HPDE Instructor dies at Summit Point :(

This entire event, "Hyperfest", is just one big clusterfvck waiting to happen. For $50 any boy racer wannabe in any pos car that apparently doesn't go through tech gets a few minutes in a classroom and then turned loose for 15 minutes on a training track not used for hpde (it appears to be used to train LEOs) as part of a "Hyperdrive". Trees are off every corner with no appreciable safe runoff and for some reason NASA subjects their instructors to the risk of sitting in the death seat with someone who has no training and whose car may not be safe.

Truly tragic, especially since it was not in an HPDE but was in a session where none of the standard hpde safeguards appear to have been in place.
 
RSO 34 said:
This entire event, "Hyperfest", is just one big clusterfvck waiting to happen. For $50 any boy racer wannabe in any pos car that apparently doesn't go through tech gets a few minutes in a classroom and then turned loose for 15 minutes on a training track not used for hpde (it appears to be used to train LEOs) as part of a "Hyperdrive". Trees are off every corner with no appreciable safe runoff and for some reason NASA subjects their instructors to the risk of sitting in the death seat with someone who has no training and whose car may not be safe.

Truly tragic, especially since it was not in an HPDE but was in a session where none of the standard hpde safeguards appear to have been in place.
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wow..so sad. I can see some major lawsuits and an end to "Hyperfest" in this one....trees??? On a race track????? unreal!!!
 
Summit Point in general seems to have a higher than "average" number of fatalities. This circuit, "Jefferson", is not the one generally used for true hpde or racing events.

Reports about Hyperfest included imbeciles throwing full cans of beer from the bridge onto the main circuit during an actual race (in which there was also a serious car to car impact requiring medivac to the local hospital).

The demographics of the event makes this an accident waiting to happen all around.
 
Man this sucks. The poor guy. Every year or two there's something. If these clubs don't up their own safety requirements they aren't going to last long. It's bad for the sport, bad for the track, and really really bad for the crash victims. I hate hearing this.
 
Sadly there are so many car enthusiasts that don't want the perceived "hassle" of a well run hpde club....they just want to arrive, drive the track and go home.....with so many folks looking for the easy way I don't know if we will ever see the end of marginal safety/high risk events.
 
Here is how they advertised hyperdrives on their website:

"Your dream is to be a race driver. You want the cars, the money, the hotties, and all that comes with a racer\’s life. But usually the expense of getting into racing is extreme. Well, Hyper Fest and NASA have made it easy and inexpensive for you to get involved and get a taste of the excitement."

The entire event is targeting a certain demographic and the description above will attract a certain type of driver not usually associated with typical hpde track events. I'm surprised NASA would put their instructors in such a situation, especially on the Jefferson circuit.
 
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It does sound like this event needs to come to an end. Just sad that this is what it may have taken to drive home the message. My thoughts are with the grieving family.
 
That is an incredibly poor way to advertise a HPDE event using the "Fast and Furious" mindset to sell their program. NASA, hopefully you will avoid this organization and any other like it in the future. Unfortunately, the lesson learned came at a very high cost. My thoughts and prayers go out to the instructors family and friends.
 
The entire event is aimed at an audience that wants to hang out/camp out and drink. There is a NASA race but the participants complained about the douchebags throwing full cans of beer down onto the track from the bridge so they didn't even seal off that overpass during a NASA race. Incredible lack of security.

The rest of the event has drift contests, intentional vehicle rollover contests, daisy duke contests and similar activities that are no way related to true hpde and do nothing other than serve as a distraction to the hydperdrive drivers. With minimal classroom instruction they go out for 15 minutes in front of their friends and appear to be on an honor system about teching their cars in advance. I don't care whether you are on a track for 15 minutes or 15 hours, your car better be safe and I question whether this GTO was.

There is a photo of the aftermath and the front right tire of the GTO looks well worn in the center and most likely that was consistent through all 4 of his street tires. Other reports from the event indicate this car had a blown motor before this and as a favor to the owner they dropped in a boosted motor so he could attend the event (I saw a reference that he was military and was being deployed shortly after the event).

No experience, over 500hp on street tires, on a track designed for training and not hpde where there were trees off each corner and no run off, and anyone with $50 could do it made this whole event a recipe for disaster from the start.
 
I'm a rookie, but I've heard from a few people NASA isn't the "best or safest program to run with". I know many of you here have probably had great success but over here on the east side I was recommended first Chin motorsports, trackmasters, and trackdaze. Also the BMW north america group and the porsche club.
 
You really do need to be careful with what groups you choose for hpde. I still remember PDA running events at Pocono with their heads up their asses in terms of staging. Check out this video (start it at around the 2:30 mark). Look where the cars are staged and watch the result (which includes the demise of an NSX):

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/P1RohRau9Hg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
RSO 34 said:
You really do need to be careful with what groups you choose for hpde. I still remember PDA running events at Pocono with their heads up their asses in terms of staging. Check out this video (start it at around the 2:30 mark). Look where the cars are staged and watch the result (which includes the demise of an NSX):

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/P1RohRau9Hg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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Holy shiiiit!!!!! Wow...how stupid can you be???

" hey Jethro, Let's line up the next group 20 feet off the track!!!"

"Sounds good, billy bob!!"

How lucky is the dude who got the f out of the way just before being killed by moron in the evo???:eek:
 
91 X said:
How lucky is the dude who got the f out of the way just before being killed by moron in the evo???:eek:
Click to expand...

That guy is (was) the NSX owner!

And "lucky" is the key description since he was standing less than 20 feet off the track with his back to oncoming cars before being lucky enough to turn around and jump out of the way.
 
RYU said:
sometimes Darwinism needs to take over

i had no idea an nsx was in front of that g35!!!
Click to expand...
Jeez. I can't believe they staged cars next to the track & unprotected.
 

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