AutoX crash in the BRZ

[Black Tire]

I would really like to see this video. I know it is probably a painful reminder for the driver, but it would really be educational for the rest of us. Nobody's perfect, and such a thing could happen to any of us.

Last summer, I had turned off my TC and VSC on a short track in my FR-S. I couldn't figure out why the rear end would start coming around, and then just stop at a VERY specific slip angle. I pushed and pushed until finally, an uncontrollable spin. Luckily there was a bunch of run off area on the track. Perhaps this had something to do with what happened during jsooke's auto-x crash.

It turns out that even with TC and VSC off, there is still some computer braking that prevents certain maneuvers. (Due to "brake force distribution?" but it still brakes where and when you don't want it to). The sad thing is, it feels great (hero-like) right up until it isn't, and then it lets go suddenly. I have found that the car is much more controllable at (and over) the limit (winter on-track testing on snow - at S L O W speeds due to lack of traction) after doing the pedal dance, but you need to do all the control yourself after applying this procedure.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25494

[RAWR BRZ]

I am sorry for your lost but I would really like to see the video.. :'(

[Porsche]

Originally Posted by Sportsguy83

Free the video!!!

Nah. I approve of Jay "hiding" it. He's a standup guy looking out for his friends in his club, a group he appears to have been racing with for a good many years. I could see someone forwarding this to The Authorities, and you know what they're likely to do.

Jay's right, and I encourage you, Jay, to "burn" that video.

There's been enough suffering by Jay, and let's hope they take measures to see that there will NEVER be any injuries.

I'll tell you guys whatever you need to know, inasmuch as my sieve-of-a-memory can manage. It's actually quite dull.

The OP, the driver, Jay, did NOTHING wrong. He simply barreled (if you’ll pardon the expression, Jay ) into a slalom sequence (left-right-left-right-etc.) with a bit too much optimism. It was a tricky sequence the way it had your car sliding around the slow hairpin left, then immediately transitioning into a sharpish right while accelerating hard, which put the car into a nice tail-out slide to the right (straight at an embankment), and then one had to turn sharply to the left around the slalom. The car never finished turning right before he ran out of road and up the earthen embankment with lots of left-hand lock dialed into the steering. It was NOT understeering as a number of others here, including Jay, have noted.

If the track had been safe, with sufficient run-off room, he’d likely just have missed the next succeeding slalom cone and DQ’d. Jay did NOTHING “wrong,” so there’s nothing unusual to learn from his driving.

Jay’s driving was NOT the proximate cause of his unfortunate roll-over. Drivers do this sort of thing all the time without consequence on safe courses with adequate run-off area.

The problem, and the reason for the roll-over, was because only a few yards to the right of this slalom there was a tall and very steep earthen embankment. The embankment WAS the run-off area, so the OP’s car helplessly slid up the embankment and slowly toppled over onto his head, fortunately without injury, it appears.

The problem, a serious one, lay with the course design which placed dangerous hazards within the range of a sliding car. That embankment did not appear to be the only hazard on that course. Looking at that place, I’m not sure it is even possible to design a safe autocross course on those grounds.

The place looks more suited to one of those British gymkhana events where the cars don’t exceed maybe 20 mph and are forever screeching to a dead stop, reversing wildly backwards into boxes, and zooming out again. Here is a very impressive video of a guy running a Lotus 7 around one of these courses in Great Britain. It sounds boring, but it’s spectacular.

You'll like this video much better than Jay's unfortunate adventure up an earth bank.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHgjFPhhzY8"]7 Gymkhana - YouTube[/ame]



Jay and his club may wish to investigate that form of competition given the dearth of suitable local venues for the much faster form of autocrossing. Note that the time of 66 seconds is comparable to our faster autocross times.

Jay, I hope you approve of my recollection of events, and, again, I'm glad you walked away from that.

[MTCRX]

Sorry man, that type of thing is what we all have in the back of our minds and never actually admit could happen. Places to race are harder and harder to find, and the threat of lawsuits scare many site owners into not allowing access. I can see that this situation was bad, and the desire to race is strong, but in the end I feel each of us makes the decision to race a course or not. I am sure I would/have opted on the side of racing and overlook potential problem areas. With this incident I hope the club gets together and figures out a way to identify these issues and works to prevent this type of thing in the future. In our club (local SCCA) we have a course designer, they usually ask someone experienced to review it, then have the safety steward and perhaps others to take quick, but controlled drive through the course to look for potential problem areas, making sure the potential slide out areas are unobstructed. If ANYONE at the site has a concern about something, they are encouraged to bring to the attention of the event officials. At times we have added obstacles to slow down cars or moved corners to avoid problems. In this case maybe that area can still be used but in a less difficult setting, no sharp maneuvers, slower speed section, straight interval, etc. Good luck with everything and hopefully your car will be as good as new. From your pictures it looks like the repairman is doing an excellent job. Glad to see the car protected you too. I have a CRX that would not have held up if that happened, roof would have collapsed I am sure.

[SnapOv3st3r]

Can't see vid anymore...

[Coheed]

I did the same thing recently in a heated game of Battlefield 3. :P

[Ponwh]

The video is private D:, but I hope you and your car is doing well