HPDE Crash

[CL65 Captain]

This is an old accident that we've read about and seen the pictures....

now here's the video.

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[syam]

holy crap..

i never knew there was someone standing next to the g before it was hit...talk about great instinctive thinking to get out of the way fast...

did everyone make it out alright? after insurance and everything was settled? i never heard an end to the story.

 

[Dimer]

HOLY MOTHER!!!

 

[92 white 0650]

Re: Who organized that debacle?

Sorry for not knowing any details, but I gotta ask, what organization was running that HPDE?

Do I understand that these guys are waiting for their session and they are essentially on "pre-grid" with no barrier protection from the track?

And that the crashing car just happened to lose it on the track in what would be a harmless spin at any normal track.

I just can't fathom how these guys were told to wait there. And were so stupid as to not know they were in harm's way.

 

[Racerxjling]

I liked the way the driver looked at the condition of his car before checking on the guy he almost KILLED!!

Jeff

 

[CL65 Captain]

<embed src="http://videos.streetfire.net/vidiac.swf?video=d913f445-b773-42e8-b23c-5d7b82294422" width="428" height="352" allowFullScreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br/><a href="http://videos.streetfire.net/video/Happens-to-the-best-of-us_43500.htm">Happens+to+the+best+of+us.</a>

 

[syam]

there was a lot of talk about it...

http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126173&highlight=pocono

that's a link to one of the threads, that links many more threads on different forums. apparently, the guy in the chase car who got footage of the evo crash, and the guy in the evo were friends who were hot headed and over confident. there is testimony from several members of the SCCA grounds crew and instructors about the indicent (including the people involved). the nsx in the video belonged to a member here on prime. there is a thread on it somewhere also.

not sure about if everything was resolved.

 

[docjohn]

old news,the vids at the time were on the web then taken down for legal/insurance reasons now back again.

 

[curtsr]

Close the door...please.

 

[PhiAlpha44]

Ok sooooo.... who pays for the guys stuff that just got destroyed. Not the drivers car, the other car.

 

[92 white 0650]

Re: Assumption of risk

It's been so long since I actually read or discussed an HPDE or any on track waiver, but the basic premise of these historically has been that "$hit happens" and each individual accepts the risk of whatever $hit might happen, regardless of fault. Of course there are exceptions to that rule: 1) extenuating circumstances such as outright willful wrecklessness or negligence , 2) the offending party feels so bad and has such deep pockets that he volunteers to pay damages :redface: and 3) lawyers feed off anger with the old saying that "anyone can sue anybody at anytime for any reason":wink:.

But, as painful as it is, if this were a "normal" mistake by a driver obeying the flags, and rules and displaying "normal novice" on-track judgement, the basic assumption would be that everyone pays for their own repair.

Sad but true. It's ended many a club racer's career.

 

[goldNSX]

I don't understand why a group of cars is so close to the track waiting. These crashes are due to the organizer's responsability IMO.

 

[92 white 0650]

Re: Who organized that debacle?

Sorry for not knowing any details, but I gotta ask, what organization was running that HPDE?

Do I understand that these guys are waiting for their session and they are essentially on "pre-grid" with no barrier protection from the track?

And that the crashing car just happened to lose it on the track in what would be a harmless spin at any normal track.

I just can't fathom how these guys were told to wait there. And were so stupid as to not know they were in harm's way.

I have a possible explanation. After looking at Google Earth and the website's schematic track map, this course is pretty small and the slight bend coming into a small chicane where these guys are waiting is only about 100 yds so speeds are not (well, should not be) very high in this section and they are not in an obvious off-course/spin location. And if this was an SCCA HPDE, it was probably pretty tame compared to what we're used to seeing from independent track day clubs on full size tracks.

But.........that's neither here nor there because someone blew it by letting those guys stage where they were: 1) a few sticks of K-wall should have been placed or 2) more likely, these drivers were waiting much closer (by ~200ft) to the track than they should have been and the organizer's pre-grid marshall/monitor wasn't paying attention.

With respect to the liability, the organization (SCCA) could be found negligent if they had planned for and told those guys to stage/wait where they were. But I highly doubt that.

 

[docjohn]

The organizers of that track day used an access road for hot-pit staging on the east course that is in a dangerous place,and without any barriers to prevent just such an off.I suspect they learned thier lesson.