sure the nimrod remembered to put brake fluid in his/her car!

valium

and a vacuum to get the pea gravel out?