'85 GSL 302

Rockingham has just passed with some highs and lows. Saturday I ended up qualifying in 2nd overall, which was awesome to be starting on the lead row. After fighting tire problems all weekend, my Hoosiers gave up the ghost in NASCAR 1 and spun the car 180 degrees, facing me towards 25 cars heading right for me. I made a call that up was better than down into the field, so I buried my foot on the brake and let the car slide up into the wall tail first. The back hit and slung the front around, taring off the front wheel and ripping out three of the hood pins. The impact also split the radiator and severed and pinched several oil lines. I'm not sure if the engine survived but the whole front is a total loss. I'm too busy with work to make a super detailed accounting of what happened, but I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. It looks like I'll need to install a whole new front clip. The back of the car is basically unharmed from the looks of it.

aussiesmg

iTrader: (1)

That simply sucks bro, glad you walked, hope you dont hurt too much....

'85 GSL 302

Actually it was less painful hitting the wall on the 2nd lap than it would have been to run the 30 minute race. Go figure.... Yay for safety equipment.

FirstRotaryExp

iTrader: (3)

It may be just me...but that entire front end looks like its been shifted to the passenger side quite a bit, though it may just be the angle of the picture and the hood propped beside it may be throwing it off.

Glad you survived it though.

'85 GSL 302

The front has been shifted about 12" on the drivers side, about 6" on the passengers side. All 4 front frame rails are bent. My plan is to cut the car from the firewall forward and replace it all.

cpa7man

iTrader: (2)

Glad your ok. Same thing happend to me. Car looked a lot like yours, I found a donor car and started again. I was never happy with the car I crashed so starting again made sense. Replacing the front clip would be easier for sure than starting over. Good luck whatever you do.

Section8

iTrader: (6)

Wow, sorry for the wreck, but glad to see you walked out ok.

Joe-Racer

I feel your pain. I lost it at CMP on the kink at speed. Went through the infield grass, broke through the tire wall and ended up smacking a tree.

Found a donor on Ebay for $200 and got it all back together for Road ATL - and placed 3rd! So don't give up on it.








After -

'85 GSL 302

This is pointed straight at the car...



And here's how the car looks right now.







Not bad for 6 hours of work. Now all the hard stuff.

And since I haven't posted it yet, here's the angle I backed into the wall at...

'85 GSL 302

And to think they didn't use to even have tires walls at CMP right there. I'll bet you're glad they have been added.

The more I think about it the more I realize how much safety is really in a good seat. I think it's one of the most overlooked items by racers, but it's more important that nets or neck restraints. Given how I hit, the reason I walked away without a scratch was certainly because of my seat. I just ordered an R3 (because Mom happened to see that wreck and insisted on it) but I'm also getting a full Halo and shoulder braces for my seat as well. I would encourage everyone else to invest in a good seat also.