Why track design is so critical

[hmeeder]

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3197431&page=1

An expensive mishap at an AX in Oregon.

Whoever put this track together did a really lousy job of separating the spectators from the track.

Little run off at the end of the lights and it looks like the only runoff was directed straight at the spectator parking.

It doesn't say so, but I hope that no one was hurt.

When I see this kind of stuff, I'm always happy that we as a club strive so hard to create safe driving and viewing environments.

Obviously, these people had become complacent and it cost them.

[Bob Gagnon]

In the 60's I saw this happen during an autocross at a shopping center parking lot about where the Mission Valley Nordstrom Rack store is today. Some people were hurt in that crash though.

After that, it was impossible to get shopping centers to allow use of their lots for autocross, a situation that still exists today

[Tawfik]

Wow.
Believe it or not, I saw that GT3 run at the SCCA nationals here in San Diego a few weeks ago, I believe they came from Seattle. I am not sure if it is the same driver that crashed it but the driver I saw here was really fast.

[Greg Phillips]

Wow.
Believe it or not, I saw that GT3 run at the SCCA nationals here in San Diego a few weeks ago, I believe they came from Seattle. I am not sure if it is the same driver that crashed it but the driver I saw here was really fast.

The thread mentions that the GT3 owner allowed a Corvette driver to take a last fun run in the car and apparently had problems with the pedals and did not get the brake and hit the clutch (or gas?)
It is tough to tell how far away the pits were from the track but even at the Q the drivers are coming down towards the parked cars before they make a turn. There is plenty of room to stop, but if a driver makes a big mistake and has "unintended acceleration" they could also be into parked cars. No situation is foolproof.

Greg