so, who's was the Mousler that Hammond hit
Discussion
Simon Mason said:
It was the McInerys Mosler (brand new the week of the race) driven by Michael Vergers at the time. To be fair Verg was following someone past Hammond so a bit unsighted at the time and the Top Gear car was one the very slowest cars in the race.
A risk of being in a race with Moslers and diesel rep-mobiles on track at the same time for 24 hours. Although was Hammond supposed to pull over to let people past or not? Maybe they shouldn't have dicked about in the briefing.I might be wrong but the incident looked liked it happened coming onto the Hanger straight with the Mosler overtaking on Hammonds left, if so I can't see why the Mosler couldn't have waited until the straight before trying to go through there. It was after all a 24hr race, not a 12 lap sprint.
FourWheelDrift said:
I might be wrong but the incident looked liked it happened coming onto the Hanger straight with the Mosler overtaking on Hammonds left, if so I can't see why the Mosler couldn't have waited until the straight before trying to go through there. It was after all a 24hr race, not a 12 lap sprint.
I think you'll find that nearly all 24h races nowadays are full-on sprint races. You just lose too much time if you try to conserving fuel and mechanicals. Back in the good old days you could count on a few of the front runners dropping out with blown engines, etc, but nowadays engines, gearboxes and the like can last a full 24hrs at race pace.
I suppose that when you're fighting for the lead you will try to maintain your pace at all costs, and the faster guys have to place some trust that the guy in the slower car both (1) sees him coming and (2) does NOT make any silly moves with the steering.
The thing I've always found when being lapped (!!!) by faster cars is that they will always find a way around you. The important thing is not to make any stupid swerving moves or try to move erratically out of the way. That's when crashes happen!
As an aside, the sooner the Britcar 24 moves to National A grade as a minimum the better. It's entirely feasible that someone with very little race experience could be barrelling down the Hangar straight at night, not really having a clue, and end up causing a completely avoidable accident...l
I reckon it was 50 / 50 maybe hammond shouldnt have moved across so quickly, but maybe the Mosler shouldnt have followed the other car through so quickly...
A big thing about endurance racing is the traffic. you have to be able to make your way through it and still put the times in... Guys who complain about faster or slower cars getting in the way shouldnt be doing that kind of racing.
There is no rule about pulling over and letting other stuff through, its called racing for a reason...
The basic rules in endurance racing are for the slower cars to stick to their line, and the faster cars to make their way past ( as you would expect them to have more power and grip), its when people do unexpected things that accidents happen.
Just because a car is in a slower class doesnt mean its not just as on the limit, maybe more than the quicker car if its got a better driver...
A big thing about endurance racing is the traffic. you have to be able to make your way through it and still put the times in... Guys who complain about faster or slower cars getting in the way shouldnt be doing that kind of racing.
There is no rule about pulling over and letting other stuff through, its called racing for a reason...
The basic rules in endurance racing are for the slower cars to stick to their line, and the faster cars to make their way past ( as you would expect them to have more power and grip), its when people do unexpected things that accidents happen.
Just because a car is in a slower class doesnt mean its not just as on the limit, maybe more than the quicker car if its got a better driver...
FourWheelDrift said:
I might be wrong but the incident looked liked it happened coming onto the Hanger straight with the Mosler overtaking on Hammonds left, if so I can't see why the Mosler couldn't have waited until the straight before trying to go through there. It was after all a 24hr race, not a 12 lap sprint.
LOL!it was at Vale, so what straight (unless you call club corner a straight?
and I take it from your comments that you have not run in a 24H race before?
the mistake was NOT allowing for a car to be following the one that's just passed you and trying to move back onto line into a corner...
garyhun said:
Is it just me, or does anyone else think that Hammond was never meant to be a racing driver? 
Thats probably a little unfair, a 24hr race is a huge undertaking, and there were lots and lots of similar incidents.. Its just that hammonds has been highlighted. Also they carefully down played exactly how much experience he's got...JC - i've never raced before
Ham - I've never raced at Silverstone gp before mmmm ( just everywhere else in the uk)
ALso did you notice in the papers after the race it was , "Hammond crashes £100,000 bmw racing car" and on top gear it was "Our £10,000 ex repmobile)
G
spectatorsam said:
in fact..
why are there no circuit lights especily on the corners, if not all the way down the straits?
even kart tracks have lights for night races???
Yeah but Karts dont have headlights..... Running in the Dark is part of the challenge, if you lit the entire circuit, you may as well stop it when it gets dark and start again in the morning....why are there no circuit lights especily on the corners, if not all the way down the straits?
even kart tracks have lights for night races???
spectatorsam said:
in fact...
why are there no circuit lights especily on the corners, if not all the way down the straits?
even kart tracks have lights for night races???
Becuase then there would be no challenge to driving in the dark. Kart circuits have lights becuase karts don't have lights like cars do. why are there no circuit lights especily on the corners, if not all the way down the straits?
even kart tracks have lights for night races???
Scuffers said:
FourWheelDrift said:
I might be wrong but the incident looked liked it happened coming onto the Hanger straight with the Mosler overtaking on Hammonds left, if so I can't see why the Mosler couldn't have waited until the straight before trying to go through there. It was after all a 24hr race, not a 12 lap sprint.
LOL!it was at Vale, so what straight (unless you call club corner a straight?
Scuffers said:
FourWheelDrift said:
I might be wrong but the incident looked liked it happened coming onto the Hanger straight with the Mosler overtaking on Hammonds left, if so I can't see why the Mosler couldn't have waited until the straight before trying to go through there. It was after all a 24hr race, not a 12 lap sprint.
LOL!it was at Vale, so what straight (unless you call club corner a straight?
and I take it from your comments that you have not run in a 24H race before?
the mistake was NOT allowing for a car to be following the one that's just passed you and trying to move back onto line into a corner...
It is also possible I was asleep on my feet though?
Edited by mmm-five on Sunday 16th December 12:38
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