What to do if you have brake failure?

[Andrew]

Alex's catastrophic brake failure at Mid-Ohio is not a singular event.

It happened twice at Road America just a month ago; I was one of them going into Canada corner at full speed flat out of the carousel.

I had given some thought previously about what I would do if such an event occurred at turn five or twelve at RA and when it actually happened, I automatically performed the visualization and saved my kister. I managed only one down shift while I thought two would be possible, but you only have a couple of seconds before you're out of track. I input as much steering angle as I thought the car would handle without getting sideways so as to extend the path through the gravel trap without going in sideways. It worked; I could see the tracks in the gravel afterwards and they showed a curved line which took the car to the tire wall and impacted at about a 30 degree angle rather than a head on 90 degrees. The car nosed in at that angle and then slammed the side into the tires causing left side, front and rear suspension damage. I was completely unhurt.

After talking to other drivers on what they would do, John Griest suggested killing the engine to create engine braking, which sounds like a good idea.

What experience have you had, and what do you suggest is the best way to handle brake failure at "hot" corners at the various tracks?

[AZRCD]

I don't think there is a good way. Seems like you did all you could. I would worry about locking the rear tires if I killed the motor, but maybe that wouldn't happen. Only other plan of action would be to put the car into a spin to scrub speed, but as you pointed out that takes away your ability to aim for something further away.
That and lots of lock up! Just kidding.

[Jim Doman]

I sure hope this thread keeps going. Last night, Alex started questioning whether or not he should have come off the brakes to negate the little front lock-up he was getting so he could add some steering and not hit at 90 degrees. I'll be sure he jumps in and gives his thoughts.

As for Don's suggestion that I mentioned on the other thread, it involves not just letting go of the steering wheel to avoid broken fingers, hands, etc. but letting go and putting hands to chest. Don still broke his thumb after letting go of the wheel because the impact force caused his arms and hands to move forward on impact.

It sounds like letting go of the wheel and essentially hugging yourself, all in a split second of course, might prevent a broken hand and might also prevent arms flying out of the car if you happen to go upside down.

[rf360m]

Originally Posted by Jim Doman

I sure hope this thread keeps going. Last night, Alex started questioning whether or not he should have come off the brakes to negate the little front lock-up he was getting so he could add some steering and not hit at 90 degrees. I'll be sure he jumps in and gives his thoughts.

Did he lose all four brakes, or just the rears?

Doesn't anyone know how the RT2000's brakes are designed, ie left front and right rear together, all four together, or four independent, etc?

[Jim Doman]

Alex told me that he didn't feel anything grab on the rears and remembers seeing a small puff from the left front locking up. I don't know how the system is designed.

I just got a call from Todd about the failure. They have had a few of the rear calipers break like this in the past. He and Joe have come up with a bracket design which will not allow the calipers to rotate up and off the rotor. I also understood him to say that they will be looking at this area as part of their nightly checks. Hats off to them for quickly implementing a solution.

[George Sladky]

The brakes in the RT are set up the same way as the school cars. With the front breaks working off one master cylinder, and the rears off of another. This way even if you loose the rear breaks, you can still get some pressure out off the fronts. Although, with a rear caliper off of the rotor, the added room the pads have to move will change the bias more to the rear. Leaving only about 15-30% braking force for the front brakes.

[Alex Doman]

Upon further review of the video it turns out that I was able to lock both front tires before I went off the track. However, it was not nearly enough to get me slowed down. I'm guessing that between the front lock up (which was only for 5-10 feet) and hitting the gravel trap, I was able to slow down 20-25 mph before hitting the wall resulting at a 80-85 mph impact. I really had no time to down shift, kill the motor, or modulate the lock up to get the thing turned. I don't think that I even attempted to get the car turned because I have always heard that it's better to go in head on. I did, however, have time for a image to flash into my mind that I saw on TV of Marco Andretti letting go of the wheel at the Glen when his suspension broke before he hit the wall. I did the same but did not hug mself as Don suggested. Looking back on the whole expierience I think I would have liked to try something else because that was the hardest, most violent hit I have ever felt. Just out of curiouslity, how hard of a hit in G's would some of you guys estimate my hit at? My guess is 20-30 G's. One thing that I definatly should have tried had I had more time to react was pumping the brakes. In this situation, I'm guessing it wouldn't have worked but I've always heard that you should give it a shot anyways. Thanks to everyone for the input as brake failures can never be fun.

--A very sore Alex Doman

[TomBobN20]

Hey Alex, glad you're safe. Just to add to Jim and Alex's thoughts: First of all, Alex, I assume you were wearing a Han's device and am wondering if you noticed the effects. This accident is very sobering, probably a drivers second greatest fear, the first being fire. I'm sure Skippy is all over it to create a fix.

Secondly, more on Jim's thoughts about hand and arm safety. Very few drivers use arm restraints in this series, most saying they are a pain. Imagine the pain if they are the first point of contact in a roll. I have been using restraints sewn into my suit for a couple of years and they add about 30 seconds to the buckling process. Once they are on I forget I have them unless I need to make a Alonso style gesture to another fine driver's technique. There is a company in Seattle that sews in 2 D-rings into the suit so the restraints are removable. Costs about 70 bucks. Let me know if anyone wants more info. Pretty cheap insurance.

Again, Alex, glad you're in one piece. Sounds like you are smokin' fast. Hopefully lightning won't strike twice. Heal fast and good luck at the Nationals.

[John Greist]

I just got a call from Todd about the failure. They have had a few of the rear calipers break like this in the past. He and Joe have come up with a bracket design which will not allow the calipers to rotate up and off the rotor. I also understood him to say that they will be looking at this area as part of their nightly checks. Hats off to them for quickly implementing a solution.

Repeating myself:

Also good that Todd and Joe have designed a bracket to prevent the brake caliper rotation when this failure occurs. I had the same failure at the safety pin at Sebring in 2004, but was fortunately able to sidestep the car ahead of me onto the grass on the left and stopped by the most rapid downshifting I've ever done - no doubt buzzing the engine - just before running out of room at the short left run-off at the old hairpin.

Last summer Peter Tucker had a brake failure at Canada Corner. Not sure it was the same failure, but very glad he ran into me as I was braking because it slowed him some, though the still got to the tires beyond the gravel where I ended up.

Regarding hands off the steering wheel before a front wheel hits a wall that suddenly deflects the wheel and consequently, the steering wheel. I, as Dancin Don at Daytona, took my hands off before hitting the wall outside turn 2 at Mt. Tremblant some years ago. Going fast enough that I concentrated on getting my HANS straps tight, and didn't tense my arms, so my hands flew forward on impact, and my L index finger was broken and had 3 nails to fix it. Was able to drive with it broken, but could have prevented the fracture by tensing arms.

Back to the thread question - what to do with brake failure? Checking brakes leaving the pits is a worthwhile preventive measure - plenty of room and time to get it stopped before hitting anything. If we could get our left foot to the brake pedal, touching and finding them there midway down a straight would be very reassuring. Maybe possible in a new car or we can all try Vinay's approach of wearing size 8 shoes, regardless of foot size.

Not much time to decide what to do in the awkward moment after they've failed at the end of a fast straight, but among reasonable possibilites: aim for something safe - ideally a long run off area, often as Andy did, something to hit later and therefore at a slower speed; downshift as fast as possible as Alex tried but had time for only one gear - I didn't turn the engine off Andy, just downshifted furiously, doubt I could confidently find and move the ignition switch; scrape off speed against a wall or Armco; use someone else who's braking for brakes as Peter Tucker did me: spinning to predictable advantage as sometimes recommended seems hard.

I think we'd all appreciate comments from Skippy pros who've doubtless lost brakes more than the rest of us.

[dalyduo]

Jim Pace suggests accelerating hard out of pit lane, making sure no one is on your tail, and then doing a brief near threshold brake test to put some heat in them and make sure they are working properly. He says, "If you race long enough, at some point, you'll find yourself without brakes." So much better to find out coming out of the pits rather than going into your first high speed corner.

This doesn't address the catastrophic failure being discussed here but it's very good preventative medicine.

[rf360m]

I think that braking in the pit lane is a great idea. I do that every time I leave the pits, just a couple of quite accelerate/brake moments. Obviously making sure no one is behind me. It helps warm the brakes, and give me a feel of them before flying into the first braking zone with cold brakes. It doesn't help brake failure, but I think is good practice nonetheless.

[Jim Pace]

Catastrophic brake failure and stuck throtle are both big deals when they eventually happen...race long enough and they will.

Sometimes the rear brake caliper issue gives a tiny warning with a longer pedal as the caliper begins to rdie up on the rotor forcing the pads to travel an abnormal path. If you think something may be different...it likely is. When it does happen, eyes up & pump the brakes. The scary part is the long pedal travel. The deceleration factor is not so big if you only loose one rear rotor. What gets most of us is the sudden change in pedal travel and the locked up fronts. Now three things are happening differently: longer pedal (to the floor), lest stopping power out of only three wheels, and early locked up fronts. Keep driving!!! Modulate the brakes, aim for the best run off, and downshift quickly. Personally I prefer to go off the road under control than spin trying not too.

As to the stuck throtle, shut the switch off!!! Keep driving! Dipping the clutch is OK but can be very expensive. Drive long enough and you'll bring it back to the pits using the master switch and a stuck throtle.

You will also remember when each of these event occurs for a LONG time.

Be safe.
JP

[Andrew]

When I experienced total brake failure going into Canada earlier this summer, it was TOTAL. Now I can't explain it because I know the cars have dual braking systems and the fronts are completely serarate from the rears; but I had a 'longer' pedal which did not go to the floor, and even though I managed a couple of quick pumps, I did not feel ANY clamping force and the front did not lock up at all. All this happenned mid race and everything felt normal going into turn eight. From there through the Carousel and the Kink he brakes aren't used all until turn twelve. So I have no idea of what failed. Keith said "a caliper broke up' and didn't elaborate as he was very busy co-ordinating pit lane and doing a fine job at it. (He managed to get me into a car for practice and the races even though I hadn't pre-registered. Thanks keith! And Kudos to the mechanics who also made that possilble.) I asked Joe for more info, but I think he got cars mixed up and told 'My son got on the throttle pedal while braking'.) He was up to his eyeballs in broken cars so I just let it go.
Could have been just classic brake fade, but I haven't heard of that happening in SBRS cars.
Any thoughts?

[cdh]

this is of course speculation:

If all braking was lost, given the dual circuit setup of the R/T system, there could have been a mechanical linkage disconnect between the pedal and the brake cylinder(s). I don't know what the mechanical setup is but it seems the only way to loose all braking is by a disconnect, total fluid loss from both circuits (which is possible but unlikely) or...........OK, time for the pros to step in

I had a throttle stick at VIR this year, that was the first and hopefully last such problem. Fortunately it occurred going into 3, but that was still fast enough to scare me but good. I disengaged the clutch and hit the kill switch, but a lot of ground is covered in the short time it takes to do that. It was all I could do to not hit the barrier outside of 3.

To add insult to injury, I ended up in a place where it was tough to see me, so there I sat for about 10 minutes waving my arms as my session ticked away. Oh well, it could have been much worse, right? Lost track time is a whole lot easier to take than signing a CD report.

JP, your idea of using the kill switch to limp home is a great idea I hope I never have to try!

.

[John Greist]

Originally Posted by Jim Pace

Catastrophic brake failure and stuck throtle are both big deals when they eventually happen...race long enough and they will.

Sometimes the rear brake caliper issue gives a tiny warning with a longer pedal as the caliper begins to rdie up on the rotor forcing the pads to travel an abnormal path. If you think something may be different...it likely is. When it does happen, eyes up & pump the brakes. The scary part is the long pedal travel. The deceleration factor is not so big if you only loose one rear rotor. What gets most of us is the sudden change in pedal travel and the locked up fronts. Now three things are happening differently: longer pedal (to the floor), lest stopping power out of only three wheels, and early locked up fronts. Keep driving!!! Modulate the brakes, aim for the best run off, and downshift quickly. Personally I prefer to go off the road under control than spin trying not too.

As to the stuck throtle, shut the switch off!!! Keep driving! Dipping the clutch is OK but can be very expensive. Drive long enough and you'll bring it back to the pits using the master switch and a stuck throtle.

You will also remember when each of these event occurs for a LONG time.

Be safe.
JP

Thanks Jim. helpful as always.

[Jim Doman]

Hey Alex, glad you're safe. Just to add to Jim and Alex's thoughts: First of all, Alex, I assume you were wearing a Han's device and am wondering if you noticed the effects.

Yes, he was wearing a Hans. He's never been in a car without one.

This accident is very sobering, probably a drivers second greatest fear, the first being fire. I'm sure Skippy is all over it to create a fix.

Skippy was all over it in a heartbeat with a bracket design that will prevent this from happening again. I feel better already.

[Jim Pace]

Continuing to improve the design is a big part of the developement at Skip Barber. Mechaincal equipment fails! Routine servicing is key.

Often in a rear caliper failure one of the mounting ears brakes off the caliper and the entire unit rotates away from the rotor. This allows the pads to travel farther since no rotor is between them and this takes fluid from the first couple of pedal strokes. Keep pumping! If the pistons travel so far as to blow out of the caliper the there is fluid loss to the rear system. Usually they press together and the fluid system is not compromised. All the while the front brakes which do most of the stopping are in total working order, but there is certainly panic in the moment. The extra pedal travel is very disconcerting along with the not stopping so good. It is very difficult to control this situation but keep driving! Eyes up! Pump the brake pedal as the fronts are still working, downshift alot and steer for the best approach into the corner.

A similar situation occurs if the brake pads are improperly installed but there is a little warning as the pedal travel and braking feel changes a corner or two before failure.

Doug we all have or will drive a stuck throtle home on the switch. For me...First time Sebring 12hr GTU '90 after 11 hrs the cable broke and I stopped at the tower turn and jammed a stick into the throtle body. About 7000rpm when I started it up but I took the checker using the switch. Next time GTU at Portland '94 into the festival curve, butterfly broke off and lodged into the throtle WFO. 1995 WSC prototype 190+ mph at the bridge at Road Atlanta, came into the pits on the switch and asked the crew to fix the throtle linkage ( they still talk about that one). More than once in a skippy car usually rocks in the foot well. Anyway shut the switch offffff!!!

[cdh]

Originally Posted by Jim Pace

...Mechaincal equipment fails! Routine servicing is key.

Amen JP.

Part of my co. was a large HVAC service organization, so I know first hand this is true of any mechanical system. The more critical the component the more important proper, TIMELY maintenance is. Be it a race car, helicopter, boat or a heating/cooling system, all are more efficient, more reliable and safer to operate with scheduled preventive maintenance.

What is the service cycle for an R/T at Skip Barber? I seem to recall hearing every car was scrutinized/rebuilt once a year, is this still being done? If this type of scheduled maintenance was cut back due to budget constraints, is that still the case? Was it ever the case? ....anyone?

Maybe a good side to all our crashing is the cars are being looked at and maintained more frequently

.

[Racing Yoda]

Andrew,
You demonstrate the approach and thinking that makes a really good race driver. I.E. paying attention to possibilities, visualizing dealing with them, and sharing that information. You did exactly the right thing at RA because you had dealt with the situation through visualization in advance.
SBRS should include "disaster visualization" in our advanced training. It could save injuries and worse.

[dalyduo]

I'll second that... Great suggestion.

Originally Posted by Racing Yoda

Andrew,
You demonstrate the approach and thinking that makes a really good race driver. I.E. paying attention to possibilities, visualizing dealing with them, and sharing that information. You did exactly the right thing at RA because you had dealt with the situation through visualization in advance.
SBRS should include "disaster visualization" in our advanced training. It could save injuries and worse.

[jeffrey Pietz]

I remember a nuero/trauma surgeon recommending in the event of an impending civilian car crash putting your hands to your face to protect face and skull contents. Good advice for someone without a helmet but perhaps unwise with a helmet on.

[JonMiller]

Let me give an HUGE, GIGANTIC, ENTHUSIASTIC 2nd to this idea.

A classroom session of going through worst-case, disaster situations would be hugely benifitial. They should be customized for each track, to point out possible trouble spots and escape options. A quick brief during the drivers meeting at a race weekend could accomplish the same thing for the seasoned racers (to serve as a reminder and to point out the trouble spots and escape options at a track that the driver has never been to before).

Originally Posted by Racing Yoda

Andrew,
You demonstrate the approach and thinking that makes a really good race driver. I.E. paying attention to possibilities, visualizing dealing with them, and sharing that information. You did exactly the right thing at RA because you had dealt with the situation through visualization in advance.
SBRS should include "disaster visualization" in our advanced training. It could save injuries and worse.

[jeffrey Pietz]

Originally Posted by Alex Doman

Upon further review of the video it turns out that I was able to lock both front tires before I went off the track. However, it was not nearly enough to get me slowed down. I'm guessing that between the front lock up (which was only for 5-10 feet) and hitting the gravel trap, I was able to slow down 20-25 mph before hitting the wall resulting at a 80-85 mph impact. I really had no time to down shift, kill the motor, or modulate the lock up to get the thing turned. I don't think that I even attempted to get the car turned because I have always heard that it's better to go in head on. I did, however, have time for a image to flash into my mind that I saw on TV of Marco Andretti letting go of the wheel at the Glen when his suspension broke before he hit the wall. I did the same but did not hug mself as Don suggested. Looking back on the whole expierience I think I would have liked to try something else because that was the hardest, most violent hit I have ever felt. Just out of curiouslity, how hard of a hit in G's would some of you guys estimate my hit at? My guess is 20-30 G's. One thing that I definatly should have tried had I had more time to react was pumping the brakes. In this situation, I'm guessing it wouldn't have worked but I've always heard that you should give it a shot anyways. Thanks to everyone for the input as brake failures can never be fun.

--A very sore Alex Doman

Alex: As I read all this my state of puzzlement decreases. As you were being taken away Duck pointed out to me that you had clear skid marks on the pavement . I now understand how you could lose most breaking and still lay down rubber.

Another comment I heard was that there was hi over rev when you hit the wall. I was right there and I did not notice either way. My question is could you have been on the gas as your brake peddle went deeper than you were expecting since you were probably getting ready to heel toe/ down shift as you began to brake? I really have no idea and am curious as to your thoughts after reflection on the incident.

[Alex Doman]

The high revving after I hit the wall was not from my foot being on the pedals but because the rear tires were still in the gravel trap and the car was high-centered letting the rear tires spin freely. I managed to get the motor shut off just 3-4 seconds after the impact.
As far as the braking before the impact goes, I did still have front brakes. I got both front tires to lock up. I was surprised by how much braking I lost with only the rear brake system going out. Even though I was able to lock up the fronts, it felt like I hardly slowed down at all before the impact.
I finally got the video up. Let me warn everyone in advance this video includes the complete extraction process when I was in excruciating pain. I use some incredibly vulgar language. If you don't want to hear me screaming in pain and cursing like there's no tomorrow then I would recommend turning your volume down. Also, the video starts with a full lap around the track before the crash. Here it is!!

http://www.vidilife.com/index.cfm?f=...F4-4DCA-8217-8

And by the way, the black spot on the video is a bug that hit the camera earlier in the race...Sorry!!

[Vin]

Hey Alex, great to hear you are ok. I saw the Vid, and it looked VERY scary!

Depending on the type of Brake Failure, there are a few ways to deal with it. I'll point out what I've learned through the years of failed brakes.

First of all, I always tap the brakes a few times in the pit lane. If you can LFB, just tap the brake while still on the throttle. This is VERY important when you come in for a few mins during a session. The brakes don't cool when you sit in the pits, so first couple of taps, there may be quite a bit of travel.

Brake Fade - Very rare on single seaters, but sort of common on touring cars. If it happens in a single seater, it's usually from water or air in the brake lines, just need to bleed the brakes. On the track, you'll need to pump the brakes before you get to your braking point. Anytime your brakes do not feel good, give it a couple taps before your braking point.

Brake Pads moving away from Disc - This sometimes happens to cars that do not have a spring in the Brake Caliper to keep the pads touching the disc at all times (not sure if the R/T 2000 has this). This can happen after driving on a rumble strip. If you use a rumble strip, to be safe, tap the brake before your next braking point. This is not too dangerous (and sort of your fault for using the rumble strip) other than giving the brake pedal more travel than normal if you do not tap it.

Seals going bad in the Master Cylinder - Not too common, but I've had it happen a few times in old cars. When this problem occurs, the brakes feel normal when cold, but will feel like a LOT of fade when hot. Some times, barely working when hot. The cure is to rebuild or change the Master Cylinder. On the track, lots of pumping! It normally gets worse gradually, but can happen suddenly too so be careful.

Total Mechanical Failure - This is like what happen to Alex. Of course, he still had Front Brakes, but the rears are usually set up to 40%, so if you are braking at your normal point, you are in trouble. Best thing, and only thing to do, is yell out your favorite swear words, if you have time!! Doesn't help, but makes you feel a little bit better! Of course, if you noticed your brakes were "strange" the corner before, start pumping before your next braking point.

Of course, anytime your brakes aren't working, downshifting helps to slow the car down, if you have time! Not sure how much cutting the motor would help (unless the throttle was stuck) since when the motor is at high RPM (5000 and over) engine braking is about the same with the switch off or on.

If you know you are going off, a VERY important thing to do is look where you want to go, and NOT at what you want to avoid. If you look at what you want to avoid, chances are, you'll hit it.

As for letting go of the steering wheel, I've heard it's better, but I just can't get myself to do it. I've hit head on a couple times, and just bent the steering wheel, no injuries.

Have a happy. .
Vinay

[PT Cruiser]

When I experienced my brake failure into Canada last July, my experience was the same as Andrew's . . . despite what everyone says about separate hydraulic systems for the front and rear brakes, when the bolt holding the caliper assembly broke, allowing the capiler assembly to pop off of the brake rotor, the pedal went straight to the floor, and I had no sense that I was getting any braking at all from the front OR the rear. Todd Snyder told me later that if I had pumped the pedal a few times, I would have gotten some pressure back in the front, but quite frankly, everything happened so quickly I'm not sure there would have been sufficient time to pump the system back up to pressure before I ran out of road. My best recollection is that I took my foot off of the brake pedal after it collapsed, but that it was so soft it never really came up off of the floor enough so that I could get a good pump before I was into the car in fornt of me, and then the tire wall.

Being the fourth car in a four car train as we entered the brake zone for Canada, I do remember trying to hit the car in front of me (John Greist) as square on the transmission as I could, rather than swerving off to the left or right, as I didn't think I was going to be able to clear him completely, and the prospect of making wheel-to-wheel contact and going upside down at 100+ MPH had no appeal whatsoever. As it was, the contact was so hard that I ended up spinning John around, and it was only due to luck that I didn't ride over one of his wheels as he came around. And despite this hit, I still had so much speed I was off the track, across the gravel trap, and into the tire wall before I could even think about what to do next (I think I did try to bend the car into the corner a bit, but found that the car did not want to turn . . . so perhaps I did get a bit of air after I hit John, which would have left me with no front traction).

If I do, heaven forbid, have this experience again, and had a clear track in front of me, I would simultaneously try to downshift and pump the brake pedal as fast as I could --assuming the pedal wasn't lying limp on the floor, and would continue this process until I ran out of road. Assuming I still had enough weight on the front to steer the car, I would also try to aim the car for the softest possible impact point before leaving the asphalt. If there was a car immediately in front of me, I would again try to hit it square on in the rear, in hopes that it would help slow me down, without launching me airborne.

I will guarantee you one thing, however, and I'm sure Alex will back me up on this -- when you are going 120+ MPH when the brakes fail going into a 40 MPH corner, you will be shocked at how little time you have before you are off the road and into the barriers. It is a VERY sobering experience.

[stevo]

Good thread.

My experience:

Throttle stuck: give it a good kick. This way you can finish the race. Obviously you must let off the throttle much before that you would normally (i.e. at the 300 marker instead of the 100). Once you make sure the throttle is released, then you can brake much later than you would normally to compensate a bit for carrying less speed. You won't be as fast as you would with everything normal, but it is an option to stay competitive.

If the throttle does not get back with a kick, then definetly engage the clutch and hit the kill switch. This problem often occurs because the spring that pushed the throttle back up is messed up.

The throttle, unlike the brake, does not need a lot of preassure to be pushing 100%. The hard and unnecessary push on the throttle will increase the chance of getting it stuck.

Brakes:
In GT cars, it is good to get into the habit of pumping the brakes with your left foot to make sure there are ready for your next braking point. If you fail to do this and the brakes are extremely long..... do not panic and press the brake harder. It will not help. Release and brake again.... PUMP.

[Mopar92]

I have lost my brakes a couple of times. The first time I was in a Kart when I was 8 and a cotter pin fell out of the brake rod for the pedal. I tried to continue part of the corner and hit a hay bale instead of a field. I learned right there always to have a way out or a better path. I should have given up sooner. The second I was in a Corvette years ago and lost everything from a rotor shattering. It had a crack and finally it snagged the pad and ripped off the caliper. I quickly realize it was head on into a wall, or the Porsche in front of me and off to the right. I did not want to involve another car but it was "my life" or "we crashed two cars". I nearly missed the guy and did not do too much damage to his. I ended up making the wall anyway, but the angle was far less. I DONT like to play Monday morning quarterback, but maybe getting off the brakes and hitting at a lesser angle Alex would have helped. BUT!!!!!!! That was then, and we all may have very well made the same crash too. You just can't say after the fact. You were flying(setting track records...) and it happened so very quickly. You can't drive a race car on edge and think every corner about escape routes. It should however come instinctively and dont be afraid to throw a car off or glance a car off of something to avoid a harder hit. Not much you could have done in this situation. I can't and won't talk about anything mechanical on the SBRS cars, but that is my thoughts on the brake failure... always plan a way out and don't be afraid to throw it off in a better place as Jim Pace suggested. Out laps (especially street races) are a good time to look for escape routes.Generally if the brain preplans a way out, it resorts almost on instinct when the times needed God forbid it ever happens. I am just glad you are ok... I was pretty shook up and worried... Keith

[Alex Doman]

Hey guys,
I'm just posting this on all the popular threads about crashing, brake failure, and my Mid-O hit. It's great information that hopefully can save you a trip to the hospital on a backboard like mine...

Ok. I've been doing some research on an equation that could tell me about how many g's my Mid-Ohio brake failure hit was. I managed to stumble across this (Blue box on the right "A lesson in Physics for concrete wall crashes)...

http://autoracingone.net/MarkC/2001/0221Safety.htm

The most important thing that I pulled out of this article right away, and I'm sure you did also if you read it, is that if you strike the wall at an angle, rather than head on, the impact can be up to 30% less. If I'm not mistaken, it would also be 30% less of an impact than going in directly sideways or directly backwards also. I'm guessing most of you guys already know that it's better to go in at an angle but I didn't. If anyone has a different take on this let me know!! I'm still trying to figure out what I should do next time I have a brake failure.

[Tony Natale]

Alex:

I read the article you referenced and, if I'm reading it right, the reduction in force is even greater than the 30% you mention; closer to 75%!

"If we assume an average impact angle of 30 degrees or less, the actual energy of the car hitting the wall is 25% of what it would be head-on (sin 300 squared = 0.25). Therefore, shallow angle impacts tend to be less severe than more direct hits."

It's amazing that with all the technology and safety devices out there angling the car slightly is one thing we can do to greatly reduce the force of impact (if we can process this stuff with all the commotion going on in those pre-crash moments!).

Alex, thanks for the article reference. BTW, did you get the email I sent to you?

Tony