On 05/19/97 11:01:28 you wrote:
>
>In a message dated 97-05-19 09:17:09 EDT, you write:
>
><< After witnessing the incident at turn one at the HMSA Wine Country
Classic
>
> on Saturday May 17th; I think it is a good time for all clubs to remind
> their members of the procedures to follow when they have a mechincal
problem
>
> while on course. Yes, getting off the course is a good idea, but not by
> making a 90 degree turn across the track.
> >>
>
>Well...what happened?? Since I refuse to ever even buy a ticket to a Steve
>Earle event, I wasn't there....still waiting to hear a report.
>
>Myles H. Kitchen
>
>
Miles;
A Green Cooper Climax appeared to suffer mechincal failure going around turn
one and slowed on the outside of the turn on the right side before the
bridge. As I was thinking to myself, looks like someone's broke, the Cooper
made a 90 degree turn towards the left side of the track. When the Cooper
was about half way (now he's in the middle of the track) a Red Maserati
coming full bore sees this and locks up the brakes and spins and slams in
the to left rear of the Cooper with driver's side of the Maserati (it was
right hand drive). This pushed the Cooper into the grass on the left where
it rolled over once. The Maserati stayed on its wheels backwards on the
left edge of the track. Both drivers were able to exit their cars under
their own power before the safety vehicle got there, but I don't know how
serios their injuries were. The Cooper's roll bar did its job.
The Cooper did not appear to have a major failure like an engine seizure,
steering failure or anything of a nature that would cause it to vier to the
left and was just moving slowly in a straight line along the right side of
the track. If the Cooper had lost power and couldn't make it all the way
back to the pits then the driver should have given the universal "I'm having
a problem signal" and gone off the track on the right when there was room to
do so. But, instead he tried go across the normal line right in front of
the Maserati. The driver of the Maserati did everything he could short of a
miracle to avoid the Cooper.
I don't know how much experience the driver of the Cooper had, but he
violated all the rules of navigating the track under green flag conitions
that I have been taught in the three driver training courses I have
attended.
|