My first ever car crash!
Discussion
Well, I've only been driving cars for 5 years, but having passed my ARDS test and dived in with Formula Vee this year, I guess it was inevitable!
First off, I probably should say that I've been meaning to do a big introduction on here (like the couple of excellent ones here already!) charting my 'Rookie on a budget' racing dreams, but forum permissions were preventing me from posting anything at all. Admin have now sorted this, so this post is sort-of a test, before I type a 5000 word essay and find I still can't post.
So, in my 3rd ever race weekend at Donington, I found my pace pretty fast, but cocked up in qualifying and failed to translate that into a grid position. Charging up through the field in race 1, I was too far back to lunge up the inside, and instead committed to run deep and cut back to pass the car ahead on the exit, only he messed up himself and still hadn't turned in...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxJ47_WHmKQ
Totally my fault, of course, and thankfully I didn't damage the car in front. I bent mine a bit, and it feels like a gorilla has tried to rip off my left hand and arm where I kept hold of the steering wheel as our tyres met...
Thanks for letting me in the forum - I'll be needing this place to get my kicks over the off-season!!
First off, I probably should say that I've been meaning to do a big introduction on here (like the couple of excellent ones here already!) charting my 'Rookie on a budget' racing dreams, but forum permissions were preventing me from posting anything at all. Admin have now sorted this, so this post is sort-of a test, before I type a 5000 word essay and find I still can't post.
So, in my 3rd ever race weekend at Donington, I found my pace pretty fast, but cocked up in qualifying and failed to translate that into a grid position. Charging up through the field in race 1, I was too far back to lunge up the inside, and instead committed to run deep and cut back to pass the car ahead on the exit, only he messed up himself and still hadn't turned in...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxJ47_WHmKQ
Totally my fault, of course, and thankfully I didn't damage the car in front. I bent mine a bit, and it feels like a gorilla has tried to rip off my left hand and arm where I kept hold of the steering wheel as our tyres met...
Thanks for letting me in the forum - I'll be needing this place to get my kicks over the off-season!!
BertBert said:
Er? I can only see one messer-upper in that vid! We all make cockups and know the racing driver book of excuses backwards, forwards and inside out, but how was that a mess up by the guy in front?
Meh, he said he had brake problems - he should have turned in way before that, and as I'd committed to going deep I couldn't go to the inside before I'd closed right up.Doesn't matter what he was doing, as I still shouldn't have hit him, though! (and I still would have made the corner! :P )
So I wasn't intending to use an excuse...
77racing said:
Thing to remember there is, always go and have a chat and apologise if you got it wrong with the other driver. It never is a great feeling but a "sorry I got it wrong" goes a long way for the other driver
Yes - I jumped out and went straight to him, fully expecting him to go mental, but he was fine about it, and no damage so no problems.The thing is, as I was hitting him I was remembering he'd put his car up for sale, and was "just doing one last race"...
So lucky!
Unfortunately, he wasn't as lucky in race 2, where he came together with another car on the exit of Redgate...
xjay1337 said:
Watched the video. You braked too late. Can't see fault in the other driver.
I have done that a lot, not in racing but general life (same rules). Came up with excuses. The sooner you err on the side of personal responsibility without even bringing up someones involvement you will manage better.
Could have been worse, so take that aside. Pretty small one, probably looked worse than it was.
on to the next race eh :-)
Well, yeah, I've tried to be as clear as I can that IT WAS MY FAULT. I have done that a lot, not in racing but general life (same rules). Came up with excuses. The sooner you err on the side of personal responsibility without even bringing up someones involvement you will manage better.
Could have been worse, so take that aside. Pretty small one, probably looked worse than it was.
on to the next race eh :-)
And I was braking about 6ft earlier than normal to try my move - I was just coming up behind him too fast. It's still blowing my mind how fast you can get a Vee into a corner, and I'm nowhere near the limit, yet!
johnfm said:
Locking up the front right didn't help.
That's where the rookie mistake came in - I saw I was closing in on him a bit quickly and panic braked a bit and locked that wheel... 
Think I'll be going to the Doc's in the morning to get my wrist/arm checked out, too. I know you're supposed to let go of the wheel before you hit barriers and stuff, but surely if it's another car you just have to ride that sucker out and hope you avoi it? Guess I'll just have to not hit anyone in the future - so that's my BTCC dreams over!
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