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Re: two wheelin

To: "Brian Priebe" <priebe.4@osu.edu>, <autox@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: two wheelin
From: "Jay Mitchell" <jemitchell@compuserve.com>
Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1999 12:16:58 -0600
Brian said:

>My experience of being on two wheels, that one time, was that
you have
>no time to react that you are on two wheels.  I realized when I
hit the
>ground that I was on two.


That was my experience exactly. I'd guess that available reaction
time would depend on the specifics of the situation, but when I
rolled my GTI there was no time to react.

>I was chasing the rearend all through
>a bunch of offsets that led to a quick 90 degree turn.  Once I
turned
>the wheel left for the 90 degree turn, the rear stopped sliding
and just
>hooked.

This describes my experience almost perfectly. My incident
happened at the Meridian airport (where the Tour is going to be
held) in December 1993.

 > There was an asphalt change there, but nothing that I thought
>was a big deal walking the course ( meaning no abrupt bumps or
layer
>differences).  I just remember when the rearend slopped sliding
it got
>quiet.


In my case, when the rear stopped sliding, the horizon began a
VERY rapid rotation.

 >I was also told it was like the left rear was trying to flip to
the front
>right corner.

I heard exactly the same description of my rollover. A nearby
corner worker said that it looked like a catapult had been
released under the left rear tire. The car rolled diagonally, and
the first sheetmetal to hit the pavement was the right front
fender.

>  I was just lucky I was turning left instead of right.

I was turning left also, and I was not so lucky.  =8<0

>Without driver my neon was 100 lbs heavier on the left side.

I believe the GTI is heavier on the right side without the
driver. Maybe that's why it went over.

>I also feel course designs should be designed counter-clockwise
due to
>having the driver less prone to being able to flip a car.

I agree that course designers should try to minimize possible
rollover situations, but it's not possible to entirely eliminate
rollovers through course design.

Jay Mitchell





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