You can hurt yourself without even crashing!

[dquarasr2]

I autocrossed yesterday. There was a 180-degree left-hander approached at the blazing speed of about 40 MPH. I was on R-compound DOT rubber.

I was not going to make it down to the apex, so I lifted to get the car rotated down to it. The car over-rotated (OK, so I was in too hot. :biggrin: ). I countersteered and going relatively slowly, the car stopped rotating very abruptly (shades of the "NSX Crash at Track Event" thread elsewhere). Not a big deal, I simply shot my hands back the other way, but as I did with the car hooking up big time the other way, my head snapped back left and my helmet hit the left side of the roof trim big time!

I jammed my damned neck! I had a headache for about 20 minutes. I was fine the rest of the day and today I have no residual effects, but sheesh, I really would hate to find out what a real hit feels like.

I fit in the car quite well, being only 5'6" (OK, 5'5.5" on a "tall day"). Now I see why some taller drivers complain about headroom, especially with a helmet on.

 

[MiamieNeSeX]

Sucks to be old


Armando

 

[stuntman]

Sounds like you were a little slow with you hands (driving behind the car). Still have at it and practice driving at the limit of the cars ability, but work up to it. Glad to hear you are okay and not hurt.

 

[dquarasr2]

Sounds like you were a little slow with you hands (driving behind the car). Still have at it and practice driving at the limit of the cars ability, but work up to it. Glad to hear you are okay and not hurt.

Thanks.

Oh, I was fast with my hands. I didn't spin it and I didn't lose hardly any time. I knew going in that getting the car down to the apex by purposely rotating it was risky at best, so I was prepared for what was going to happen. What I didn't expect was to bonk my head.

I have a lot of track time under my belt; I've had the NSX and other cars all kinds of sideways, sometimes on purpose and sometimes not so, at fairly high speeds (80-90 MPH) and also at lower speeds. Comes with the territory if you do it enough.

The fastest spin in my performance driving career was at about 80 MPH. I was amazed at how far a car (even a light 2200-lb one) goes once control is totally lost, even with "both feet in". Luckily I didn't hit anything.

(I'm talking organized competitive or HPDE here, not street stuff!)

Oh, and Armando, thanks for reminding me about the ravages of time. Some day you'll be old, too. You're not that far behind me!

 

[stuntman]

It definitely sounds like you have a bit of experience.

I autocrossed yesterday. There was a 180-degree left-hander approached at the blazing speed of about 40 MPH. I was on R-compound DOT rubber.

I was not going to make it down to the apex, so

1. I lifted to get the car rotated down to it.
2. The car over-rotated (OK, so I was in too hot. :biggrin: ).
3. I countersteered and going relatively slowly,
4. the car stopped rotating very abruptly
5. I simply shot my hands back the other way,
6. but as I did with the car hooking up big time the other way,

=my head snapped back left and my helmet hit the left side of the roof trim big time!

If your hands were a little quicker, during the recovery (when the car hooked back up) turning back into the original direction (left) faster would prevent the jerk-back that you got when the car re-gained grip.

 

[dquarasr2]

It definitely sounds like you have a bit of experience.


If your hands were a little quicker, during the recovery (when the car hooked back up) turning back into the original direction (left) faster would prevent the jerk-back that you got when the car re-gained grip.

Ayup, you're right. I am loathe to admit it, though. I am the perfect driver. :biggrin:

I don't suppose you'd believe me if I said the next turn was a right-hander and I wanted to get it going back that way, would you? Yeah, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

 

[MiamieNeSeX]

Oh, and Armando, thanks for reminding me about the ravages of time. Some day you'll be old, too. You're not that far behind me!

That's 2 areas where I will never catch up with you......... the track and the wheelchair access ramps. Glad you and the Honda are ok.


Armando