Recovery Buffoons
Discussion
andygo said:
My son was at Snetterton testing a new Formula Renault. He spun the car at the first corner, but allowed it to roll back onto the grass. It dug in and ever so gently rolled. There was minimal damage. The marshalls came over tipped the car onto its side.No problem, my son popped out, only to watch in horror as they then just pushed it further and dropped it onto its wheels.
That wrote off all four corners, snapped the lugs on the block for the gearbox bolts and cracked the gearbox casing.
Struggling to understand this one. How did that damage occur? Even if they were ham fisted two of the wheels were already on the ground when they pushed it over. Ultimately it has to end up on four wheels to be recovered. That wrote off all four corners, snapped the lugs on the block for the gearbox bolts and cracked the gearbox casing.
andygo said:
I was struggling to understand it at the time, but seeing is believing.
There was a small bump in the ground where the engine/gearbox landed, stressing where the engine and gearbox joined. It happened. It cost me £19000 as you had to buy all the parts off the Renault Sport truck.
even as a veteran marshal who defends others to the end I cant condone that sort of action....a controlled roll should be just that, I have done it myself and seen plenty of them done successfully over the years...so just dropping it back onto its wheels isn't acceptable. ok maybe in a 1.5 tonne saloon car with lots of suspension travel but not a single seaterThere was a small bump in the ground where the engine/gearbox landed, stressing where the engine and gearbox joined. It happened. It cost me £19000 as you had to buy all the parts off the Renault Sport truck.
BertBert said:
what is the approved method of getting a single seater that is on its side back on all 4? How do the marshals safely hold it to lower it down gently? Not particularly relevant to the thread, just set me thinking!
Usual procedure is plenty of bodies (and I mean plenty) on the side of the car being lowered and eased slowly back to the ground. It's a training day thing that is done regularly, mainly to cope with a driver still in the car to prevent any (further) injury.However in a "live"! race situation when the driver is out of the car (as appearsto have happened her) there are more pressures to get the incident cleared up quickly.
Incidentally the thread now seems to be covering 3 topice - the original post regarding recovery of cars by Breakdown Units. The moving of cars by trackside "snatch" vehicles and now the movement of cars by trackside marshals - All different scenarios IMO
covboy said:
Usual procedure is plenty of bodies (and I mean plenty) on the side of the car being lowered and eased slowly back to the ground. It's a training day thing that is done regularly, mainly to cope with a driver still in the car to prevent any (further) injury.
However in a "live"! race situation when the driver is out of the car (as appearsto have happened her) there are more pressures to get the incident cleared up quickly.
Incidentally the thread now seems to be covering 3 topice - the original post regarding recovery of cars by Breakdown Units. The moving of cars by trackside "snatch" vehicles and now the movement of cars by trackside marshals - All different scenarios IMO
My thing was on a test day... I appreciate there might not have been lots of marshalls about, but the cars are pretty light.However in a "live"! race situation when the driver is out of the car (as appearsto have happened her) there are more pressures to get the incident cleared up quickly.
Incidentally the thread now seems to be covering 3 topice - the original post regarding recovery of cars by Breakdown Units. The moving of cars by trackside "snatch" vehicles and now the movement of cars by trackside marshals - All different scenarios IMO
andygo said:
covboy said:
Usual procedure is plenty of bodies (and I mean plenty) on the side of the car being lowered and eased slowly back to the ground. It's a training day thing that is done regularly, mainly to cope with a driver still in the car to prevent any (further) injury.
However in a "live"! race situation when the driver is out of the car (as appearsto have happened her) there are more pressures to get the incident cleared up quickly.
Incidentally the thread now seems to be covering 3 topice - the original post regarding recovery of cars by Breakdown Units. The moving of cars by trackside "snatch" vehicles and now the movement of cars by trackside marshals - All different scenarios IMO
My thing was on a test day... I appreciate there might not have been lots of marshalls about, but the cars are pretty light.However in a "live"! race situation when the driver is out of the car (as appearsto have happened her) there are more pressures to get the incident cleared up quickly.
Incidentally the thread now seems to be covering 3 topice - the original post regarding recovery of cars by Breakdown Units. The moving of cars by trackside "snatch" vehicles and now the movement of cars by trackside marshals - All different scenarios IMO
I'm surprised Wookie has not entered into this conversation.
I am sure it was him that had the front end ripped off his car at Druidsa couple of years a by the Brands Hatch crane chimp on National TV followed by a recovery scenario choreographed by the Keystone Kops
I can still the remember the collective crowd oooo!!! as the body came away followed by stifled giggles.
I am sure it was him that had the front end ripped off his car at Druidsa couple of years a by the Brands Hatch crane chimp on National TV followed by a recovery scenario choreographed by the Keystone Kops
I can still the remember the collective crowd oooo!!! as the body came away followed by stifled giggles.
I also think it's the job of the driver to control the recovery crew. In the few incidents that I've had, I've always stayed with the car and been in control as far as possible. I've never understood drivers that just walk away. It's your car and you are still in charge of it.
In a ginetta g20 race at Rockingham I had a 2nd corner '3 into 2 won't go' incident which left my car stranded in the middle of the track with a broken rear upright and wishbone.
The marshals wanted to throw a rope on the car and drag it out of the way. I had to very quickly and firmly point out that in would not allow them to touch the car until it could be lifted on to a flatbed truck. They argued with me but I stayed firm and got my way. They wanted the race to get under way quicker, I wanted my car looked after. If you think that's selfish - good - I'd agree and would expect any other person in the same situation to do what I did, even if it means 1 more lap under safety car.
So my £250 ish damage bill stayed just that. Who knows what damage could have been done if I'd not stayed in control.
(It goes without saying that if I'd spotted the last minute lunge and left enough space for 2 cars not 1 on my inside then the incident wouldn't have happened in the first place)
In a ginetta g20 race at Rockingham I had a 2nd corner '3 into 2 won't go' incident which left my car stranded in the middle of the track with a broken rear upright and wishbone.
The marshals wanted to throw a rope on the car and drag it out of the way. I had to very quickly and firmly point out that in would not allow them to touch the car until it could be lifted on to a flatbed truck. They argued with me but I stayed firm and got my way. They wanted the race to get under way quicker, I wanted my car looked after. If you think that's selfish - good - I'd agree and would expect any other person in the same situation to do what I did, even if it means 1 more lap under safety car.
So my £250 ish damage bill stayed just that. Who knows what damage could have been done if I'd not stayed in control.
(It goes without saying that if I'd spotted the last minute lunge and left enough space for 2 cars not 1 on my inside then the incident wouldn't have happened in the first place)
Racingben said:
I also think it's the job of the driver to control the recovery crew. In the few incidents that I've had, I've always stayed with the car and been in control as far as possible. I've never understood drivers that just walk away. It's your car and you are still in charge of it.
Sometimes you dont get the option to stay with your car though... At Snett earlier this year I went in backwards hard between turns 1 and 2. The medical car was actually dispatched onto a live race circuit and I was taken (although fine) to the medical ctr before the car was recovered!! I did ask them to recover it in a certain way (drag not lift...) and I think they did. No more damage caused for me. This thread has reminded me of the formula first that was dropped at Castle Combe years ago the guy never had it suspended correctly promptly dropped it then dragged the car over onto its roll hoop all four corners badly damaged wen it was just the front corner i've never forgotton it such a blatant act of carelessness i've ever seen and car that was all but destroyed.
And the Marshal last year pushing on a rear wing on a single seater to snap it right off[he fell to the floor]much to our amusement the driver just stood there in disbelief!!
And the Marshal last year pushing on a rear wing on a single seater to snap it right off[he fell to the floor]much to our amusement the driver just stood there in disbelief!!
bqf said:
Right, so racetrack crashes are due to "incompetence" are they? Tit.
to be fair, your complaining about recovery people making mistakes....having just crashed and made one yourself...it doesn't condone an action which creates more damage....however if you hadn't made the mistake and put it there in the first place......Gassing Station | UK Club Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff