# Carrera GT crash at California Speedway. 2 Dead



## Matthew330Ci (Sep 9, 2002)

http://www.nbc4.tv/news/4562562/detail.html



more discussion here: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?threadid=224465&perpage=20&pagenumber=1


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## Artslinger (Sep 2, 2002)

Very sad.

A Carrera GT on a super speedway, driven by a non-professional driver is a disaster waiting to happen. And it doesn't help that this car can reach big time race car speeds but unlike a race car built to survive a high speed crash the Carrera GT is not.


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## EdCT (Mar 14, 2002)

Artslinger said:


> Very sad.
> 
> A Carrera GT on a super speedway, driven by a non-professional driver is a disaster waiting to happen. And it doesn't help that this car can reach big time race car speeds but unlike a race car built to survive a high speed crash the Carrera GT is not.


I agree, this is my biggest problem with "track days".

Ed


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## arnolds (Dec 21, 2001)

Dayum..that sux!

LA Times story here.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/state/la-me-speedway3jun03,1,3734695.story?coll=la-news-state


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## ObD (Dec 29, 2001)




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## LmtdSlip (May 28, 2003)

The car looks like it did OK in the crash. But massive g forces at those speeds could have snapped thier necks like a twig.


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## Lanc3r (Sep 5, 2004)

How sad  . But, what a wonderful way to go. RIP.


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## Stuka (Jul 17, 2002)

Artslinger said:


> Very sad.
> 
> A Carrera GT on a super speedway, driven by a non-professional driver is a disaster waiting to happen. And it doesn't help that this car can reach big time race car speeds but unlike a race car built to survive a high speed crash the Carrera GT is not.


The event was a joke. :thumbdwn:

FOC and the organizers will probably be sued (and rightfully so). :thumbdwn:

Go check out the infield map of CA Speedway, the event had 2 corner workers, that configuration requires at least 7 or 8 corner workers. :yikes:

They also ran a jacked up entrance configuration. 

I will reserve comments about the marshalling for now.

From my experiences with BMWCCA schools, and having gotten my car past 140 at Thunderhill, I can tell you that it is most likely the organizer that is to blame. This is also why I don't just run with anybody. Not all DE's are created equal. The one put on by the FOC was clearly inferior. :thumbdwn:


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## mahaloM3 (Nov 25, 2004)

Awefull!! RIP.
Mahalo!!


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## Mathew (Feb 8, 2002)

misterlance said:


> How sad  . But, what a wonderful way to go. RIP.


 Not for the passenger.


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## Artslinger (Sep 2, 2002)

Stuka said:


> The event was a joke. :thumbdwn:
> 
> FOC and the organizers will probably be sued (and rightfully so). :thumbdwn:
> 
> ...


From what I read the event had a short run-on and they were running a combination of the high banks and infield course.

When marshal flagged another car to enter the track the guy hesitated and when he finally did enter the track the Carrera and other car (Ferrari) were on course to have a collision, the Carrera took some kind of avoidance move and lost it.

A combination of three errors that created a fatal disaster.


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## Bruce (Dec 24, 2001)

The Ferrari Club in Texas does (or at least used to) not have any corner workers AND not require instruction. Recipe for disaster.


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## SergioK (Aug 14, 2002)

Artslinger said:


> From what I read the event had a short run-on and they were running a combination of the high banks and infield course.


No, they were not. They were running the infield only.


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## Interlocker (Jun 27, 2003)

misterlance said:


> How sad  . But, what a wonderful way to go. RIP.


"A wonderful way to go?" Are you serious?!? :thumbdwn:


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## wheel-man (Sep 28, 2004)

May they both rest in peace... I can only hope their deaths were painless.

The Carrera GT is not a car to be taken lightly and unfortunately cars like that when taken beyond the drivers limits will not be kind.

Walter Rohrl who tested and help calibrate the GT was quoted saying that the GT was the only car that scared him.

Unfortunately in this world, money dictates posession and not skill or respect of the item. Again the Carrera GT is not merely a poser money machine... it is a true force to be considered and respected, requiring instruction to drive.

Regardless, may the two who lost their lives had a peaceful death and be peaceful in whatever afterlife exists. I hurt for them... life is to valuable to be lost senselessly.


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## Mr Paddle.Shift (Dec 19, 2001)

Stuka said:


> From my experiences with BMWCCA schools, and having gotten my car past 140 at Thunderhill, I can tell you that it is most likely the organizer that is to blame. This is also why I don't just run with anybody. Not all DE's are created equal. The one put on by the FOC was clearly inferior. :thumbdwn:


But your experiences are only with BMWCCA and that doesn't give you right to criticize/judge non-BMWCCA events. Come to think of it, not to be an arse, but have you even participated in non-BMWCCA events? BMWCCA events aren't all that golden all the time. Accidents happen. We learn and we move on. If someone dies at a BMWCCA event, I presume you will change your stance towards BMWCCA as a organizer as well?


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## SergioK (Aug 14, 2002)

wheel-man said:


> May they both rest in peace... I can only hope their deaths were painless.
> 
> The Carrera GT is not a car to be taken lightly and unfortunately cars like that when taken beyond the drivers limits will not be kind.


Their deaths were not without pain, I can tell you that for sure.

Any car driven beyond it's limits and the driver's limits can have the same end results.


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## SergioK (Aug 14, 2002)

Mr Paddle.Shift said:


> If someone dies at a BMWCCA event, I presume you will change your stance towards BMWCCA as a organizer as well?


Absolutely not.

There is a world of difference between a BMW CCA driving school and this FOC driving 'event'.

BMW CCA actually plans, organizes, conducts and most importantly, instructs driving schools.


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## Stuka (Jul 17, 2002)

Mr Paddle.Shift said:


> But your experiences are only with BMWCCA and that doesn't give you right to criticize/judge non-BMWCCA events. Come to think of it, not to be an arse, but have you even participated in non-BMWCCA events? BMWCCA events aren't all that golden all the time. Accidents happen. We learn and we move on. If someone dies at a BMWCCA event, I presume you will change your stance towards BMWCCA as a organizer as well?


And why not? Having two corner workers on the entire track means it IS clearly inferior to any CCA events, clearly. :thumbdwn:

Now, which "awesome" organization would you be referring to? The one which the owner first took a GT2 airborne, then on a separate occasion, landed shiny side down in it and totalled it? :dunno:

The accident thta happened at CA Speedway was inexcusable. I understand your grudge against CCA, and that is your perogative. But also understand that they make a big deal about going off or spinning at the CCA events, and that is why I, and many others, are not scared about taking our 125K car to these events. :thumbup:


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## Stuka (Jul 17, 2002)

wheel-man said:


> May they both rest in peace... I can only hope their deaths were painless.
> 
> The Carrera GT is not a car to be taken lightly and unfortunately cars like that when taken beyond the drivers limits will not be kind.
> 
> ...


It's not the car, or the driver. They thought they had signed up for a DE, when all that they got was carnage on wheel, NASA style. :thumbdwn:

A well run DE with ACTUAL CORNER FRIGGING WORKERS and TRAINED MARSHALLS and FLAGGERS would have, in all likelihood, prevented this tragedy from happening. 

Not all DE's are created equal. :thumbdwn:


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