Today's accident at CMP was caused by a water/anti-freezed Porsche that broke a water hose after T8 and spilled fluid unknowingly up past T10. The first two cars behind made it through and the third was a Porsche 930 equipped with a cage. The car went right in a slide off past T9 into the woods where the rear was barely visible from the track. The instructor died 'instantly' as I was told, but unsure of. The instructor was wearing a full harness and a Hans device. According to two doctors at the scene, the EMTs did all the proper diagnostics and treating of the patient that could be done.
BE CAREFUL OUT THERE! Moreover, don't run coolant.
Mahjik
03-08-10 01:00 PM
Some more news from web:
I was there at CMP when this crash occurred, my girlfriend was two cars behind the incident when it happened. The car's power/driver skill/safety equipment/corner workers/safety inspections WERE NOT A FACTOR. I'll be honest, I'm a little angry to come back from the track and find this nonsense speculation on how the incident occurred.
A 911 996 had an upper radiator close clamp failure, it was a street car with the stock style spring clamps, and one partially slipped. The driver dumped coolant somewhere around Turn 8, realized he was losing fluids, and immediately drove off line, just like he was supposed to. Unfortunately, there were was a 930 following pretty close behind in the group, it was very cold that morning, and what happened was just unavoidable. Matter of fact, I've driven with the 930 driver before, he's a talented driver, and on this outing he was on his final check ride to move up to the next group. The corner workers did their jobs, the EMTs did their jobs, the 930 was a race prepped car with every piece of safety gear you can imagine. The driver in fact was completely uninjured. As near as we can assume, a tree branch must've penetrated the cockpit.
You need to keep in mind the previous day THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE INCIDENT. Not a single incident report, no car damage, just some mech failures. And that is with high horsepower cars, R comps, all different skills groups, and 28 degree temps in the morning. PCA puts on VERY SAFE events, what happened Sunday was a true freak accident.
I mean honestly, when we started running this weekend, track temps started in the upper 20s. If a fluid hits the track, and you run across that at speed, what are you supposed to do? Let's say Vince hadn't been next line, if my girlfriend had been two cars ahead, she would've hit it instead of him, and gone right off the track too. If Bob's little 914 wasn't so cold natured, he would've been the one in the trees. This is not the first time I've seen a car hit coolant before, when it happens, there just isn't a damn thing you can do, no matter how skilled you are or what car it is. Physics can be cruel.
wickedrx7
03-08-10 01:22 PM
Sad. Just a reminder this is a dangerous sport that should not be taken lightly. Even with all the safety equipment and skill, accidents do happen.
jd to rescue
03-08-10 03:45 PM
I am not familiar with the track, but it would seem that the days of hitting trees would not be possible with safety barriers and gravel traps common place at most race circuits. Even then, fatalities are still going to happen.
Mahjik
03-08-10 05:00 PM
Here's some video of the track (not of the incident or even the day of the incident):
