Paul, I am so happy that you are physically ok! I am also sickened to hear of
the incident. Your description brought tears to my eyes. Life is indeed
sweet. I hope that you will be able to restore the remnants of your wonderful
car back to wholeness.
You have my heartfelt sympathy.
There is a lesson in this for us all - it is up to us to determine what it is.
- Tony Drews
Paul Meis 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
>
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