Another spin - lessson to be learned

[CL65 Captain]

The lesson for today. When you are coming down the straight and see a big cloud of smoke.... someone either just blew their engine or laid down oil and/or anti freeze and you have to assume it's going to be on the track. BE CAREFUL!

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[Acura NsX Pilot]

Gezzzzz that was close ... Glad you came away without any damage

 

[Zishan]

Yikes, that made me tense just watching the vid. Glad to see you did not hit that yellow Porsche (I think?). I actually had to rewind because initially I didn't see the yellow car until you had spun around and was wondering where the heck that car came from.....apparently the culprit.

Glad your ok!

 

[CL65 Captain]

yep, the yellow 944 in the gravel trap was the guilty party. :wink:

 

[Ponyboy]

Wow, that's a huge amount of runoff room. Thank God that track doesn't use armco at the end of that straight.

Good job on keeping your cool. So did time just slow down when this was happening?

 

[docjohn]

are there any flaggers at your events

 

[CL65 Captain]

Wow, that's a huge amount of runoff room. Thank God that track doesn't use armco at the end of that straight.

Good job on keeping your cool. So did time just slow down when this was happening?

I remember looking at the white 968 out the front as I was perpendicular to him and spinning past, thinking OK, not going to hit him. See, look where you want to go and I was looking left because that's where I wanted to go..... it worked! Ha!

Then coming around and seeing the yellow 944 in the gravel pit thinking, thank god for inertia because I'm going to miss the gravel pit. :biggrin:

One of my friends took his C6 straight off into the gravel pit and had to repaint the whole car because of the shower of rocks.

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[CL65 Captain]

are there any flaggers at your events

yes. But as you can see from the cloud still on the track, it just happened and if you watch on the right, just as I approach the hump in the straight the flagger comes out of their hut and just started waving the yellow. However, I passed the flagger at the start finish before this happened and by the time I came up on the hump and saw the flagger at the corner it didn't matter as the 944 had laid down antifreeze most of the way down the end of the straight and there was zero braking ability.

 

[docjohn]

gotcha

 

[RYU]

What happened to this 944? Did he slow down in time and miss the wet spots?

 

[CL65 Captain]

What happened to this 944? Did he slow down in time and miss the wet spots?

It's a 968 and he was going much slower than I was and braked way early on top of the hump - where the pussies brake. :wink:

 

[ChopsJazz]

...and braked way early on top of the hump - where the pussies brake. :wink:

Funny stuff.

And nice job staying calm.

 

[Hrant]

If I prescribe a "teaching moment" from this video it would be:

1) You were really lucky
2) Seems you came in too hot given the "conditions developing" - black tire marks were visible, the 968 was already pinching the inside line
3) You veered to the left to avoid ....
4) Dropped two wheels and then started braking
5) Inside wheels grab traction while outside wheels skate on grass
6) Asphalt wins over grass hence the spin to the right
7) Did I say you were lucky Very fortunate that the two left wheels didn't dig in and cause a roll over, and you didn't hit the yellow 944 :wink:

But good composure, didn't hear any profanities, and nice to see you rode the rest on green pastures. You could use some makeup though :biggrin::tongue:

 

[CL65 Captain]

If I prescribe a "teaching moment" from this video it would be:

1) You were really lucky
2) Seems you came in too hot given the "conditions developing" - black tire marks were visible, the 968 was already pinching the inside line
3) You veered to the left to avoid ....
4) Dropped two wheels and then started braking
5) Inside wheels grab traction while outside wheels skate on grass
6) Asphalt wins over grass hence the spin to the right
7) Did I say you were lucky Very fortunate that the two left wheels didn't dig in and cause a roll over, and you didn't hit the yellow 944 :wink:

But good composure, didn't hear any profanities, and nice to see you rode the rest on green pastures. You could use some makeup though :biggrin::tongue:

Black tire marks are old (all of them)... the 968 was actually on the "line" heading for the apex. My first clue was the cloud of white smoke as I crested the hump which at that point I'm doing 125 mph and it's too late. 180 feet per sec = 122 mph.

I knew I had to spin it and use the inertia to take me past the gravel trap as I actually thought for a second I would take it straight off and then realized that would be put me in a T-bone with the yellow 944. Morning session with dew on the grass, no recent heavy rains means the car was going to slide and not dig in. When we have soft ground, I am aware of that and take it back a notch even when the track is dry knowing an off has to be a straight out off.

This is at the top of the hump. Notice the cloud and on the right the corner station. The flagger has not waved the yellow flag yet 10 secs into the video. A second latter he comes out and starts waving the flag 11 sec. :tongue:

And 12 seconds in, the 968 isn't hugging the inside, he's still on line. :tongue:

But thanks for the Arm Chair Quarterback second guessing. BTW: you know I'm just giving you shit. :wink:

 

[nsxtreme91]

WoW! what a scary moment, you think you wound say something like ` Oh Shit ' your calm and cool like nothing happen unless in the past it happen or was this the first time? Hopefully everthing is O.K with the NSX.

 

[LoveNSXs]

I puckered a little just watching it. Whew.

lol.

Glad your car made it somewhat unscathed.

 

[Hrant]

I knew I had to spin it and use the inertia to take me past the gravel trap as I actually thought for a second I would take it straight off and then realized that would be put me in a T-bone with the yellow 944.

Details, details, details ...... if you were able to process that much info in 0.5 seconds to avoid an incident, kudos to you.

I am sticking with my version :tongue:

 

[CL65 Captain]

Details, details, details ...... if you were able to process that much info in 0.5 seconds to avoid an incident, kudos to you.

I am sticking with my version :tongue:

Actually, I did think about taking it straight off as I was starting to veer left into the grass and thought "that' won't work". Must come from traveling 550 mph (806 feet/sec) at work - so 183/sec is like moving in slow mo for me. :biggrin:

 

[Hrant]

Actually, I did think about taking it straight off as I was starting to veer left into the grass and thought "that' won't work". Must come from traveling 550 mph (806 feet/sec) at work - so 183/sec is like moving in slow mo for me. :biggrin:

Actually, I thought of that and definitely the training to make quick decision at landings/takeoffs would indeed help in such situations :wink:

Still, you were very lucky.

 

[CL65 Captain]

Actually, I thought of that and definitely the training to make quick decision at landings/takeoffs would indeed help in such situations :wink:

Still, you were very lucky.

I know I was lucky.

Boeing uses a 2 second pad when setting their V1 (go/no go decision speed). They have determined that it takes on average 2 seconds before awareness of a problem and action. I topped the hump at :10 and started to take it off the grass on the left at :12 and spun began at :14.

Here is what I remember.... hitting the brakes and no traction. Starting to take it straight off and seeing the yellow 944 and thinking I can't take it straight off, I need to at least get the momentum going to the right even if I go off backwards inertia will continue to take me in that direction. Was I lucky? You betch ya! But I think I did pretty good in the 2-3 seconds I had to make a decision. :redface:

 

[nsxtreme91]

Peter Cunningham wound be proud.

 

[NSXLuvr]

I knew I had to spin it and use the inertia to take me past the gravel trap as I actually thought for a second I would take it straight off and then realized that would be put me in a T-bone with the yellow 944.

If you can sort all that out in your head while spinning then you are a much better driver than most of us.

No offense but I have to agree with Hrant - You were VERY Lucky!!

 

[CL65 Captain]

If you can sort all that out in your head while spinning then you are a much better driver than most of us.

No offense but I have to agree with Hrant - You were VERY Lucky!!

All I sorted out in my head during that initial two seconds after the "oh shit no braking" was straight off, nope... get it going right. Then physics took over and I went along for the ride.

 

[PhiAlpha44]

Jim that was close as hell. And knowing your buddy had to get his car repainted from the shower of rocks in the gravel trap REEEEEALLY makes me want to take my freshly painted car to the track!

 

[CL65 Captain]

Jim that was close as hell. And knowing your buddy had to get his car repainted from the shower of rocks in the gravel trap REEEEEALLY makes me want to take my freshly painted car to the track!

He was driving a C6 and had a rear caliper lock up in the braking zone of turn 1 and went straight off in the gravel trap. The same thing could happen to you on the street but the result would be you would end up in a tree. :wink:

Kyle - like I said, take it to the track and drive 7 or 8/10ths and your chances of something happening are less than some idiot in a mini van T-boning you on the way to/from the track.