I didnt want to flood Nathans thread with off-topic material, so here is a separate thread. A local racer posted this video earlier. Here is a perfect example of what can happen when drivers execute the wrong move:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiSuyIACGys

And here is the thread regarding that incident:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/auto...nal-crash.html

I think i would be

 

bummer

 

That really sucks, things happen when you are going fast

 

WOW... you could see how fast he was hawkin' the vett in front. Its kinda funny that ... that was the same turn that he caught the first car. But the first vett moved over and just stayed in the lane. The 2nd vett he crashed into was setting up for the turn.... mr. bad-*** just didnt stop because he was too kool. Dude can drive (dont get me wrong)... but he messed up two cars because he didnt wait for the opening.

 

Things happen when you are going slow also. It doesnt help when people make such stupid decisions.

 

Man I gotta tell you, I don't agree. I watched the video about 4 times. I also read his comments.

Actually the first day they teach you that the overtaking (car that is passing) is required to pass the slower car and ensure it is a safe pass. It is also taught that the slower car is to maintain the line while the faster car goes off line to pass.

In the case of this video, the car in front just completed a right hand turn, so he hit the apex and then typically you would drift out to the left side of the track after doing so, which is exactly what the car in front and the car who hit him did. They both went left. The line looked correct to me. The guy typing the story claims you want to stay to the right to set up for the next left. Well the guy in front was running nearly 17 seconds slower, maybe he doesn't know the line and that's why he is slow.

If you ask me, the guy in front, other than hitting his brakes, was not in the wrong. The car being passed is NOT suppose to hit their brakes to allow for the pass, they can lift gently off the throttle to make it easier but as fast as the overtaking car was, he didn't need that either.

Neither of them were absolutely correct in what they did. I put more blame on the faster car.

 

"mr. bad-*** just didnt stop because he was too kool. Dude can drive (dont get me wrong)... but he messed up two cars because he didnt wait for the opening. "




sorry GSR dunno I think your wrong on this one.

 

I think you got it all wrong. I didnt read the entire thread, but it looks like the super slow Vette went off line and slammed on his brakes. He should have maintained his line. Thats one of the first things they remind you in race school. Not to mention, its one of the first things we learn in HPDE. If we all learn to maintain our line to allow overtaking cars to pass offline, when someone goes against that, a collision will most likely follow.

 

Stupid crap happens in every series. I got slammed into on the 2nd lap of QUALIFYING at round 3 (Miller) last month. Stupid chit happens in every series....

 

Well, i think thats the whole point. One stupid mistake will cause a catastrophe. He slammed on his brakes in a section that made him unpredictable. Had he have not done that there would not have been a collision.

 

Hmm, knowing that the guy goes slow, never registers, generally doesn't care, and sux0rs all-around, I might have assumed he would f*k up and given him all kinds of room. Especially coming out of those particular S's. I personally haven't seen someone drive that smoothly or fast through those corners, which is likely why he was winning. Which is also likely why he catches everyone there. He (slow guy) should not have what looked like braking to 7 or 8 that early knowing that someone is coming up that fast. A normal driver would have gotten back to the right in prep for the next turn. So in his inexperience, he braked off-line thinking he was giving the faster driver the racing line, but in turn didn't take into account the fact that your pace in the race is different then the sunday DE and braked right *IN* line for what was still the trackout portion of that corner. Always always always assume nobody knows what their doing, and drive with care. Simply because your winning doesn't mean everyone will get out of your way automatically. Hell look at LeMans races, holy traffic mgmt.

 

I have done an HPDE at VIR and the overtaken car appeared to be off line and braked. I think he must have thought that he had to slow his car to make the turn (number 10, or South Bend) from so far to the left. The overtaken car should not have been off line that far to the left. I am not a racer, but I was told by several instructors who do race there not to track out, but rather get back to the right for South Bend.

I agree that if the front car had not braked so hard, both cars could have made the turn. I don't know why the faster car was off the racing line; sometimes the wide angle lens plays tricks, but it seems he was off to the left as well, and closing very fast even before the braking. I think it was a case of the overtaken car being intimidated at being passed at the top of the climbing esses and not knowing what to do as well as the overtaking car being a little hot and too far left.

It is a shame that two cool cars were damaged; I am glad that it doesn't sound like either driver was hurt.

 

Just from watching the video, regardless of whether the overtaken car was online or off in that corner, the abrupt slamming on the brakes was the deciding factor. It seems to me like the guy just happened to look at his mirrors as the driver with the onboard vid was approaching(at quite a clip) and paniced and grabbed the binders...

 

ouch

 

I dont get how ANY of you can say it was the Faster cars fault? Its called RACING, Your expecting everyone to be going as fast as possible. No-one should EVER be locking up the brakes in a straight. Look at it in a Real Race event view, Formula 1 or so, the Faster car wouldnt have even thought about being blammed.

Just My Opinion.