[Fot] Sad news from Road America

[BillDentin at aol.com]

Jim Austhof's is sure getting a Baptism of Fire.  His description, of  
course, is accurate, as is his counsel concerning the Hans devise.   Not sure it 
would have been quite as effective in this case because of the 'side  impact', 
but there certainly would have been increased stability.  Vintage  racing is not 
a high speed parade.  Its risks are serious.  The  biggest thing I was 
reminded of is the fact that when we race we make a lot of  split second decisions.  
And we don't get to do them over.  Serious  stuff!
 
I had raced many laps with Dr. Surjit Hermon.  In my opinion, he was  very 
conservative, raced at 8/10ths, and was particularly courteous to  other racers. 
 I was in that Friday practice session as well, and have to  assume he may 
have missed a waving yellow and standing white at the Thunder  Valley worker 
station.  You can't see the apex to 13 coming up that hill,  and I suspect he was 
surprised by the commotion and lost control of his  car.  So sad these things 
should happen.
 
As such, we choose not to do the 'missing man' pace lap in honor of Jack  
Drews on Sunday morning.
 
Bill Dentinger
 
 
 
In a message dated 9/22/2008 7:44:57 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  
susank at 141.com writes:

This was  on the MGVR Yahoo list:

*****************************

I have sad  news to report from the Vintage Fall Festival at Road America 
this past  weekend. We have had another fatality in the vintage racing 
community. We  lost driver Surjit Hermon on Friday afternoon in an 
incident near turn 12  (under the now non existent Billy Mitchell 
bridge). Surjit lost control of  his Eastlake 11, skidded right-left- 
right and impacted a Mini Cooper  which was well off course and in the 
process of being hooked up for a flat  tow. The safety workers had to run 
for their lives when they looked up  from trying to find a attachment 
point for the flat tow and saw a skidding  car coming at them.

My second weekend as a Driver Committee Chairman -  second fatality!

Watch your flags, remember the 80% rule, and if you  were contemplating a 
Hans device let this be a warning.

Jim  Austhof
Red #1  MGB

*****************************

Susan

-- 
** Oh, I  would just KILL for a Nobel Peace Prize!  **

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