Cobraearl wrote
"... FLYING FREDDY RICE get the award for the LONGEST SKID and the Dirtyist Laundry Award for his TREMENDOUS EFFORT on the back stretch. "
Boy...you ain't justa woofin'...! Reminded me of the song "Thunder Road" by Robert Mitchum (yes, Robert Mitchum)...."He left the road at 90, that's all there is to tell. The Devil got that mountain boy, that's all there is to tell!"
I made the damn near fatal mistake of cutting 'Kink' too close to the apex cone...went over the pavement that went into the center part of the small oval course...car got light and it pushed me further than it had before onto the rumble strips opposite from 'Kink'. I had both left sides off in the grass... saw the exit cone coming right for the center of my car and then just very calmly inserted my head into my rectum....and lifted off the damned accelerator...!
>>>>DUMB<<<< The back end started coming around...I tried to correct...too much....went around a little more....tried to correct again....then promptly did 2 ( not one, mind you...TWO) 360's in the middle of the back straight, at better 120+....DAAAA-YUM.....! Left the pavement to the right side of the track....taking out the #5 braking marker with my right rear wheel/fender. (No damage...minor mark that's already been rubbed out!) Came to rest facing the right way...engine dead....car full of grass, sand....and doodoo...
Tried to restart, but the car was still in gear....slipped it out of gear and noticed a bright light out of the corner of my left eye....when I turned to look...IT WAS FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! The damn car's on fire...! Hey, wait a minute.....I didn't hit anything that would have caused fire....maybe a busted
oil line...but shouldn't cause a fire. Tried to restart it again, and when it hit the exhaust blew the fire out. I'm thinkin' the hot side pipes had caught some of the taller dry grass on fire....no problem...just more doodoo in my shorts...!
I waited for the corner worker to motion me back on course...came around the Autocross turns and the last corner worker was pointing a furled black flag at me and shaking it as if to say "You've been a baaaaad boy!"..Gee...no sh!t, Sherlock...where've YOU been?. I drove slowly back to the pits, and just exited pit road into the cool pits to catch my bearings and breath...change my shorts, etc. Whoooooowweeeee....now THAT was a ride!
But, they say if you're not pushin' it, you're not learnin' anything...guess I learned something....NEVER LIFT....but, also, never go into the 'Kink' at 130, either...
Now...what I'd like to ask is...is did anyone get some pictures of the spin and subsequent offtrack excursion? If, so I'd like a copy and am willing to pay for any developing fee....thanks.
Also...when I took out the #5 braking marker....did anyone pick it up. Richard Price said he saw it in the back of a track workers truck. I'd sure like to have it as a souvenier of the event....!
Thanks to EVERYONE who made it happen...the weather wasn't too hot...but 100% humidity made it miserable for most of us. And...remind me not to stay at the 'Executive Inn' anymore... $25.00 long distance charges...and the guy said that was a 'good rate'...yeah, FOR HIM! Air conditioners turned off in the rooms when we checked in...bet it was 120 in the rooms...very little sleep Thursday nite as the air conditioner was bustin' balls tryin' to just catch up...better Friday, and you could hang meat by Friday PM... Next time....Hampton....more money....but much better hotel!