Donington Track Safety
Discussion
Whilst I've been somewhat distracted by the no wheels off nonsense - this is something that is very serious
Donington has been doing a massive amount of earth movements to improve spectator safety. However, they've seemingly not understood the implications to driver safety.
Have a look at the 2 photos below show the wall changes that your faced with coming down through Craners.
They've moved the concrete wall significantly closer to the track and if you had a straight on movement (clash of cars, failure) you'll have 20 meters of grass straight into a double concrete wall. That would be quite literally a dead stop.
Last year my friend Sean Edwards died in a similar incident in Australia. That was further and through a couple of rows of tyres and then into a wall. The dash ended up in the back of the car, such was the force of hitting a concrete wall. There's no give in hitting a concrete wall.
BTCC drivers have already expressed their concerns - it's incredibly dangerous and something needs to be done. If you remember Plato's off a few years ago - that could have been a very serious accident or fatality with the new layout
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detai...
Donington has been doing a massive amount of earth movements to improve spectator safety. However, they've seemingly not understood the implications to driver safety.
Have a look at the 2 photos below show the wall changes that your faced with coming down through Craners.
They've moved the concrete wall significantly closer to the track and if you had a straight on movement (clash of cars, failure) you'll have 20 meters of grass straight into a double concrete wall. That would be quite literally a dead stop.
Last year my friend Sean Edwards died in a similar incident in Australia. That was further and through a couple of rows of tyres and then into a wall. The dash ended up in the back of the car, such was the force of hitting a concrete wall. There's no give in hitting a concrete wall.
BTCC drivers have already expressed their concerns - it's incredibly dangerous and something needs to be done. If you remember Plato's off a few years ago - that could have been a very serious accident or fatality with the new layout
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detai...
Raced at donington in the wet (and dark due to delays) last year, a lot of cars spent a lot of time off the track. One probably spent more time off than on. With the wall in it's new position I'm fairly sure there would have been a lot less cars re-joining the track at the very least.
Well done for pointing that out Woof, a very concerning change & maybe most of us would not of thought about without it being brought to our attention....
The consequences of a clash spearing you off towards that wall just before the left hand turn for me in my Juno (approx 135mph at that point) could be horrendous, I shall be contacting the circuit to find out what the plan is regarding protection & or gravel traps at that point.
The consequences of a clash spearing you off towards that wall just before the left hand turn for me in my Juno (approx 135mph at that point) could be horrendous, I shall be contacting the circuit to find out what the plan is regarding protection & or gravel traps at that point.
spikey78 said:
Has anyone asked Donington about it? Maybe they're going to put a gravel trap in front of it
Matt Neal raised it a few weeks back when they were testing there. I was there last Thursday and nothing has been done. The only suggestion so far has to been to remove one of the concrete walls so it has some give to it but they a car could end up in the spectators !Jeez, been to Donni a few times already this year and didn't really notice this, it's a real issue. In truth, apart from Plato i've rarely seen any cars go off this far up the Craners but if they did it would now be a significant impact. Just checked a couple of my own videos and the you can really see the difference.
Well spotted and pointed out.
Just watched this on our vids from last weekend's racing; like some others, I had not really picked it up, but for sure this has hugely increased the potential dire consequences of a nudge; even at a speed of circa 130mph, it's created something like two seconds of massive peril that did not really exist before. Two seconds is a huge increment of time (for things to go amiss) at those sorts of speeds.
This is unacceptable and remedial action needs to be undertaken immediately; if remedial means moving the barriers back to where they used to be, then IMHO, so be it. Safety comes first and there should be no exceptions.
Just watched this on our vids from last weekend's racing; like some others, I had not really picked it up, but for sure this has hugely increased the potential dire consequences of a nudge; even at a speed of circa 130mph, it's created something like two seconds of massive peril that did not really exist before. Two seconds is a huge increment of time (for things to go amiss) at those sorts of speeds.
This is unacceptable and remedial action needs to be undertaken immediately; if remedial means moving the barriers back to where they used to be, then IMHO, so be it. Safety comes first and there should be no exceptions.
splitpin said:
Well spotted and pointed out.
Just watched this on our vids from last weekend's racing; like some others, I had not really picked it up, but for sure this has hugely increased the potential dire consequences of a nudge; even at a speed of circa 130mph, it's created something like two seconds of massive peril that did not really exist before. Two seconds is a huge increment of time (for things to go amiss) at those sorts of speeds.
This is unacceptable and remedial action needs to be undertaken immediately; if remedial means moving the barriers back to where they used to be, then IMHO, so be it. Safety comes first and there should be no exceptions.
It was actually Matt Neal that kicked this off - he's pushing hard for something to be actioned before BTCC next week. Just watched this on our vids from last weekend's racing; like some others, I had not really picked it up, but for sure this has hugely increased the potential dire consequences of a nudge; even at a speed of circa 130mph, it's created something like two seconds of massive peril that did not really exist before. Two seconds is a huge increment of time (for things to go amiss) at those sorts of speeds.
This is unacceptable and remedial action needs to be undertaken immediately; if remedial means moving the barriers back to where they used to be, then IMHO, so be it. Safety comes first and there should be no exceptions.
Moving the concrete walls back is impossible - there are 100s thousands of tonnes of earth there now.
You would like to have thought that with a fatality at that circuit last year regardless of what happened that safety would have been first, second and third. It does not look like that has happened.
If there is not a proper solution to this issue before the BTCC race meeting then I would like to hope that the stars of the BTCC have the courage to walk away from the circuit without racing. This would give the MSA the bloody nose that they deserve for allowing this mess to happen. Yes I understand that a lot of people will lose money and there will be disappointed spectators etc. but sometimes a point needs to be made.
Congratulations to all those who have had the nerve to upset the authorities by making a noise about this, Matt Neal and Woof amongst others .
If there is not a proper solution to this issue before the BTCC race meeting then I would like to hope that the stars of the BTCC have the courage to walk away from the circuit without racing. This would give the MSA the bloody nose that they deserve for allowing this mess to happen. Yes I understand that a lot of people will lose money and there will be disappointed spectators etc. but sometimes a point needs to be made.
Congratulations to all those who have had the nerve to upset the authorities by making a noise about this, Matt Neal and Woof amongst others .
I would have thought that an alteration such as this would require prior approval by MSA/FIA/FIM. It seems a strange move to decrease a run off area when mosts walls are being moved further away from the circuits.
I wonder what the feedback is from the motorcycle racers/track day participants.
I wonder what the feedback is from the motorcycle racers/track day participants.
It is surprising they have moved the barrier closer.
However the new version is significantly safer than the old configuration.
The old configuration consisted of earth bank with some loose tyres in front of it. Making it likely that cars hitting it would be launched into a roll.
Plato's roll would not have happened with the new wall.
Probably need to extend the tyre wall both ways though as the BMW at the motors race day only just hit the the tyre wall rather than concrete.
However the new version is significantly safer than the old configuration.
The old configuration consisted of earth bank with some loose tyres in front of it. Making it likely that cars hitting it would be launched into a roll.
Plato's roll would not have happened with the new wall.
Probably need to extend the tyre wall both ways though as the BMW at the motors race day only just hit the the tyre wall rather than concrete.
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