I was working the station where this happened. The wind was
extremely strong, so much so that we were getting stung by the
sand it was carrying. As the cars exited an uphill righthander on
the South Course, the sidewind became a tailwind. All the AM cars
were getting loose here due to the sudden loss of airspeed. The
car in question came all the way around, at which point the
outside wheels regained grip. In this position, the end plates on
the wing made pretty good sails, and the force of the wind plus
the mass of the wing helped to swing the car over. It made a half
roll and landed on its top. Several workers righted the car after
the driver told us he was OK. The car was pushed off course, and
runs started back within about ten minutes of the incident. It
got my attention pretty good. 8<0
I'd say the likelihood of such an event recurring is probably
pretty low, although one of the other guys at my station said
he'd seen the same car bicycle more than once before. The
combination of narrow track, high and heavy wing, and strong wind
seems to be what did it. Good thing he had a strong roll cage.
Jay
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