Bad wreck at SIC -- Garcia ok

[JeffYoung]

Just a quick note, Carlos rolled his car three times this am after an apparent wheel failure but is fine. Glad he is ok, sorry to see him out the hunt for the SARRC championship.

[zracre]

well thats not good...I hope he is ok...any other results?

[Parrish57]

Results are up on Mylaps. It looks like it was a VanSteenburg kind of weekend, Kip in ITS and Mike in ITA. New track records in ITS (1:21.359), SM, and IT7.

How about a race recap from someone who was there....

[Team SSR]

It looks like some oil was put down on lap #1 in turn 2 which caused several cars to run off on lap#2, including Eckerich who later made a pit stop. The front four broke away with the ITS Miata pulling well out in front. There was a good race for 2nd between the RX7's of Kent Thompson and the #58(?). I believe 4th overall was the ITA Miata (the second vansteenburg(?)). We broke on lap 9 or 10, but were running as high as 4th in class. I didn't get to see much of the last 5 laps...someone may have more to add.

Also, they split-up the start. All of the IT7 cars utilized a 2nd pace car for the initial start.

[seckerich]

Carlos broke a hub and took a wild ride in Saturday qualifier. Car rolled 3 or more times on the exit to the front srtaight. Someone lost an oil line all through the first turn on lap 1 and I took a wild ride through the grass after we came around on lap 2. Tore the front off the car and had to pit to pull the splitter mount off the front tire. Kip toasted his motor Sat morning and took the 1800 out of Mike's A car and was a rocket after that. I looked at the GCR last night and have to wonder--what is the difference? Congrats to all that had a good race. I would have liked to have had the chance to race Carlos for the win.

[zracre]

Kip toasted his motor Sat morning and took the 1800 out of Mike's A car and was a rocket after that. I looked at the GCR last night and have to wonder--what is the difference? Congrats to all that had a good race. I would have liked to have had the chance to race Carlos for the win.
[/b]

Yikes!!! :blink:

[steve s]

ok guys carlos is in good health,thanks to the hans device and the great roll cage built by bimmerworld.
a few bruises but no major problems.
thank you all fellow racers and workers who came over to help andcheck on carlos.
on another note the track was great the repaving was awesome good job by all the officials of the region and the SIC keep up the good work all. :happy204:

[JeffYoung]

Sorry to see Steve off so early. Kiip VS, Steve and Carlos Garcia for the SARRC championship would have been great.

That place is a Miata haven (or maybe a Van Steenburg haven). The yellow ITS Miata just pulled away.

I understand Peter Eels and Kent Thompson had a good run for 2 and 3. I believe Peter Gallup was 4th, Harold Corbin 5th and I was 6th in ITS.

Anthony, saw you pull in -- what happened to the car? Looked good all weekend.

The track is much smoother except for the entrnace to the front straight. A "new" bump there, affects turn in. I had to turn in later, and it made for a hairy ride sometimes (live rear axle did not like the bump).

Other than that, WAY more grip in 4 (no more getting 4-5 feet off line and ending up in the berm), 5 and 6. Nice job Buccaneer Region.

Steve P., will we see you down at Roebling next year?

[dj10]

ok guys carlos is in good health,thanks to the hans device and the great roll cage built by bimmerworld.
a few bruises but no major problems.
thank you all fellow racers and workers who came over to help andcheck on carlos.
on another note the track was great the repaving was awesome good job by all the officials of the region and the SIC keep up the good work all. :happy204: [/b]



Steve, glad to hear Carlos is Ok. Can you give us BMW owners any info on the hub failure? That's a bad part to go bad. I'm wondering how old the hub was and if they should be replaced at intervals? Can his car be repaired? Damn he had a nice car.

[JeffYoung]

Dan, car looked totalled to me. Heavy hit on the passenger's roof, cage collapsed some, front of the car looked "moved" around quite a bit.

I didn't get any info on the hub failure. It was a bad wreck, one of the worst I have seen.

[seckerich]

Carlo was right behind me in a full drift onto the straight when the inside just started lifting. Don't know if the added grip of the new pavement was too much for it or the hub had already broke. The car cartwheeled from left front to right rear end over. Had to laugh when he said he saw fire and started to pull the bottle--looked at what was left of the car and said screw it and got out.

[Parrish57]

Steve P., will we see you down at Roebling next year?
[/quote]

I sure hope so... Today I'm really frustrated. I just got my schedule for October. I bid everything possible to get the end of the month off to race at VIR. Of course they scheduled me for a 9 day trip starting on the 28th... It's becoming increasingly more difficult to get the time off to prep the car AND the actual race dates.

I'm so glad to hear the driver involved in the crash is OK. I will be upgrading my H&N restraint system this winter.

Congratulations to all. It sounds like those Miatas are going to be tough!

[dj10]

Carlo was right behind me in a full drift onto the straight when the inside just started lifting. Don't know if the added grip of the new pavement was too much for it or the hub had already broke. The car cartwheeled from left front to right rear end over. Had to laugh when he said he saw fire and started to pull the bottle--looked at what was left of the car and said screw it and got out. [/b]



Wow! I know Roebling some, I tested a Shelby CamAm there some years ago. You are in a "full tilt boogie" coming on to the front straight. Sounds almost as bad as Joey Hand's crash! Wow, think I'm going to check out my left front hub. Hmmm, which broke 1st the hub or the bearing, or did the bearing break? If Steve could or someone possible with the car, could describe the hub, or the peices they find of the hub, it might be helpful.

Thanks

Dan



I bet Carlos will be or is sore.

[DavidM]

Carlos' car looked done. I saw it come by on the flatbed. The front of the car took a heavy hit and was pretty well trashed. Roof was caved in a bit and one of the rear quarters was pretty crushed. The roll was more end over end than a barrel roll from what I was told. Definitely glad he's ok. I only saw the aftermath when I came around the corner, but the wreck had my wife spooked all weekend.

I'll have to say that the way the session was flagged left something to be desired. This happened on the first lap of qualifying. Come around the first time with a yellow for the corner and see Carlos' car in the weeds. Come around the second time, still only yellow for the corner, and there's a wrecker on the edge of the track. Get double yellows, still moving along to catch up with the cars in front, and there's an ambulance on the edge of the track. Come around the second time under double yellows with most of us bunched up and they point us into the pits and wave the checker. No black flag (maybe even a red flag). Just hope they learned from it and do things differently next time.

The ITA race was pretty uneventful. 1-3 pretty much held station. There was a good battle for 4-6 for a few laps that John finally won. I tried to keep up with Robert Langlotz in his RX-3 in sixth, but he eeked out a bit on me every lap and I lost way too much distance when I let the top two IT-7 guys by. It was a fun race.

The new surface is excellent. My tires were nice and clean and smooth after the weekend. No more tire shredder. It looked like they also paved the dirt roads that lead out to the big grassy field so that the infield roads are mostly paved. Couple other things hear and there done to the facilies.

David

[Team SSR]

Anthony, saw you pull in -- what happened to the car? Looked good all weekend.
[/b]

We broke something in the motor. It started running on 3 or 3 1/2 cylinders. No loud clunking noises or oil pan holes, so hopefully it's nothing too bad.

[charrbq]

I'll have to say that the way the session was flagged left something to be desired. This happened on the first lap of qualifying. Come around the first time with a yellow for the corner and see Carlos' car in the weeds. Come around the second time, still only yellow for the corner, and there's a wrecker on the edge of the track. Get double yellows, still moving along to catch up with the cars in front, and there's an ambulance on the edge of the track. Come around the second time under double yellows with most of us bunched up and they point us into the pits and wave the checker. No black flag (maybe even a red flag). Just hope they learned from it and do things differently next time.


David
[/quote]
Assuming that the checker was at start/finish, and not at the incident corner, the flagging was right. I don't know how many workers were available for flagging and how many were working the accident. Like you, I would've preferred some white flags and some radically waiving hands from the corners, but if they were short handed for such a job, it might not have been something they could do at the time.

It's the flagging marshall's job to waive the yellow flag, as that one bears a command and response, the white is for informational purposes only. It's up to the driver's to be aware and to exercise prudent driving in such a situation as an accident.

[JeffYoung]

I may have missed it, which is certainly a possibility, but I never saw a black flag. I saw double yellows when I got to turn 8 on lap 2, a white flag on lap 3 for the wrecker and then we were directed into the pits by a corner worker on track. No black flags.

A black at Turn 6 (the black flag station) would have been very helpful in getting us slowed and letting us know we needed to come in. Not slamming the workers, who did a great job this weekend, but it got a bit hairy at pit entrance. We weren't going race pace obviously, but we didn't know until about 100 yds before pit in that we had to go in.

[steve s]

the left rear hub broke .the bearing was still intact.the pressed in portion of the hub that goes into the bearing broke flush with the bearing,hub still attached to the wheel.hub was probably 1 yr. old.i was told at the track that it is a weak link and often breaks.
the car has seen better days may she R.I.P.
we may build a new car ????
on another note congrats to all class champions especiallyto the guys in our race
kip van steenburg in ITS
mike van steenburg in ITA [evan we missed you]
and tom little in IT-7 [ jeff congrat on the race win]
i hope this is correct by my trackside calculations.
it's been a great year racing with you guys.

[dj10]

the left rear hub broke .the bearing was still intact.the pressed in portion of the hub that goes into the bearing broke flush with the bearing,hub still attached to the wheel.hub was probably 1 yr. old.i was told at the track that it is a weak link and often breaks.
[/b]



Steve, thanks for the valuable info. Sorry we had to get it this way. Did you guys know this was a so called "weak link"? This is the 1st I've heard this.

Take care

Dan

[mlytle]

Steve, thanks for the valuable info. Sorry we had to get it this way. Did you guys know this was a so called "weak link"? This is the 1st I've heard this.

Take care

Dan
[/b]

rear hubs a "weak link"? first i have heard that one in 5 year of racing e36's. never heard of one breaking before. rear hubs and bearings are generally perceived as one of the most bulletproof parts of the car...

marshall

[DavidM]

I may have missed it, which is certainly a possibility, but I never saw a black flag. I saw double yellows when I got to turn 8 on lap 2, a white flag on lap 3 for the wrecker and then we were directed into the pits by a corner worker on track. No black flags.

A black at Turn 6 (the black flag station) would have been very helpful in getting us slowed and letting us know we needed to come in. Not slamming the workers, who did a great job this weekend, but it got a bit hairy at pit entrance. We weren't going race pace obviously, but we didn't know until about 100 yds before pit in that we had to go in.
[/b]

I never saw a black flag either. A guy standing in the middle of the front straight pointing people into the pits was definitely not what I expected. The workers did a great job, but I think the black flag would've been helpful in this situation.

David

[steve s]

that was the first time for us also. we were told in standing starts they break same place.
i am guessing it's where the axle spline stops and the hub continues to the nut. that splined area of emptiness between the axle and the nut is where it broke. this is only a guess will know for sure after we examine everything closer and with new pieces.
p.s. i hope you guys understand what i'm trying to say. no pics yet. but there was a lot of people taking pictures maybe someone can post some pics.?????