Two Factory Five Cobra owners cause accident at the Dragon 5/18/02

JPorter900 · #1 (**permalink**) 05-21-2002, 12:22 PM

Two Factory Five Cobra owners blatantly endangered fellow motorists at Deal's Gap this weekend.

These are the gentlemen in question:

Quote:

from tailofthedragon.com...

Jim and Chuck from Orlando FL - scouting the Dragon for a future Cobra Rally.

The owners of these two beautiful cars decided to run VERY hot through the Gap, sliding sideways around the corners and causing an extremely volatile situation considering the volume of sportbike traffic on the road this weekend.

The silver Cobra was leading, and lost control on the exit to a left hand corner and came across the road directly toward a member of our group, who was forced to drive off the road into the ditch to avoid him. After coming to a stop sideways in the gravel on the opposite side of the road, the Cobra driver took a look at the Subaru in the ditch and then made the decision to continue on up the road without offering assistance or checking to make sure everyone was OK. The driver of the Subaru Legacy in question was running in-car video, so we have the whole thing on tape. The car that ended up in the ditch was running sticky tires and a $2000 GAB racing suspension, so I seriously doubt that his handling ability was an issue in this situation. The little car is a go-kart.

Quote:

from Killboy.com...
Saturday the mayhem continues with a Silver Cobra losing control and running a Subaru off the road at the stone wall. According to the driver of the Subaru, the Cobra ended up in the pull off area at the wall, the driver of the Subaru saw him stopped, waving for traffic to move along and he then pulled out and left. Way to ignore. The Subaru driver was running video.

I personally spoke to the driver of the silver Cobra (Chuck?) at the Crossroads of Time gas station before they began their run. I gave him directions to the Cherohala Skyway and told him that it was probably better suited to the handling characteristics of the Cobras. I remember he was wearing a Factory Five baseball cap and he told me he had a 302 in his car, and the driver of the blue one was running a 351.

As they left ROARING out of the CRoT gas station, I remarked aloud that they were going WAY too fast for conditions and that I hoped they didn't cause an accident. Famous last words.

Several members of KatanaPlanet.com also remarked to me that they had had near-misses with the Cobras as they came sliding around the corners.

I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR - THE DRAGON IS NOT A RACETRACK, AND TRAFFIC THERE IS FAR TOO HEAVY TO DRIVE IN SUCH AN IRRESPONSIBLE MANNER.

If anyone has further information on the identities of the two Cobra drivers involved, please contact me directly via email.

Thank you for your time and attention!

-Jason Porter
Subaru Dragon Challenge Coordinator
Southeast Subaru Club
asphaltsurfer@charter.net

excelguru · #2 (**permalink**) 05-21-2002, 12:43 PM

Jason,

You have our utmost support and cooperation. I'm the Vice President for the Deep South Cobra Club (the DSCC - upon whose forum you've posted this message) and I can assure you that the members of our club will be quick to denounce any such activity by one of it's members on a public road, if indeed it was perpetrated by a DSCC member (there are many other clubs).

I'm glad to read that the occupants of the other vehicle were not seriously injured. Indeed, the situation could've been far worse.

We Cobra guys enjoy "playing" with our toys. But we also recognize that there are limits to such endeavors. Driving Cobras on public roads, especially roads like the Dragon, demand a very high level of respect and consideration for public safety. I know that the vast majority of DSCC members understand this principle and practice it regularly.

I apologize for the actions of these particular individuals and I hope that their actions will not tarnish, at least in your mind, the Cobra owner group as a whole. The actions of these two are certainly not in line with the majority of DSCC members. I believe all the members will agree with me on this issue.

Respectfully,

Keith "excelguru" McFarland
Camden, SC

Back in Black · #3 (**permalink**) 05-21-2002, 12:55 PM

That if one cannot stay in their own lane of traffic, they are beyond their abilities, and maybe even will kill someone. Totally irresponsible driving, from the story, as related. I see it all the time , but it seems this time of year brings out the worst misbehavior, poor seasonal drivers, and newbies. I have seen real idiocy in the last two weeks, around here.

Stay in your lane, and stay off other peoples rear end, (tailgating) or walk.

JPorter900 · #4 (**permalink**) 05-21-2002, 12:55 PM

I'm certainly aware that the majority of Cobra owners are extremely responsible and like having fun with their vehicles in a quite sporting but SAFE manner.

I helped a friend of the family build a partially homemade Cobra kit a number of years ago, so I've met some of the folks in the Virginia region. They're really amazing cars, but they can be very dangerous in the wrong hands.

Thanks for your assistance in this matter, the driver of the silver Cobra has just contacted me via email and I will be putting him in touch with the driver of the Subaru involved.

Best wishes everyone, keep the shiny side up and happy motoring!

-Jason Porter

excelguru · #5 (**permalink**) 05-21-2002, 01:15 PM

Jason,

Thanks for the phone call. It was a pleasure to speak with you. Sorry about thinking you were with a motorcycle group and instead of a Subaru group. I dunno where I got that from.

I was glad to hear that the Cobra owner in question has contacted you. Hopefully, the matter can be resolved quickly and easily. Please feel free to contact me again if the club or I can help you in any way.

Happy motoring and best wishes from the DSCC group.

Sincerely,

Keith

Spyderman · #6 (**permalink**) 05-21-2002, 02:05 PM

I know I'll get flamed for this, but shame on all you guys that go too fast on public roads, in cars that are not race prepared, with little or no training in the art of high performance driving, and don't tell me you are trained because if you were, you would not be out hauling butt on public roads. Nobody ever wants to do track events, they would prefer to learn to drive their Cobra, sportbike, or Suburu during an emergency instead of before the emergency. Lucky nobody was hurt, but two helicopter loads of people were lifeflighted from this section of road over the last 10 days, so it does seem to be a problem. Why not go to a race track and learn to drive ?

mr bruce · #7 (**permalink**) 05-21-2002, 02:12 PM

Insurance companys just love reading these stories.

Zderf · #8 (**permalink**) 05-21-2002, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Insurance companys just love reading these stories.

mr bruce

has the whole insurance topic opened the floodgates of stupid behavior and risk taking/reporting? Oh my goodness....

Zderf

John McMahon · #9 (**permalink**) 05-21-2002, 04:12 PM

What amazing stupidity by the Cobra owners.

Hello????????

If you wanted to race, you should have driven through NC and gone to the COBRA EVENT FOR RACING ON A RACE TRACK AT VIR!
I mean there were only 90 Cobras there.

People like this truly piss me off.

I hope the Subaru owner is OK. I hope he contacts the authorities and presses charges.

Venom S · #10 (**permalink**) 05-21-2002, 04:18 PM

And Cobra owners wonder why they have trouble getting insurance. I for one, hope the bozo pays through the nose.

It's sad when one bad apple spoils the whole box.

Venom_S

Ron61 · #11 (**permalink**) 05-21-2002, 04:26 PM

I am really happy that you have found out who one of those drivers was. I agree with the above posts that the majority of the people that drive like that on public highways or roads don't really know how to drive. I always use the stay on my side of the road as a gauge and if I am going to fast with my street tires to stay on my side of the road around any corner I am going through then I slow down. I thought that only Calif. had people that drove like that.

Ron61

Jim Gunther · #12 (**permalink**) 05-21-2002, 05:16 PM

Is there something missing here?

Why would the Subaru have video going? Was he doing a hot-lap too?

Lest anyone mis-understand me - I am absolutely against illegal street racing but, there just seems to be more than meets the eye here!?!?

Take it to the track,

mikiec · #13 (**permalink**) 05-21-2002, 05:28 PM

I have to agree with Jim....

I went to the sites listed in the complaint....

They show this stretch of road is constantly used as a test of driving skills....318 turns on a 2 lane road.

While I do not agree with street racing, there must be more here than meets the eye....

Remember there are three sides to every story.

My .02

bonyhadi · #14 (**permalink**) 05-21-2002, 05:38 PM

Jim and Mikiec
-------------------
Great detective work. Coming off the Golden Gate bridge on highway 1 is a twisty road going down to Stinson Beach. Every kid on his crotch rocket and wanna be road racer is out there on Sunday mornings.
None of them have any business being there. Not Cobras, WRX's with $2000 suspensions and Aprilas.
None of them deserve insurance.

mk750 · #15 (**permalink**) 05-21-2002, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jim Gunther
Why would the Subaru have video going? Was he doing a hot-lap too?

Why does someone have a video camera running when they go see the statue of liberty? I had hte camera because the Dragon is the most unique roadway in the United States.

Yes, I am the driver who was forced off the road by the Cobra. Unlike them them however, I do NOT have to drive fast or dangerously to have a good time. In fact, the Dragon paled in comparison to how amazing it was to meet so many fellow Subaru entusiasts.

MK

JPorter900 · #16 (**permalink**) 05-21-2002, 05:46 PM

We were driving briskly. The Dragon is a great road for that. We were NOT driving sideways out of the corners and running into oncoming lanes. I read my people the riot act on several occasions before we ever got to the Gap... they knew full well that if I caught them driving irresponsibly they were going to be asked to leave.

Many of us had video running... we had almost 70 cars there after all... but the pace was controlled, not wild.

Take a look at the info site I set up for our event... take a close look at the section entitled "Safety".

http://www.baneverything.org/dragon

ERA535 · #17 (**permalink**) 05-21-2002, 05:50 PM

Hear, hear!

Jerry Cowing · #18 (**permalink**) 05-21-2002, 05:53 PM

I also agree with Jim. Something smells. The Subaru had "video going, sticky tires and racing suspension" -- I suppose he was just out for a Sunday drive with his sticky racing tires on.

Yes, the Cobra driver was nuts driving that fast on public roads, but I doubt that the "Subaru Dragon Challenge" was a bunch of angels either and I doubt they were there doing the speed limit.

I think they should all be thrown in jail for endangering people's lives on public highways. If the Subaru guys want to use their sticky tires and racing suspensions, have them use them on a race track and not on public highways.

Back in Black · #19 (**permalink**) 05-21-2002, 05:58 PM

Looks like some mountain roads here in WA state. But you never know what is around the next corner, so STAY IN YOUR LANE.

No intent to bash anyone in this thread, I was not there and don't know for sure what happened. Just be careful out there, while having fun. The wheelchair you avoid could have been your own.

todd · #20 (**permalink**) 05-21-2002, 05:58 PM

I have to say the glass house thing.

Qoute from the "challenge the dragon" website

"The CS light, also know as the "Check Shorts" light, will come on if you get the rear end of the car out while doing 75mph through a narrow curvey road. This was my experience anyway. Others have made the light come on but you'll have to ask them for their particular method of getting it to illuminate. "

No driving this way should be tolerated.

Now someone help me off my soapbox.

Todd