Rick,
The section where Bill Adam and Bob Akin got together is extremely fast,
downhill and off-camber. It would have been easy for Bill (on a hot lap in a
962) to come flying over the crest at Turn 3, track out to the left as
normal, flick right to pass Akin (on an out lap or first lap on sticker
tires in the Nissan GTP car) while Akin was on-line on the left. It is
possible Adam was unsighted by Akin as Akin turned in to the right at the
fastest part of the downhill before the Esses bottom out. As Akin turned in
to the right, Bill was already there, having closed at a tremendous speed.
Bill was committed, couldn't do a thing to avoid and after the contact,
Akin's car cannons left into the concrete barriers at the bottom of the dip
before the Esses begin climbing up and to the right at the entry of Turn 5
and the car goes up and over and into the woods. Remarkable heroism on the
part of several Prototype drivers stopping by the side of the track and
rushing to Akin's aid. Marshall Field and others suffered burns themselves.
All of this is conjecture based on anecdotal information. Bad, bad deal, in
any case...
-Peter Krause
/// unsubscribe/change address requests to majordomo@autox.team.net or try
/// http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo
/// Archives at http://www.team.net/archive/vintage-race
|