Myles -- tried to send this to you personally rather than the list, but it
wouldn't go through. So everyone else can ignore -- or participate in the
stoning.
From: "Mark Palmer" <mgvrmark@hotmail.com>
To: MHKitchen@aol.com
Subject: Re: Vintage body contact
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 19:10:16 PDT
Myles,
I was driver #3. I had about 10 feet of track width between the
hitting/spinning cars, and the wall. I mustered everything I think I knew
about car control in that split second -- don't snap off the throttle,
feather it, steer around the hazard ... but I wasn't able to avoid a
half-spin. Missed the other cars, but nosed into the inside guard rail. At
90+ MPH, cresting a hill & starting down a downhill, off-camber turn it's
mighty hard. Prior to #1's spin, I was completely under control and had
some reserve for evasive action, but not enough in reserve to avoid two cars
suddenly broadside on the track in front of me. I don't think many drivers
in vintage leave that much in reserve.
I know I didn't give you that much info the first time around, but that was
sort of on purpose. It's awfully tough to judge an incident based on a
20-word description.
In order to leave enough cushion to always be able to react to any incident,
we'd have to drive more than 100 feet apart at all times -- or actually,
whatever the braking distance is from top speed to complete stop in your
car. That's unrealistic.
In the incident I described, the driver's committee found drivers #2 and #3
blameless. Driver #1 was reprimanded for careless shifting, but no
probation or suspension. He was quite remorseful, his car was banged up,
and it was a mistake, not aggressiveness.
Mark Palmer
MGA #185
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