----- Original Message -----
From: <VicMichael@aol.com>
To: <lundgrenj@groupbuycenter.com>
Cc: <rmsolo@rmsolo.org>
Sent: Monday, August 19, 2002 9:02 AM
Subject: Re: [RMsolo] Is this the autocross held in Hasting???
> It was a bunch of things, and I really hate to pass any judgement on
anyone.
> I really don't think you can point the finger at anyone. In fact, I
think
> alot was done to try and prevent this from happening, but it happened.
>
> It turned out to be a popular section of the course, since it was at the
> fastest section of the course, about a two block straight section. The
> police had even set up a one of those radar units that displays your
speed,
> which turned out to be a crowd pleaser. The fastest cars we getting 60
MPH.
> I even give Ken Ennis credit that he was concerned enough about this
> section that he brought 3 extra workers over to our corner just for crowd
> control. But, the botton line is, it's kinda like rally racing where you
> see spectators get hurt a bunch, I think its hard to police and keep
> spectators safe accross a one mile section of city streets.
>
> Yes, maybe the crowd should have been further back on the sidewalk, but
> frankly I don't think it would have made any differance. It happened at
a
> Mini Mart on the corner where there were entry and exit ramps, so the car
> just went into the parking area without resistance. Since city streets
tend
> to cause off camber problems, as in this case, once he was in trouble,
this
> off camber just added to the loss of control.
>
> The car was a newer Firebird Formula, 350 V8, fast car, I know, I use to
> drive a Camaro like it. He was running street tires, basically a stock
car.
> Good experience driver from Casper, drove the car well. In fact had
> worked the same corner earlier in the day.
>
> It was cooler Sunday, and had drizzled some, in fact they had shut the
event
> down for awhile since in was getting slick. But, then it stopped, so they
> continued.
>
> Just a freak thing, as with most accidents. In this case, more people
then
> expected, a fast car on street tires, off camber, probably overdriving a
> little, didn't give up on it soon enough, but as you know, in the
competitive
> nature of this sport, and the way things happen in milli-seconds, easy to
> understand. Maybe to fast of a section for a street race, but a 30 MPH
> autocross, probably wouldn't be much fun. In fact, most cars were doing
30
> MPH in this section, since there were some offset gates to get through.
The
> savy drivers figured out that you could drift your way through this
section
> without lifting however.
>
> I will admit, as much as I have enjoyed these street races, it certainly
has
> taken my desire to participate in any future events of this nature. Like
I
> said earlier, probably not anyone fault this accident happened, it's
probably
> more just not a good idea to conduct these type of street Autocrosses.
>
> I just pray that no one was hurt to badly.
>
> Vic Michael
> DS
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