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Anyone here own the blue C6 that hit the wall at Road Atlanta/GridLife 2 days ago?
Looked like a wild ride, wondering if you're ok and what happened? Edit: I believe it was reported "no injuries" by Rob Chulada, who took the photo. GM made a pretty solid car.
This wreck actually led to some carnage behind and took out a record holder FWD car...GTR behind him nailed him. That last turn at Road Atlanta...not the place where you want to come out of the throttle avoiding someone else either...recipe for disaster...which this was...see video below at about the 1:00 mark. You can see the Blue Z06 hitting the wall, the SRT4 slows and goes into the grass, GTR slams him from behind...what a bad deal...sheesh.
Damn...another one! That section of road atlanta owns some cars. I've lived near RA for about 3.5yrs and have witnessed countless cars end their lives there. They should name that portion coming off of turn 11 as the junkyard maker...that spot owns a lot of cars.
As someone that has yet to drive Road Atlanta, can someone comment as to what NOT to do at this turn and/or what driver mistakes usually cause cars become totaled there?
I think there are a couple of causes, having seen a number of cars destroyed there.
As you dive down off turn 11 toward the straight:
1. Some people lift slightly feeling either the car is pushing or they are laterally loading the car too hard, so the lift abruptly, which causes the rear to unload and sideways they go...then the fight to survive begins.
2. Putting a tire off...don't do that.
3. Lastly, I think some cars run out of suspension travel, maybe hit the bumpstops and sideways they go.
As you come down turn 11 you have not only gravity pushing the car down, but also a good bit of lateral load, due to the speeds so...you're really pushing the suspension on the left side. It's a turn you have to work into for sure, because it's fast and doesn't provide much opportunity for recovery. You just need to work into it, look through it and don't do anything sudden...lol.
^^ these
turn 12 (that last sweeping one before the front straight) is a pretty fast turn so long as you're driving a good line, and as with any turn, the last thing you want to do is a quick throttle transition.
my unfortunate event was actually coming hot off 12 & passing a turbo Miata who didn't give me an inch... so i went into turn 1 about 15-20mph too hot trying to brake straight-ahead until i ran out of pavement, and on the turn-in from the outside edge, there's a little dip that unloaded my suspension & into a slide i went. clipped the inside wall.
Turn 11 is the bridge area and 12 is the bottom of the hill. Its before the straight. You aim for that red box on the bridge. Ive seen so many cars go backwards into the wall there. Most notable car was a Porsche 918 on a parade lap at that. glad all are ok tho! A good friend passed away from a few years ago from complications of hitting the wall at turn 5.
Going up that hill at the bridge underpass will get your suspension unloaded when you crest it, if you take the line incorrectly you're going sideways with gas pedal mashed and no weight on the rears. I had some butt pucker going over it the first time since I didn't know the track and didn't have someone showing me the line. Watching videos can only do so much. If you take it straight over no issue and you can stay on it, but turning the wheel as you crest and you're screwed. Case in point, see post 1.
Going up that hill at the bridge underpass will get your suspension unloaded when you crest it, if you take the line incorrectly you're going sideways with gas pedal mashed and no weight on the rears. I had some butt pucker going over it the first time since I didn't know the track and didn't have someone showing me the line. Watching videos can only do so much. If you take it straight over no issue and you can stay on it, but turning the wheel as you crest and you're screwed. Case in point, see post 1.
No, he's way past the downhill....he lost it coming off 12...that's where people lift or put a tire in the grass, or just flat out the rear steps out due to the speeds/lateral G's.
It looks to me like the GTR driver's mistake was putting two wheels into the grass a second or two before the collision. I'm guessing the intent was to drive around the Corvette wreckage, but then the Neon driver braked hard - with all four wheels on pavement. The GTR driver probably hit the brakes even harder at that point, but only one of them actually slowed down.
It looks to me like the GTR driver's mistake was putting two wheels into the grass a second or two before the collision. I'm guessing the intent was to drive around the Corvette wreckage, but then the Neon driver braked hard - with all four wheels on pavement. The GTR driver probably hit the brakes even harder at that point, but only one of them actually slowed down.
Ouch.
I agree with you...I felt the same way. That neon braked hard, with not much choice himself, as the Evo slowed. GTR put tires off and that was it. I felt the GTR did ok with the fact the neon really didn't take too much damage. GTR was f'd by comparison.
No, he's way past the downhill....he lost it coming off 12...that's where people lift or put a tire in the grass, or just flat out the rear steps out due to the speeds/lateral G's.
T11 and T12 play together. Suspension unloads cresting the hill and fully compresses once you hit the dip at the bottom of the hill. Once you hit the dip that is your turn in point. Taking the corners and hitting the dip wrong can lead you into a wild ride through T12.
Granted this looks like a fight through T12 and a wheel off a tad before the flagstand. Sad day and I glad he is ok.
08-26-2018, 12:26 PM
Anyone here own the blue C6 that hit the wall at Road Atlanta/GridLife 2 days ago?
