Hi Dan W. and list:
It was a good question asked about what to do in a high speed emergency. Of
course,
each case will be different but one technique pounded into my head from all the
years of road racing and has worked in almost every minor and major speed
emergency
I have been involved with was to simply DO NOTHING IN A HURRY! The last thing
you
wish to do is something based on reaction or emotion. Even at 200+ mph, there is
plenty of time to assess the degree of trouble you are in. You may be surprised
how
fast your brain works when called upon to do so. In my case, the only hint of
something going wrong was a slight wiggle of the right front wheel. The brain
immediately said that this was not good because there is no suspension at the
front
and this type of movement is abnormal. About that time, the wheel and axle
parted
company with the car. If it weren't for the tie rod, the wheel would have come
off
completely (still not sure this was a good or bad thing). Had I reacted and
pulled
the chute, I may have created a problem I didn't need at the time. It just took
a
brief moment to know that the car was tracking straight without major steering
input. Things where working well enough to complete the run on three wheels. I
should have probably gone for the motorcycle record. Anyway, this is just my
take
on what a driver should do when faced with a high speed emergency.
John Goodman
<<<Date: Mon, 19 Mar 2001 07:46:22 -0800
From: "Dan Warner" <dwarner@electrorent.com>
Subject: Re: Emergency's
Dave talked about John Goodman loosing a Wheel down in Australia and it got
me to thinking about how I would handle that situation... and what the car
would feel like if a tire went down.... simple problems at hwy speeds but
another issue entirely above Two Bills....
Kinda like what do you do in the event of a SPIN? curiosity what are the
thoughts out there on Clutching the car and putting it in Neutral?
Parachutes? I know we have covered this.... but again a little refresher
never hurts....
No spins with the Alpha but lost a rear tire at 235 a couple of years ago.
The driver, Rich Manchen, dumped it in neutral, dropped a parachute, STAYED
OFF THE BRAKES, and coasted to a straight stop in the emergency area between
the courses.
Dan (don't know if I could have done it, but now know the procedure) Warner>>>
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