Sad news, one local nsx driver hurt at Pacific Raceway

[NSXDreamer2]

I heard this news from a third party at our local meet today, so I'm just quoting what I was told.

Frank with the black nsx, (Most of you probably know who he is.) got hit at turn 6 and the car was air borne and flipping, landing upside down with the top. Good thing that he had roll cage in his car, but then I believed that he was unconcious for awhile and suffered broken arm.

Apparently, there was a F360 there and letting Frank by at T6, at the same time, the F360 put its wheel off the track, lost control and then pinned Frank on the side, who's passing the F360 at the time. According to the witness, Frank then went up the bank, barely missing the T7 turn station and got air broned then flipped. Landing on its roof. me and Polar tried to look for more information on the internet and the Porsche & Bmw forums, so far we didn't find anything.

Even though I wasn't there, but based on the information and judging from my experiences on the particular track, he's probably at around 80-100 mph at the time. This is a horrible accident.

I sincerely hope that Frank will get well soon and be on track again. Please, if anyone here know him or will see him, bring my best wishes to him.

 

[john@johnhudakracing]

I heard this news from a third party at our local meet today, so I'm just quoting what I was told.

Frank with the black nsx, (Most of you probably know who he is.) got hit at turn 6 and the car was air borne and flipping, landing upside down with the top. Good thing that he had roll cage in his car, but then I believed that he was unconcious for awhile and suffered broken arm.

Apparently, there was a F360 there and letting Frank by at T6, at the same time, the F360 put its wheel off the track, lost control and then pinned Frank on the side, who's passing the F360 at the time. According to the witness, Frank then went up the bank, barely missing the T7 turn station and got air broned then flipped. Landing on its roof. me and Polar tried to look for more information on the internet and the Porsche & Bmw forums, so far we didn't find anything.

Even though I wasn't there, but based on the information and judging from my experiences on the particular track, he's probably at around 80-100 mph at the time. This is a horrible accident.

I sincerely hope that Frank will get well soon and be on track again. Please, if anyone here know him or will see him, bring my best wishes to him.

I'll think I can snag his contact info, so we can send him and his family our best wishes. Thank god that it sounds like mostly minor medical injuries, but as I recall being a Surgeon that could be a very big deal for him. That's just horrible. It sounds like the track rat could be near a total loss as well. Ikes!

I really wanted to go to the 2 day at Pacific this weekend with the Porsche club. I'm sure Frank was going fast as always, so I am glad that his safety gear did it's job. From what I've seen just this year at PIR and other local events... it comes as little surprise to me given the brief description that a Ferrari member was the source of an incident at a NW open lapping event.

 

[NSXDreamer2]

Yeah John, you just missed the news as we were talking about that with Rey. Or else I would have just went ahead and buy a card and have you delivered for us.

but there's lesson to be learnt... I do think that they should patch a bigger run off area instead of a big dip/ditch at the T6 exit. I had recognized T6 being the most dangerous passing zone from day one. It's not a big deal for underpower cars as there's a steep up hill, but with today's trend of using better track tires, and more and more higher hp cars, it's just doesn't seem like it's a good place to pass/being passed at that part of the track anymore.

 

[nsxtasy]

Was this a race? (Most HPDE events, i.e. drivers schools, don't allow passing in the turns...)

 

[2slow2speed]

Frank races in SCCA ITS or ITA (don't recall which class precisely) and his car is race preped so perhaps it was a race.

According to the Pacific Raceways schedule, looks like Saturday was a BMWCCA day, so it's always possible that it was a race. Friday was a motorcycle day and Thursday was a Speedware lapping day.

Met Frank last year at PIR, good guy, hoping for a fast and full recovery for him.

Ken

 

[NSX-D]

Extremely sad news to hear of anybody involved in a racing accident, let alone a fellow NSX driver. I have had the chance to meet Dr. Frank Neito on a few occasions and have photographed and video'd him at Pacific Raceways. He also gave me a ride (30 minute session) at a lapping day. Nice guy, easy to talk to and a hard core NSX driver. I have seen his vehicle up-close and it is well equipped (full roll cage, Sparco seats, suspension, Brembo's all the way around) and he is a great and smooth driver. I had his contact info at one time and will try to find it, I'm sure thoughts and prayers would be appreciated by him and the family.

I can say that he is one of the few amateur racers that uses a H.A.N.S. device.

GET WELL SOON FRANK!

Sincerely,
Dean

 

[polar]

very sad news indeed. From what I understand it was just a lapping day.
Hope Frank will get well soon!

 

[john@johnhudakracing]

Frank races in SCCA ITS or ITA (don't recall which class precisely) and his car is race preped so perhaps it was a race.

According to the Pacific Raceways schedule, looks like Saturday was a BMWCCA day, so it's always possible that it was a race. Friday was a motorcycle day and Thursday was a Speedware lapping day.

Met Frank last year at PIR, good guy, hoping for a fast and full recovery for him.

Ken

I think the speedware day was on the 7th, as I stopped in the day before for a replacement rod end I had sheered off and they urged me to come out, but couldn't make it out of work, and I mentioned 'I really prefer PIR for the NSX as their is soo much more run off room'...

I agree thou, I'm not too crazy about passing in that back section myself either for the purposes of an HPDE, it is short with too many cars often trying to cram by.. and I don't see it as being all that necessary they can wait.

Anyways, here was the event, it was posted on BMW Puget Sound.

http://www.pnwr.org/calendar/default.asp?date=9/9/2006

 

[BioBanker]

Ah crap.

That's never the news we want to hear.

Get well soon, Frank.

It is a terrible way for the rest of us to be reminded about maintaining a safe distance between cars, even during lapping.

 

[CelicaGirlGT94]

a co-worker of mine who was at the track on saturday just told me about this. I wish you a quick recovery! :-(

 

[zahntech]

The story I got was that the Ferrari dropped a wheel or 2 off the inner edge of the turn and then pulled it back hard and lost control, then struck the rear corner of frank's car and spun him up into the burm.:frown:

 

[NSXDreamer2]

I should have been more precised, the short straight right after T6 and before the turn in at T7 is a designated passing zone, most lappers, especially in advance group will give out point by signal even before hitting the apex and ran wide, so the passing could be done without lossing much speed for both parties.

I still not sure the whole situation as if the Ferrari was letting Frank by, he should be off throttle coasting up the hill, I don't care how much hp that thing got, Frank should have zoomed by in less than a second, how does the 360 catched up and procceed to hit Frank off the track?? If he put two wheels off, should be a simple smooth steering wheel correction (less than 5 degrees of steering wheel movement) to bring the car back. (I had done once putting whole side of tires off there at my "own" cool down lap, just being a bone head and not paying attention to the road at all :redface: So i know it's a big dip right off the pavement, it high centered my front lip and my dali deflator)

The only thing I could think of is that, from the informant's suggestion, the 360 driver not supposed to be in the A group with Frank. In that particular session of the track, the T5a, b, T6 is probably the most technical session of the track. Frank might be already all over the 360 rear view mirrors with the throttle off or even have to use brake, as the 360 letting Frank by, he simply didn't let off the gas as he supposed to (a common mistake especially with fast-cars driver, he might think "let me get closer and learnt his line") thus after his serious mistakes of putting wheel off, panic, over correction, he could still manage to hit Frank.

 

[titaniumdave]

I just heard from one of the instructors at the BMW day Frank ended up with a broken left arm. One long surgery later, he is expected to make a full recovery, have full use of his hand!

Good luck and I wish him well, and a speedy recovery.

Frank is a good driver, sorry to see this happen to anyone:frown:

 

[CelicaGirlGT94]

I just heard from one of the instructors at the BMW day Frank ended up with a broken left arm. One long surgery later, he is expected to make a full recovery, have full use of his hand!

Good luck and I wish him well, and a speedy recovery.

Frank is a good driver, sorry to see this happen to anyone:frown:

Word is that hes a surgeon? Does this mean he will still be able to practice?