and this was on the picture webpage at pbase so an additional
component too i guess.
"I was there and the pace car wasn't going too fast. We were just
coming up to the front straight from 14 so I could see it clearly as
it exited for pit lane
from the people I spoke with who were there as it happend, the Jag
blew it's motor just before reaching start/finish and the resuling
fluid dump caused the chain reaction. "
On 7/18/05, William Thompson <Will@thompsoncarpentry.com> wrote:
>
>
> Comments from alpha corner. My own, and not necessarily the correct ones, as
> I am VERY new to corner working.
>
>
>
> There absolutely was a green flag, which I am certain of, because of the
> position my trainers were teaching me, they taught me to tell them when I
> saw the green flag, so they could drop the double yellow. Was it late? That
> I am not certain of. And the next thing I saw was a blue hood flying in the
> air. I think it went over the timing bridge, and I remember screaming holy
> f*** to my instructors.
>
>
>
> I agree that the mismatch was really bad. I don't know the answer to that
> though. Almost EVERY group out there all day had mis matches, and as a new
> corner worker, my trainers were telling me at every race what to watch for
> in speed discrepancies.
>
>
>
> I wanted SO bad to go to the wreck and try to help, My instructors told me,
> you are on duty here, don't leave. Good cool head people training me!
>
>
>
> I had the feeling the pace lap was strung out weird too, nothing to
> substantiate that though, it was just a feeling I had. Thinking back, I
> remember thinking how much pause the cars came out of grid, and that
> couldn't be good. There were many times my instructors told me to call last
> car, oops not yet. (We never called a false) But we sure were surprised at
> the numbers coming out.
>
>
>
> Willy Thompson
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-team-thicko@autox.team.net
> [mailto:owner-team-thicko@autox.team.net] On Behalf Of
> Flash.
> Sent: Monday, July 18, 2005 12:11 PM
> To: team-thicko@autox.team.net
> Subject: BRIC crash
>
>
>
> some comments that I don't necessarily endorse since I wasn't there,
>
> but interesting commentary to rake up muck, lol. from the f500
>
> list...
>
>
>
> While I did not see the actual pile up, Don Brick and I were out on the flag
>
> bridge immediately thereafter. Based strictly on size and scope, It was the
>
> most horrific Motorsports pile up I have ever seen (pro or amateur).
> Nineteen
>
> cars were involved. I would guess five or six maybe totaled. The front
>
> straight was strewn with Cobras, XKEs, Mustangs, Corvettes, Comaros, etc
>
> (in places
>
> three deep). Phil Cull and John Golanty (two members of the driver's
>
> committee) were seated in Race Control and it happened right in front of
>
> them. They
>
> describe a Camaro leaping fifteen feet in the air and coming down on top of
>
> two other cars (three deep). In spite of all of this metal and fiber glass
>
> carnage, there was only one (-1-) significant injury and that a minor
>
> broken arm.
>
> They did take Carl Schiffmeyer (sp?) off on a back board, but he was the
> last
>
> one removed, and I believe the effort was precautionary. This was NOT
>
> pretty, but thank God it was Group SIX, as these cars are beefy, and can
>
> take more
>
> abuse. I don't even want to think of similar incident in the Monoposto
>
> series.
>
> As terrible as it was, It does speak loud about our safety efforts, but
> that
>
> is little consolation. If you don't have a HANS or similar device, you are
>
> on a slippery slope.
>
>
>
> A further observation that impressed the heck out me was the incredible
>
> professionalism of the SCCA folk running the event. Doomsday struck and
>
> without taking a breath, they went into action. Down through the years I
>
> have made
>
> jokes about SCCA's 'blind discipline' and officious nature. Never
>
> again! It is critical to handling such catastrophes, and it WORKS!
>
>
>
> There will be many theories concerning what happened, but one of the racers
>
> suggested a slow pace car (50 mph...probably too slow for this group), and a
>
> late green flag contributed. The front cars had VERY low qualifying times
>
> (low
>
> 2:20s) in HOT HUMID weather. Clearly these cars are out of spec. Coming up
>
> the front straight the two lead cars apparently thought they would not get a
>
> green and they slowed. Then at the last minute the green came, and the next
>
> group are cars (i.e., rows 4, 5, and 6) were still coming balls to the
>
> wall. It
>
> was NOT pretty.
>
>
>
> Group SIX is plagued by an over abundance of testosterone (any lady drivers
>
> are included in that description). I am sure because Bob Wismer is the
> VSCDA
>
> President, and I am the Treasurer, on Saturday night we had two group six
>
> drivers in our tent complaining about Group SIX overdriving,
> over-preparation,
>
> illegal tires, etc.
>
> -------------------
>
>
>
> My understanding is that the pace car didn't control the field properly.
>
> Jim said that the pace car was going too fast and the lead group got
>
> separated from the middle group on the pace lap. The starter didn't give
>
> the green, but the middle group of cars, by now up to full race speed &
>
> trying to catch the lead group, couldn't see that, Nor could they see the
>
> lead group of cars, which by this time were off of the gas and slowing
>
> down. 17 cars received extremely major damage or were destroyed."
>
>
>
>
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