SouthernSon

Not your typical HPDE track weekend but does give pause for reflection on how serious a track event can get really quickly. Driving someone else's car is somewhat different than driving your own. There is a reason for the different run groups at most HPDE events. Building experience slowly is the best way to do it. Really hate it for the deceased and the families.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/local/2...egas-racetrack

moose.b3

You just never know

StreetSpeed

I've been asked to instruct in those super car experience things many times. There is no money you could pay me to do that. I understand this isn't quite that but it's not drastically different. When the guy getting in the car is there for 3 laps, as cheaply possible, to show you the instructor how awesome and fast a driver he is, with zero training and minimal safety considerations, well unfortunately this is bound to happen. RIP to both.

froggy47

Looks like a little track, middle of nowhere. 3-4 older exotics ? Just asking.

Sad, be safe all.

added:

Opened april 2016 30 million dollar track (so the press release says)

http://www.reviewjournal.com/busines...ine-rush-video

63Corvette

I instruct with Chin and Edge Addicts among others. Your results may differ, BUT it has been my experience that the more "exotic" a car is, the slower and more frightened the driver will be. I instructed a 427 "Cobra" at MSR Houston, and a Lamborghini Huracan at CoTA. The Cobra driver finally got the line down, but pulled over and pointed EVERY car by at each straight! The Lambo driver did 85mph down the long straight between 11 and 12, and after four sessions (not laps) asked me "WHICH WAY?" when I suggested that she "turn"...........

FASTFATBOY

"Rental cars" are MUCH different than owned cars. In these "Exotic car experiences" drivers are straight up dangerous. They pay $99 to get a lifetime of dreams out in 3 laps or less.

Trying to get "your monies worth" out of a car that doesn't belong to you in itself makes it MUCH more dangerous as compared to HPDE. From " I want to see what this thing will do" all the way to "let me show you I can drive this bitch."

Suns_PSD

SunnydayDILYSI

apex26

A quick check of Auto Rental News finds an article that says "the majority of customers who rent specialty cars are those who can’t afford to buy one". They are predominantly young men, and no doubt seeking thrills. That's a far different dynamic than a guy who probably does all his own work on his own car, and just wants to master driving it.

TrackAire

RIP to all of those involved.....very sad.

I don't know anything more than I've seen on this thread, but it does seem strange that the car went that hard into the wall with that much speed. I have not seen clear photos of how much damage the car sustained or if fire was the main issue. The Lambos of late have been susceptible to catching fire, crashing them doesn't help.

I have some other theories but don't dare post them without more proof of vehicle damage and accident scene reconstruction or in car data recordings. I'm pretty sure they offer an in car recording of your "super car" experience....hopefully those recordings will help explain what happened and how to avoid it in the future.

froggy47

Looked like a pretty complete fire though, not sure average or even pro equipment would survive.

spdislife

Nowanker

Scary sh*t. I'm comfortable instructing at the HPDE level (but suck at it!)... Aint no way in HELL I'd get into a car that seriously fast with a driver of unknown skill-to-testosterone level.
R.I.P.

TrackAire

I haven't seen any clear pictures of the cars wreckage and actual vehcile damage. The Porsche GT that Paul Walker died in didn't have catastrophic body damage but those guys burned to death....what a shitty way to go.

The Lambos do seem to be very well built for surviving bad wrecks. IMO, it would take an extremely hard hit to kill both occupants if they are strapped in (barring no fire). But, if the car hit the wall at over 125 mph, even if you survived the crash you'd probably be injured or knocked unconscious and wouldn't be able to get out to escape a fire.

When things go bad with fire, they can happen in just a few seconds:

I would be surprised if the facility does not have 24/7 surveillance cameras hitting every square foot of that track...I'm sure OSHA and the Nevada highway patrol are review those tapes now.

argonaut

Sometime last summer or so Jack Baruth (Road and Track writer, racer, HPDE coach) wrote an editorial on the time he was a guest instructor for a 'Drive a Supercar' event at Pittsburgh International raceway. He made it pretty clear - lots of idiots, very dangerous, would never do it again.

Kevova

Some would say it's fraud. IMO there needs to be some software enhancements to reduce the power and increase "child proofing" at can be dialed in to the car depending on participant's experience. A long with a reduced power panic button if instructor know driver is overhead.

WhoIsPat

The track diagram shows a hard right turn at the end of the longest straight.

https://speedvegas.com/en/las-vegas-racetrack/index

Reading about this elsewhere, someone mentioned that there is a concrete barrier at the end of that straight, which, if true, is a shockingly mindless design on a track that was built specifically for the purpose of putting amateur drivers (Just 18 with a valid license, "no prior experience needed!" - per their website) into some of the world's most powerful cars.

TrackAire

To me, it would take a severe miscalculations or negligent judgment to really screw up here.


That doesn't mean a mechanical issue, tire blow out, etc didn't cause something out of the normal.

SocalC5Z

Just seems like a recipe for disaster. Putting someone with unknown experience in a super car with no skin in the game...sad to hear of these fatalities.

WhoIsPat

Severe miscalculation or negligent judgement does not seem unlikely based on most other severe crashes, of course those do not have a professional instructor in the passenger seat, which makes some type of mechanical failure seem more plausible. From the pictures it looks like they hit the wall just after the end of the rubber bumpers that are in frame at the beginning of the video you linked. Seems like they could easily end up there by boiling the brake fluid, or any kind of brake failure, trying to keep it on the track while coming into the first corner way too hot.