Road America, July 4th, and 1776 - Team Juicy Racing's Racing School and Race Series Forums

Susan Addison · #1 07-05-2005

We worked until 7:00 pm, raced home, finished packing the 31 foot RV and headed for Wisconsin. I had not been in the car since Daytona, and my feet were itching to go.

When I called to register, I was told the only group open was the Masters National
Championship Group. Ok, I did three races in the rain at Road America two years ago, I can do that.

We drove 327 miles the first night and crashed after a very full three days of work, and night of driving. We were trying to get on track for Friday. Thursday we had 500+ miles to go. In an 8 ton vehicle at 9 miles to the gallon you do not travel as fast as in my M3. Exhaustion caught up with us at the Wisconsin border, so we stopped, thinking we could still get in early enough Friday to get on track. We arrived at noon. I missed my practice session and the next time out was qualifying. Ok, so I will be at the back, it is seat time.

Off we go. The tail end is stepping out on me with a tendency to oversteer. I will adjust.
Wow, this track does not look familiar at all. I know the turns, but I have only driven the rain line. It is totally different in the dry. Even with the oversteer and learning the track, I managed to pull out a 2:52. Could be worse for a 4.0 mile track. I decided to ask if there was another car, as I am not prone to cars that oversteer. I got a chance to run a practice in Group 5, with a new car. Greg tells me it is a little fast and not to get used to it they are going to change it. That car was the best balanced car I have ever driven with Skip. I had more fun, and knew instantly what the 888 miles of struggle to get there was all about. The sun was shinning, the weather was cool, the car was set up just right for me. Even through extra traffic, I pulled out a 2:50. Moving in the right direction, for the second time on this track. We had already qualified for race one, and Saturday was qualifying for race two, and the race. No extra practice.

Friday night was great bar-b-que, fellowship, and fireworks. A must do for all Skippy drivers. It dawned on me, it was the Fourth of July, and we were making a 1776 mile round trip to race. What better thing could you do to celebrate 1776? No time to analyze or strategize for the next day. Group two was early. Let?s see what we can do. Off we went, I am still overslowing the entry to several corners. I work all fourteen corners individually. I get better through all but 1 and 5. We only have five laps through each corner, not much time to adjust. Bob Ziegle told me I was still not getting Turn 5. He asked me if I knew why, and I told him. He said ?Why did you not fix it??, but he did not tell me how. Finally talking to Gerardo, he explained how to fix it. That session I did a 2:46:2. Maybe I did not get Turn 5, but I found four seconds. I knew there was more.

Race 1, was a free for all at Turn 1, but we all got through. One lap down, no major snafus. Race was uneventful for me until, I decided to try entering Turn 8 a little hotter and spun driver?s right. Got restarted, watched for cars crossed the track and entered safely. I got down to Canada Corner and someone was in the gravel. A lap later he was out of the gravel and desperately chasing me into Turn 14 on the last lap. He was driving like a crazy man. Do I challenge him or let him put himself off? He cut across me and I had to hit the brakes to avoid a collision. Later he told me he was so upset about being in the gravel, he just had to pass someone, even though he was still a lap down.

Race 2, Sunday morning, started with cool, sunny weather. I knew the race could not be won in Turn 1, but it could be lost. Sure enough, four wide into the right hand Turn1. Amazing, we were all through safely. Ok, watch out for Turn 3. A little shuffling, but we were alright. Cresting the hill down the straight to Turn 5, I see someone go airborn, then barrel roll three times. Wow, what a sight. We all had to get whoaed down fast. Two cars are off, another is limping, but no more hits. I am shaking my head in disbelief, wondering if the guy is alright. Ray comes on the radio and tells me he is out and waving to the crowd. Whew, what a relief. I have only seen two guys barrel roll in my three years of running Skippy. It is a driver?s worst nightmare. How did it happen?
Cannot think about that now, I need to get on. Black flag showing at all stations. Back to pit lane for the restart. Michael (MJ) was behind me on the first start, the guy next to me went right and Michael pulled up along side of me. That is probably what will happen again. What do I do differently? It probably will not matter. It did not, I still enter Turn 1 on the outside, but we get single file down to Turn 3. Everyone is safely through Turn 5, off we go. Start Finish shows 7 Laps to go. Good, now I can get a run in. I am faster through the Carousel, flat at the apex of the Kink, yippee!! Now, just get Turn 12, Canada corner, and I should have a good lap time. Woops, frantically waving yellows at 12. Three cars in the gravel, all seem ok. There goes that lap. Full course yellow for three laps to clean up the mess. I later learned someone?s brakes failed and he took two cars off with him as he did not stop until he hit the tire wall. Four laps to go and we are under way again. Those delays really mess with your rhythm on the track, as well as concentration and focus. Back to work, where am I? It looks like am 12th. So today the old adage, the race is not necessarily to the swift, may work in my favor. Steady on, be consistent, hit your marks, pick up more speed. Let?s see what we can do. Lap 7, rhythm returning, this one can be good. Whoops, a madly waving yellow in Canada corner. I can see someone in the gravel, maybe there is someone in the road. He is waving that thing so frantically. Slow down, no one in the road, hit it. There is the white flag, as I check my mirrors, he is out of the gravel and coming, a small speck, but angry as a hornet. He may catch me somewhere. At Turn 8, I check the mirrors, here comes the hornet, he is trying to fly inside me into the corner. Ok, I will get him on the repass. Oh no, if I do not brake I will hit him. Just kills my run out of the corner. I stay with him through the Carousel, through the Kink he gains a little, but I am not close enough to take him at Canada. Maybe Turn 14, no, he takes a defensive line. There is the checker, 12 is not bad. It is worth 4 points. The mad hornet later tells me he knew it was a high risk to take, but he went for it. Good thing it was me and not someone else he pulled it on, or they would both have been out. My time is coming.

Susan

dalyduo · #2 07-05-2005

Always the enthusiastic voice of reason among all that raging testosterone we guys are so burdoned with. Nice reporting Susan and thanks for taking the time to share.

Since recently witnessing a last lap hair raising barrel roll over the outside guard rail at the finish of a Formula Ford race at LRP, I've changed my opinion of the airborne maneuver. While rolling is surely one of the most visually dramatic auto mishaps you can have or witness, I'm convinced that, while terribly destructive to the car, in most cases it reduces speed without lethal impacts or decelerations and the driver usually walks or crawls away. (Though with open cockpit cars you really want to be wearing arm restraints).

I'm sure the experience is unsettling and if you finish upside down, scary, but I'd take that over concussions with broken body parts any day. Glad to hear everyone lived to fight another day and you made steady improvement. :-)

sydude · #3 07-05-2005

Susan, great write-up. It's always great to see true passion come through. I really hope to see you at Tremblant.

DD- 'Raging Testosterone'? Where?! I've never seen anything like that in our series

Also, DD, just reading about your 'car roll' hypothesis makes me involuntarily scrunch down in anticipated pain, the same feeling I get when someone talks about getting kicked in the nuts.

PT Cruiser · #4 07-05-2005

I can confirm the brake failure part of Susan's story, since I was the driver of the affected vehicle. Was running in 4th place at the time, right behind the lead three into Canada corner. Went to the brakes a bit early to ensure I didn't get caught out by the stack-up effect, got just a bit of pressure, and then the pedal went straight to the floor

. I've heard people talk about how in these sorts of situations you should be pumping the pedal, throwing the car into a lower gear to spin it, etc., but all I can say is, when you are going 125 MPH and have no brakes, things happen very, very fast. In the blink of an eye, I nailed the car immediately in front of me (John Greist), hard enough to destroy his gearbox and bend his engine mounts, and yet despite this hit, I still hit the gravel going so fast that I skimmed right over it and went hard into the tire wall. Thankfully, the tire wall was about six layers deep

, and did a pretty nice job of absorbing the impact. I'm also quite thankful that I managed to hit John's car square, and didn't ride up over the back of him after the initial hit. I don't care what DD says, I'm very happy to have stayed upright at the speed I was going. . . . if I'd have gone over, roll bar submersion would have been a serious concern, and they'd probably still be trying to dig me out of the p-gravel two days later.

Post race inspection showed that the bolt holding the brake calipers on the left rear wheel had sheared off, allowing the calipers to move away from the disc. The calipers then collapsed inwards, which depressurized the rest of the brake system. Todd Snyder noted that it might have been possible, in theory, to build the pressure back up by rapid pumping of the brake pedal, but given how quickly everything happened, and the fact that the pedal wasn't exactly jumping back up off of the floor, I don't think that would have helped much.

Although this was not one of my more pleasant racing experiences, I hasten to note that this is my first MDNF of any sort since 2002, and the first time in my entire 15 years of racing with SBRS that I experienced a mechanical failure that led to an accident.

Hopefully, it will be another 15 years (at least) before I get to relive this particular experience.

One final comment -- This is the second time my HANs saved my neck.

If you aren't using one yet, what are you waiting for?

dalyduo · #5 07-06-2005

PT,
Thanks for the detail on an experience we all hope to never have. Sorry you drew the short straw, but as you say, the blessing is that it was a square hit and all came through OK. And yes, another strong HANS testimonial.

My earlier comments regarding rollovers were not meant as an encouragement for them, just the powerful realization after watching a spectacular one that they can very effectively direct crash forces away from a driver. They are also dangerous, frightening, uncontrollable and you are flat out along for the ride of your life without a clue as to how it will end when one occurs. I hope to never have the experience, but if I do in an RT2000, it will be while wearing a HANS device and arm restraints.

OLDMAN · #6 07-06-2005

I've been bugging LRP for years to put a tire wall (similar in design to the ones in the downhill) at the end of the main straight just in case someone should have the brakes go away. The way it is right now it's just a matter of time until someone disappears into the woods.

The wall to the right of the escape road is far to thin (2 layers of loose tires) to safely stop a car going at speed.

OLDMAN

dalyduo · #7 07-06-2005

Bob,
Someone did disappear into the woods last May.
At the start of his second race at LRP Cole Nelson knocked a front wheel free going into big bend on the opening lap. His brake line severed when the wheel departed but he was able to steer the remaining wheel to miss the Jersey barrier with tires in front that you refer to. Lacking brakes Cole had the presence of mind to downshift quickly through the gears before auguring into the marshy area at the end of the escape road, thankfully unharmed. (See pics)

I completely agree that a cabled rack of tires with a covering membrane pulled 15 or 20 feet away from the Jersey barrier would be a much smarter safer solution at that location.

PS Technically the wheel did not completely depart but I saw the hit and the breakage was so quick and violent, there was no doubt about the brake line separation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OLDMAN

I've been bugging LRP for years to put a tire wall (similar in design to the ones in the downhill) at the end of the main straight just in case someone should have the brakes go away. The way it is right now it's just a matter of time until someone disappears into the woods.

The wall to the right of the escape road is far to thin (2 layers of loose tires) to safely stop a car going at speed.

OLDMAN

Susan Addison · #8 07-06-2005

Peter,

I am really glad you are ok. I did not get to check on you after the race. That was some sight
coming into Canada corner. How did John Mayes end up in that fiasco?

Susan

BTW: I am a big fan of my Hans and my arm restraints.!!

Susan Addison · #9 07-06-2005

These photos, plus DD's roll over story do not encourage me to come to LRP.

Susan

dalyduo · #10 07-06-2005

Susan,

Both incidents were highly, and I repeat, HIGHLY unusual events from which both drivers walked away unhurt.

As you can see. the great beyond of the escape road is nicely padded with marshy grass. Natures own impact attenuator. Just what you'd like to see if you use up all of the escape road.

And you can't hang the Formula Ford rollover on Lime Rock. That was a mid-pack, red misted, last lap scramble to the finish line that would have happened at any open wheeled race in the country. All the cars were running dead straight ahead and one guy misjudged his closing speed on another and clipped the right rear with his left front.

Don't take Lime Rock off your schedule because OLDMAN and I are kvetching. (That's a technical term) It's a great track.

OLDMAN · #11 07-06-2005

Ditto!

LRP is a fine track, just not perfect. I have a whole list of improvments for other tracks as well (Watkins Glen comes to mind). The walls at West Bend and the Downhill should be copied by other tracks, they prevent a lot of damage and injuries.

The rollover at LRP had nothing to do with the track. It had everything to do with the drivers (I saw it). It could have happened anywhere.

Pat, any chance you'll be racing there next week?

OLDMAN

dalyduo · #12 07-06-2005

There's still a chance...

PT Cruiser · #13 07-06-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Susan Addison

That was some sight
coming into Canada corner. How did John Mayes end up in that fiasco?

Susan -- I wasn't aware that John Mayes was involved at all. When I spoke to him after the race, he told me that he had managed to take himself out at Canada corner at some point later in the race (the lap chart indicated that he made it to lap six, whereas my off occured on lap 2). I suppose it is possible that when I hit John Greist, the impact pushed him into John Mayes, but if this occurred, Mayes was able to get under way again pretty quickly as only John Greist's car was still on the scene by the time I verified that I was still in one piece, and extracted myself from the car.

Or perhaps one of the other Masters got too busy rubernecking, and had a short off course excursion as a result . . . .

Susan Addison · #14 07-06-2005

Thanks for the clarification. Probably did it rubbernecking. Really glad you are alright. I had fun racing with you guys.

Maybe I will be back

Susan