NHIS weekend

[BobsAuto]

Does anyone know how Victor in the BMW is? I heard when I was leaving the track today that he was transported to the hospital. Is that true? If so, I'd like to know if he was admitted because I will be on the hospital campus tomorrow and will run up to see him.

[Doc Bro]

Bob,

I talked to Noam Levine after the race (he paddocks with Victor). Victor was wiggling everything and was going to the hospital for the routine checks. Initial assessment was good

I'll speak for everyone....

Victor we all hope you're well.


R

[lateapex911]

Whats going on?? I read the roof had to be cut off??

Fill me in somebody! Please! Victor who, BTW? (Gangi?? I thought he was in a Acura, or was he going to rent a Flatout car?)

Anyone else involved??

[dyoungre]

Don't know much - he (Gangi)went off on lap 6 (I think) on the outside of the bowl and hit full frontal into the tires surrounding a tree. They cut the roof so that they could put him on a board. From what I heard, the roof was the least of the damage, as the engine was pretty well imprinted into the firewall.

13 lap ITA race, 7 1/2 of which was under full course caution. It was impressive that he was on the board and off the track before we saw the checker. The way the flags initially fell, I have a feeling they had no idea the extent of the impact until the ambulance arrived at the car.

I saw a white prod car stopped at the scene, but don't know if he was involved or stopped to help - I'm guessing the latter.

[Doc Bro]

Yes Jake it was Victor Gangi in the HMS Acura. I didn't correct Bob in my first post. It seems as though he hit quite hard and yes they did slice through the A pillars and roof and cage to get him out. I saw the car at tech and unfortunately it is pretty much a write off. Very unfortunate given Memorial day. I do believe the white GTL Nissan was involoved as he left on the hook as well.

On another note it was very, VERY, interesting what happened in the corner stations. Coming down the hill we got a white flag. I passed Anthony [Ruddy] in the confusion. I radiod to Dad that I passed him under the yellow and then I gave the spot back. I watched the tape thinking I missed the yellow and realized there was never a yellow. Let me get this right...a car off course....a hard hit....potential for injury...an ambulance on course....a gaggle of cars fighting for position....and only a white flag? Anthony, you owe me 16th position!!


Seriously,

Victor post soon let us all know you're okay!!!

R

[Tkczecheredflag]

I think I will let Victor share what he wants regarding his health but I believe he is being observed overnight at the hospital. I beleive he will be okay but did sustain "serious enough" injury for observation.

I came through the bowl and saw Victor in the tire wall. There was no dust in the air so I beleive he was there for a bit already. I glanced over and it seemed like his head was upright and I thought okay. The white GTL arrived after the incident and I do not believe he was involved but not sure. I can't offer much more.

Jake - Victor was in the 03 Integra. The car apperaed trashed - roof and cage cut open at the mid "A" pillars. No one seems to know what happened.

Did anyone see the incident?

[Doc Bro]

On a very light hearted aside....congratulations Andy on your first ITA win. It's such a lame way to pick up a win but.....

In any case....I hope you remember the bet you and I had. You were drunk so I'll refresh.

You said that you would pick up 10 wins before my first win or season end whichever comes first......so far I'm winning!!!!

I can't believe you were dumb enough to wager a G note on it, but, you all heard it here... Any way thanks for the fuel filter to keep me in the "hunt". I'll replace it soon enough.



Also, thanks to Dan and Dave Maynard...you guys kept my weekend alive. I wish I could help you guys as much as you have consistently helped me. I hate to say the next root canal is on me but....if need be.



R

[Andy Bettencourt]

First, we all wish Victor the best.

Second, since I don't don't drink that bet seems a little fishy!

Thanks to my crew dog Forrest for all his help with the replacement of a nicely warped cylinder head on Saturday night so we could go from pole to a win.

AB

[Doc Bro]

Second, since I don't don't drink that bet seems a little fishy!

AB
[/b]

I didn't have the heart to disclose your crack problem...so I just labeled it "alcohol".... please forgive!!!

Anyway.............



(PS. Vic and I just got in and we've had a couple.....poetic licensure rules are in effect....proceed with caution)

R

[BobsAuto]

I really thought it was a Bimmer....that's how trashed the car was from where we were paddocked. I will be up on the hospital grounds tomorrow and will stop in and see Victor. BTW, this is Trish posting. Bob doesn't use the computer as he would hit the wrong button and delete it. He's SO computer illiterate. So, I do all the writing. Thanks for the updates, guys.

[Magical Trevor]

More NHIS IT problems?

Cue the Simpsons collar pull...

Sorry to hear about this; I planned to be there this weekend but the family was being a pain and I couldn't get a car to use.

[lateapex911]

Man, thats a bummer about Victor....as if he hasn't been roughed up enough this young season. I'm encouraged that the reports are optimistic. Strange place for an incident like that to a car like his and guy like him....I imagine some mechanical failure like a struck throttle could be a likely scenario, but thats absolute pure speculation on my part. Glad to hear that it was essentially a one car incident, and the resolution appears to be good from a health standpoint, although I feel bad about the car.

Congrats Andy!!!!! So much for your "no way at NHIS" comments!!! So.....tell me about that ITA Fiero concept!

Lets hear more when we get the good word about Victor tomorrow.

[JLawton]

Hope Victor is doing OK...........He certainly has had a rough season.............

Thanks to my crew dog Forrest for all his help with the replacement of a nicely warped cylinder head on Saturday night so we could go from pole to a win.

AB
[/b]

OK, spill the details.........

[RaceSmart]

[b]Just wanted to add our wishes also to Victor to be feeling better soon! Please let us know if theres anything we can do besides keep sending good thoughts your way....


Bob Smart
Northeast Racing Enterprises

[Andy Bettencourt]

Hope Victor is doing OK...........He certainly has had a rough season.............

OK, spill the details......... [/b]

Well, with no Greg there the 28 car ITA field was rightfully optimistic. We did a full day test and had shown some serious speed with the new springs, rear bar and 4.3 rear gear. We ran about 6 sessions.

Sat morning we had a small hose pop off during qual and overheated the motor in 3 laps - it happened so fast I just didn't notice as I was trying to keep the car under me. She died in turn 9. Ran around town and found a new head gasket only to find that the head was severly warped.

Forrest ran back to FOM HQ, took the head off of our 1.8 crate motor in the 91 rental car, and we put that on (as the block and pistons seemed fine). It ran about 1:30am.

We timed it in the morning and went to qual on pole (key is getting out first) by a decent margin. I was in P2 as Megliola's FP car was in P1 - Hunter was on crap tires in Qual so he was a little back, Brandon had fried a motor in the Sat race so he had a new one (they did an all night thrash as well) and it was down on power - and Tim K was right there.

BUT - two EP cars in between me/Tim and Hunter/Brandon. This allowed me to run some clean laps and get away. I had the whole front straight on ITA when the double yellow came out for Gangi's accident. The race ended under yellow. I think we raced for 7 laps.

In clear traffic, the car is excellent!

AB

[dazzlesa]

congrats andy. i hope victor is well.

[zracre]

First I hope Victor is ok...hate to see that kind of incident...second good job Andy...I guess a SM spec head is good to make ITA power! (some secrets revealed ) Where was GA? How doi you think the Miata would have done against the NX?

[Andy Bettencourt]

First I hope Victor is ok...hate to see that kind of incident...second good job Andy...I guess a SM spec head is good to make ITA power! (some secrets revealed ) Where was GA? How doi you think the Miata would have done against the NX? [/b]

My spec head came right off of a crate motor... Honestly, the only differences in the units would have been the extra .5 of compression (what is that worth?) and intake and exhaust port match. I am betting it isn't much.

Greg was/is on vacation. No real way to tell but he beat us so bad earlier this year (track record, a pole and 3 race wins with NO competition) that we are all fighting for second. The lap times I was running in practice would have me close but in a race I could never turn those times if he was in front of me.

[benspeed]

ANDY! Way to go, dude. Nice to see you in P1 with the HUGE amount of time, money and effort. A winning effort off the track makes for a winner on the track.

I hope to see you at the Glenn to garner more points and give GA a run for the championship. I'll hopefully be there sorting out the stock car. Repairs are done and I pick it up in NC this week.

Victor - hope you are OK and will be back with a new ride. My neck is now finally healed after a month from the wreck I had at LRP. Glad I was wearing a HANS like you were.

Cheers,

Ben

[almracing]

I got to speak to Victor's wife last evening. I first let her know that his fellow racers were all thinking about him. As Tim said, Victor can provide more public details but he was kept overnight for observation. He can move everything and was doing well. Victor does wear a HANS so I suspect that helped quite a bit. I hope to hear from him or his wife sometime today.

Kudos to the safety crews. It was amazing to see how they got him out of the car... and how quickly.

There seemed to be quite a bit of confusion about the flags for a few laps after Victor's incident. I am sure there will be some discussion about that.

Rob --- I was looking forward to battling with you on Sunday. It was alot of fun racing with you guys (and gals) in the Miata. I am so used to making passes using the gas pedal. The Miata forced me to play around with lines, drive alot smoother, and get used to a rear wheel drive car.

The Flatout guys were fun to rent from. They kept pretty busy on Saturday with Andy's car... so luckily my car stayed running and in one piece for my part of the weekend .