Watkins Glen ITS Video - spectator view

[benspeed]

OK - Speilberg I'm not but this should provide some entertainment. Folks who haven't been to WGI will get a perspective on how large, unique and beautiful this track is. I move around for several different views.

Since I have an ITS car again my focus is totally on the ITS guys racing in Group 1. A good friend, John Grezech got on the track for the first time this year in his ITS RX7 so I spend time focused on his car.

I have no editing skills so this is pretty raw footage. I have clips from the Sat and Sun races. Sat was raining - Sun was pretty dry.

[ame]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=407143954908402477&hl=en[/ame]

[lateapex911]

Nice! Interesting assumptive commentary regrading the "Amy incident".. LOL>

[benspeed]

Yeah - wish I could pull that back - it wasn't a Miatter wipeout and it was too easy to blame that model car.

[CRallo]

I did enjoy the commentary...

[lateapex911]

Uh have you seen Gregs in car video??? The white ITA car that Greg was passing hung high in the last "S" as Greg and ITS train stormed up. They successfully got my the two cars (ITB Golf, it appears) closely trailing said white car, but then at the last split second, it swung down into the path of the oncoming train of ITS cars that were glued to Gregs bumper. Greg made a split second call and tried to lift and go high and "thread the needle" behind the white car moving down and the cars just passed, but didn't quite make it, and his RF hit the white cars LR, spinning it and he. Wilson went off onto the right grass, and that didn't end well either.

Sobering video on being aware of fast moving traffic coming from behind. And Harding, the leader, had just stormed by, so the white car should have known that more were coming. A rookie mistake perhaps, but I understand it wasn't a rookie driver.

ALL of the above is IMO...

see it here:

[ame]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7958267554041595094&hl=en[/ame]

[RSTPerformance]

Uh have you seen Gregs in car video??? The white ITA car that Greg was passing hung high in the last "S" as Greg and ITS train stormed up. They successfully got my the two cars (ITB Golf, it appears) closely trailing said white car, but then at the last split second, it swung down into the path of the oncoming train of ITS cars that were glued to Gregs bumper. Greg made a split second call and tried to lift and go high and "thread the needle" behind the white car moving down and the cars just passed, but didn't quite make it, and his RF hit the white cars LR, spinning it and he. Wilson went off onto the right grass, and that didn't end well either.

Sobering video on being aware of fast moving traffic coming from behind. And Harding, the leader, had just stormed by, so the white car should have known that more were coming. A rookie mistake perhaps, but I understand it wasn't a rookie driver.

ALL of the above is IMO...

see it here:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...41595094&hl=en

Jake-

I am sorry but based on this video only I am not sure I can agree with your comments... We can learn from this incident... I know that "this" type of thing has the potential a lot when I am lapping traffic, so it must happen a ton for those ITS and ITA front runners. I completely agree that the Miata should have left more room but other than that it was a very thin needle to thread, and the car sounded like it was on the throtle when it hit the Miata. I would love to see video from one of the cars just behind the incident.

Raymond

[Andy Bettencourt]

Ben, I love the videos from the spectator POV. I would be willing to grab the raw footage during as session if we can get approval to be in a cool area at LRP for the NARRC-offs.

[Dano77]

Isnt it amazing how soon you relieze"we are really flyin" as soon as it goes wrong. Hope Gregs Ok. Dan

[mlytle]

Jake-

I am sorry but based on this video only I am not sure I can agree with your comments... We can learn from this incident... I know that "this" type of thing has the potential a lot when I am lapping traffic, so it must happen a ton for those ITS and ITA front runners. I completely agree that the Miata should have left more room but other than that it was a very thin needle to thread, and the car sounded like it was on the throtle when it hit the Miata. I would love to see video from one of the cars just behind the incident.

Raymond

just based on watching the incar a half dozen times, i have to agree. Sobering video on being aware of slow moving traffic being overtaken. a flick of the wrist and a touch of lift instead of gas and it may have been a clean outside pass. A rookie mistake perhaps, but I understand it wasn't a rookie driver.....

just the valueless internet opinion of someone who was not sitting in either drivers seat.

[Greg Amy]

just based on watching the incar a half dozen times...

Boy, sure wish I'd 'a had a half-dozen times to watch it before I had to make that decision...

More telling, what was your INITIAL thought upon watching the scene unfold (keeping in mind, of course, that you had full knowledge that something was about to happen...?)

...a flick of the wrist and a touch of lift instead of gas and it may have been a clean outside pass.

I'm glad you think so...because that's exactly what I did. (Watch again, this time with the sound turned up...)

[dj10]

Were the passing flags out? Was the Pinata driver watching is mirrors or did he see a dark car coming up on him and was trying to close the door? My inital thought is why was he so wide there to begin with? It's up to the passer to make a safe pass but it's also the responsibility of the car being passed to allow racing room.

[benspeed]

My comment - it really sucks to see that many wreckers and ambulances out for your friends.

I won't be taping at the NARRCoffs - because I will be racing in ITS - and doing my damnest to win it in my $5k beater. My buddy John G proved you can drive the piss out of a (underdeveloped) car and get to the front - he just needed to hang on a little harder. He owes Jeff a door and a cold beer :-)

Phone call to Flatout shortly with much cash evaporation to follow.

PS - on watching the in-car again - props to Greg for not screaming like a chicken before he hit. I picked him up from the Ambulance and he was more concerned about his fellow competitors than anything else.

[JohnRW]

Time to award the "Asshat Move of the Race", which IMO happened on the front straight

On Sunday, I was at the top of the stands, down toward T1. On lap 2-4 (?), the two lead RX7's had a little "coming together", about 100 yds. past start-finish. Not really sure who decided to rub who, but somebody did it intentionally. One of the two even got a little sideways. Tire smoke, what looked like a major wrinkle in the fender(s)....at probably 100+mph with concrete on one side and armco on the other. WTF ?

Don't know if it got called in by S/F or T1 flaggers, but if not, here's some advice: Stewards see this crap and immediately think "somebody needs to sit out for a while...like 3-6 months".

Just sayin...

JRW
Sometimes driver, sometimes Steward
SSM #88
SRF # 57
etc. etc. etc.

[Doc Bro]

Hard Hit. Greg glad you're ok. Very heads-up to keep the car off track and on the grass while it was going backwards. That could've been even uglier.

Everytime I go through the Esses at the Glen I always think...."Man I'd hate to wreck here....." I'm right.

How bad's the car?

R

[Greg Amy]

BTW, Ben: LOVE the video! I'll probably be at LRP on Saturday for the NARRC; maybe we can coordinate and produce a nearly-Spielberg-quality - and oh-so-humorous - effort...

How bad's the car?

Bad. Initial estimates are ugly. Probably not "economically repairable" but we'll see.

[joeg]

That track shows no mercy; never has and never will.

[JoshS]

Hey Greg,

Do you use your headlights in situations like that? I find it works great. Not only do the lapped traffic see you earlier, but I find that the blue flags seem snappier too.

If I really feel like someone doesn't see me coming despite the high beams, I actually flash them low-high-low-high a bunch of times. But generally if I'm the lead car and we've caught lapped traffic, the high beams are on as a matter of course.

[Butch Kummer]

Was there ever a discussion of the incident with the driver of the white car?

[Greg Amy]

Do you use your headlights in situations like that?

Josh, I thought about it, but far too late. Plus, I am relatively unfamiliar with the car and didn't want to dickin' around with switches while in the middle of that.

Was there ever a discussion of the incident with the driver of the white car?

Yes, afterwards with the Safety Steward (WGI makes you go talk to them after being released from Medical). The driver said he had no idea what happened, no idea who hit him, no idea why he ended up in the wall.

[Butch Kummer]

Yes, afterwards with the Safety Steward (WGI makes you go talk to them after being released from Medical). The driver said he had no idea what happened, no idea who hit him, no idea why he ended up in the wall.

That statement alone is scary. And this was NOT a novice driver?

Over the years I've developed a list of people that I KNOW I must only pass on the straights, and then only after I've honked the horn and flashed the lights three times to let them know I'm there. Those of you in NEDIV that will be racing with this person should take note.

Just sayin'...