Fontana speedway accident

[Jorge Mazlumian]

The only thing I can add to this tragedy is that we have to remember that the Fontana infield has walls. And only the desceleration killed these poor souls. Not the lack of safety equipment, roll cage, fire suits and helmets, not the lack of safety marshals, but just the sheer speed of that car against a wall. The chicane on the front straight really is take under full acceleration, if i recall well, so doesn't slow things down much. 165 mph and into a wall. Greg Moore died in the same way in the oval, against an inside wall after flying over the grass at probably 200+mph. Too many fatal accidents in Fontana, too many walls.

Jorge

[Biscione]

I have raced at Fontana and was also there watching the race when Greg Moore died. After the lifeline helicopter took off, I just walked out in disgust.

I have always felt uncomfortable about the grass runoff areas and walls there. If gravel runoffs are too expensive or difficult to maintain at a minimum they should have tire barriers along the walls - this would be a simple and low cost solution. Someone please explain why race tracks still have exposed walls....? Just think of Senna's and Greg's accidents.

Biscione

[fafner1]

A Carrera GT is probably as safe as any road car with it's power to weight ratio could be. If I rememeber right it sells for about $400K and features a super strong graphite chassis and built in roll bars. From the pictures the chassis stood up reasonably well, but the g-loadings were just beyond what the human body can take. Two points in the initial reports (which may or may not be accurate) struck me as familiar from other accidents: The driver was showing a friend "what it could do", and the accident evidently happened during the first run group.

[PSk]

Track days are the most dangerous way to exercise a car on the track. Yes far, far better than on public roads but track days are way more dangerous that any form of racing.

Why do I say that?

• Because you have novices that do not understand or know the rules related to safe track use. Things like holding your line, etc.
• You also have people all pumped up about to show the world that what they can do. Yes racing has this, but after the first few races that leaves ...
• Lack of proper racing car safety requirements.
• Lack of proper marshalling, including medical people (?).

They are as dangerous as private practise sessions ... no marshalling, etc.

From what I have read about this tragic accident is another car pulled out on the track right infront of this car ... the driver swerved and lost control at around 150mph. As normal for track days somebody else caused the accident.

If this had happened in NZ the track officials would be charged with manslaughter as it is their responsibility to run a safe track day ... and they failed!

Thus who was controlling the pit exit (I have assumed this is where the erant car came from)?. It was not either drivers fault ... you need a pit exit NON-driver to control entry to the track.

Thus I feel very sorry for all involved (especially family/kids, etc.) and I feel very sorry for the other driver who probably feels he/she caused this accident. IMO they didn't but the lack of proper safety and controls did ... and that is the organisers area.

Note: I do not know the full story and thus this is my opinion from what I have read, and also my opinion on why one should always think twice, if not three times about doing a club track day. If you want to track your car ... join a amature race series, far safer as the drivers know what they are doing and proper race type marshalling/controls.

Pete
ps: I also used to be very wary of the first race meeting of a seasons. Lots of hyped up drivers with new mods to test, for the first time against their opposition ... equates to lots of bent cars going home.

[JohnT]

As a regular time trialer and club racer, I felt a knot in my stomach seeing the news cast and pics. I was just at Lime Rock this weekend at an event with the GTV6. (BTW, someone rolled a 550 Maranello the day before--complete write off..)
Anyway, I can't speak to the track safety part of this debate being an east coaster......however, the only thing I see wrong with this picture is the passenger portion of the incident. Unless one of the folks in the car was a qualified instructor, there should be no passenger in these types of events. None of the events I attend (these days) allows anyone else in the car.
Anyway, it is a tragedy none the less....

-JT

[Triestino]

Just received info from another driving club I attend...very sad story.

In summary: The person driving the vehicle who was behind him (Ferrari Stradale) just called us and told us what happened from his view. He was first on the scene. He said the GT past him at over 150mph as they eased onto the straight a way and was traveling close to 165mph when he saw the car swerve. He got his car stopped and was first on the scene. One person was DOA and the other (driver) passed away in the helicopter enroute to the hospital.

What happened with the pit marshal:

Marshall saw the GT coming and gave the Ferrari owner the "GO" Ferrari guy hesitated.. looked back at the track.. passenger was shouting "GO".. then marshal says "STOP" and the Ferrari guy takes off.


This sucks. The passenger had just jumped into the GT. He was thinking about buying one and wanted a hot lap in it. Several of the FOC members are on their way to his house to "inform" his wife.

B

Pictures of the car involved in the accident : http://www.nbc4.tv/slideshow/news/4562709/detail.html

[genericwood]

Murray, it would be difficult to compare the safety of club "track days" and true racing events, although I suspect the data could probably be collected to make such a comparison. I suspect that many people overestimate the risks involved in racing competition because they watch Formula 1, Indy Car and Nascar races on TV where the speeds are very high. These same people probably underestimate the risks associated with a "track day", "because after all,it's not like they are racing!"

I hope you saw fit to put a roll bar in your Spider before you go back to the track at Glenwood, whether the Porsche Club rules require it or not!

Erik

[PSk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by msiert Hi all, I wish all familys of these two men Gods speed in healing from their loss. Being a student in club events myself I felt these events were much safer than racing events I was surprised to here in this thread that this is may not be so. But 165mph at a club event Murray

[smestas]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobwass here is the course they used. i can see the danger of the track entry point. hard to believe a car could get to 165 after the chicane. i still don't understand where the car hit the barrier. the map, my recollection ot the track, and the news pictures can't resolve the impact point.

[PSk]

Look at the damage to the WALL!!! ... man that was a very, very hard hit, no chance .

It would be safer if the wall was run parallel (see attached pic. and red line) to the track all along that straight ... yes it would be much closer to the track but they would have possibly survived the glancing blow (or 3).

The wall needs to be relocated before more cars run there in anger IMO. Such a simple and cheap solution .
Pete

[JohnT]

I still don't understand where the Ferrari came from. Where they using the chicane as pit out? If so, I can see how this happened.....the Ferrari would have enterend the track directly in front of the CGT based upon where the CGT would have been on the track (bottom of track in photo) to be in proper position for the next corner.
If that is the case, shame on the track management and/or FOC for using such a dangerous configuration.

-JT

[italcarguy]

The Ferrari came out from the pit exit just after the bridge on the main straight.

[bobwass]

the memory is a strange thing. i've raced that track probably 8 times, and wasn't really aware that the wall was at that angle to the track. or that in this configuration, the entry point was 'after' the bridge.