Paul & Brian
In Australia - and I think in the UK - we use a double yellow flag to
indicate the track is blocked. The decision to use this is within the
jurisdiction of the flag marshal at the corner - which is not the case with
the rad flag which can only be shown under the direction of the race
director/clerk of the course.
Maybe worth considering in your part of the world?
regards
Jeremy Braithwaite
Age & Treachery Racing Australia
----- Original Message -----
From: Brian Evans <brian@uunet.ca>
To: Paul Meis <pmeis@bgsm.edu>
Cc: <vintage-race@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 1999 2:09 AM
Subject: Re: Reflections on a racing incident
>
> I'm really sad to hear of your accident, and very happy to hear that
you're
> alright after such a hard hit.
>
> This is the biggest fear that I've had after moving to a sports racer - I
> always run with production based cars that outweigh mine by a factor of
two
> or more, and I'm pretty uncomfortable about it. I never thought of
Watkins
> Glen as particularly unsafe before - I'll now be a bit more critical in
how
> I look at race tracks. Mosport also has highspeed blind entry turns that
> have often caused the fear factor to go high on the scale.
>
> I guess that with a fiberglass tub the car is pretty far gone - do you
> imagine a rebuild is possible?
>
> Again - I'm really sorry that this happened to you...
> Brian
>
> At 11:33 AM 09/14/1999 -0400, you wrote:
> >Prolog: I've noticed that we listers usually report on the happy
> >associations of our passionate hobby, and not talk about the downside.
Thus,
> >I thought twice about making this report, but perhaps it may be usefull
to
> >you listers and may stimulate discussion.
> >The weekend of SVRA at Watkins Glen had started well. The engine I had
> >painstakingly built was running cool and strong through the first three
> >track sessions. My D-sports racer was third on the Group One time sheets,
> >(though some fast guys hadn't shown up yet). It was on the second lap of
the
> >Vintage Enduro, and as I exited turn one and started up the esses I saw
the
> >yellow track lights come on and the corner worker was waving the yellow
> >flag. I assumed a full course yellow with some incident ahead. I backed
off
> >the throttle and allowed more room between me and the car ahead and
thought
> >"be watchfull". As I eased right at the top of the hill suddenly the
problem
> >was all too obvious. Several cars had hit and spun, the track was blocked
> >and it was hidden from view until one came over the crest of the hill.
> >Because of the tight armco on either side of the track, there was no
place
> >to go. I locked up the brakes and stopped my car befor the cars blocking
the
> >track, but my rear engined car spun because of the turn in and I wound up
> >next to the armco on the right side, facing back up the track. The engine
> >had died and didn't re-start easily. Suddenly I was horrified to see an
MGC
> >coming at speed. He locked up his brakes crashed into my right front, and
> >caromed off me into the other cars. I had felt a terrific blow, but undid
my
> >belts, climbed out of my car and over the trackside armco. The entire
front
> >half of my once-pretty racecar was demolished. My roll bar was bent back
> >with a crease about six inches from where my head had been. My only
injuries
> >were a very sore and stiff right hip and knee. My fiberglass monocoque
> >chassis had sacrificed itself and absorbed a ton or more of force.
> >I had been vintage racing for 13 years, along with my son, Doug, (the
fast
> >one). I had never had a serious incident and considered myself a cautious
> >and occaisionly semi-fast racer. I felt confident that I could stay in
> >control of my car and traffic while working up to speed, and that the
chance
> >of a bad incident was small.
> >What conclusions do I learn from this experience?
> >1. If you see a waving yellow, assume the worst case, that the track may
be
> >totally blocked around the next corner, and race control hasn't had time
or
> >sense enough to throw the red flag. (It was interesting that the rest of
the
> >weekend, races were stopped immediately for even minor incidents.)
> >2. Light Group One cars shouldn't be mixed with big heavy sedans or
sports
> >cars. Enduros that mix these cars carry inherent risk to the small cars.
> >3. The Watkins Glen track has always been a favorite of mine, and one
where
> >I have sometimes placed well. It has the most beautiful setting of any
track
> >I have ever seen, in the US or Europe. It's racing history is unmatched
in
> >the US, and I have personally had the pleasure of seeing Clark, Gurney,
> >Hill, Stewart and other greats race there. The Vintage Festival put on by
> >the village is truly delightful.
> >Despite all of this, in my opinion, the track is the most dangerous I
have
> >seen or raced on in the US. Many fast corners are blind, and most of the
> >track is tightly bordered by armco. If you lose it, or if someone in
front
> >of you loses it, there is often no place to go.
> >Thanks to safety equipment, sound car construction, and luck, I was not
> >injured. A unique car I had spent four years restoring is destroyed.
> >I felt Death go past my right ear, close enough to smell the bad breath
on
> >that Old Hag. She wispered as she went by: "Not this time.....but I'll
see
> >you again some day".
> >Carpe Diem, life is sweet.
> >Paul Meis, Team Escargot
> >
> >
>
> Brian Evans
> Director, Global Sales
> UUNET, An MCI WorldCom Company
>
>
|