15 replies to this topic

[Panic Motorsports]

 

Notice she never lifts....... That's our girl!

[DrDomm]

Aside from being a shame for the deer, and a bummer for the damage to the car...that is amazing driving to NOT react!  That could have been horrible!

 

(Reminds me of the Cristiano DaMatta incident at Road America in a Champ Car a few years ago.  Tragic.)

[Sphinx]

Unfortunately, this is all too common an occurance at SP.  The first time I heard about it was from a friend driving an ITS RX7 circa 2003/2004. Left a hoof print on the hood, nothing serious.  He had tape footage to prove it too.

 

And who can forget this one:

 

http://jalopnik.com/...ttes-windshield

 

Sooner or later, someone is going to get killed at SP.  As the DaMatta accident showed, God help you if you're in an open cockpit car.

[wreckerboy]

It was a bad weekend for livestock at SP. During the Sunday SSM race somebody hit a groundhog in the chute. Damn thing ended up on the line in T4 for a few laps. In case you are curious, the coefficient of friction for a groundhog corpse is squarely in the "sucks" category.

[Keith Novak]

It's not all that uncommon unfortunately and it doesn't take a very big critter to do a lot of damage at speed.  I hit a couple robins a few years back at about 110 mph.  One took the Mazda emblem off my hood.  Another bent a tow hook down 45*, went through my radiator screen, and was embedded in the radiator.  My engine blew on the next lap and removing the oily bird guts and feathers from the entire engine compartment was unpleasant to say the least.

[Bench Racer]

 

And who can forget this one:

 

http://jalopnik.com/...ttes-windshield

 

Sooner or later, someone is going to get killed at SP.  As the DaMatta accident showed, God help you if you're in an open cockpit car.

Did this driver have the eye protection shield UP, as in no eye protection???

 

At Blackhawk Farm a few years ago an open wheel car driver and a turkey met head to head, results, not good for either.

[Keith Andrews]

I know she handled this a whole lot better than I would have.  A great job of driving.  I'm told a very messy clean up was required.

 

Bench - In 2004 a shifter Kart driver was killed when he hit a deer at Summit Point.  Wildlife and racing are a bad combination.   

[Think Racing]

I've been going to SP since the late 70s when my dad was racing there. I recently moved and miss it. The real test for how long you've been going to SP is if you can tell me why the top of the silo is gold?

Back in the 80s as a kid I remember seeing a rabbit hit in the braking zone at T5. It eventually became a greasy spot and to the earlier point, any car that hit it immediately spun ... The cars spun so much it was surreal and as a young kid at the time it was the funniest thing I'd seen.

I didn't realize the deer were so prevalent. Amazing video.

[Panic Motorsports]

Did this driver have the eye protection shield UP, as in no eye protection???

 

At Blackhawk Farm a few years ago an open wheel car driver and a turkey met head to head, results, not good for either.

Are you asking about the Corvette guy or our girl? Not sure on our girl, but she does wear sunglasses under her helmet, whether the visor is open or closed. Her radio call was interesting "I think I hit a deer"......car rolls out of T10 we all say Holy S**t, she sure did! Comes around next lap after viewing "her" carcass "Yep, I sure did" 

[Bench Racer]

The Corvette guy, he immediately moved his right hand to his eye port and it looked like his shield was up. We see lots of videos with shields up while racing and I always shake my head.

[Rob Hines]

I've been going to SP since the late 70s when my dad was racing there. I recently moved and miss it. The real test for how long you've been going to SP is if you can tell me why the top of the silo is gold?
 

 

IIRC, the silo was painted gold for an IMSA race there because Camel was the sponsor and their colors were gold and brown.

 

The record for the most disgusting wildlife encounter at summit goes to a friend who raced in FV.   A car ahead of him hit a gopher during a race between turns 4 and 5.   The gopher flew up in the air and landed in my friend's lap.  He threw it out of the car and continued, but what a mess.

[Think Racing]

You are right Rob, but you probably have been around longer than me too. Camel GT. Like Winston, R.J. Reynolds would spend a lot of money painting the tracks where they raced. For a while the curbs were painted too. Sorry for the hijack. I guess I feel nostalgic given I'm 1500 miles away from my home track.

[davew]

We regularly see deer at Blackhawk, although they usually stay off the track. A friend of mine hit a deer with a Spec Racer a few years ago. Blood, Guts and bodily fluids everywhere including in the cockpit.

 

We also had an Ostrich get loose from a local exotic game farm. Ozzie really liked the area around turn 7 and eventually had to be captureed by the safety team and coralled in a garage.

 

Glad the driver was not hurt in this incedent.

 

Dave

[wheel]

Thread reminds me of the story of the introduction of a new Boeing aircraft.  In the meeting, with pilots, the presenter pointed out that the windscreen could withstand a goose strike at 250 knots.  Some wag in the back said, "ain't no goose can fly 250 knots"

[steve]

It was a bad weekend for livestock at SP. During the Sunday SSM race somebody hit a groundhog in the chute. Damn thing ended up on the line in T4 for a few laps. In case you are curious, the coefficient of friction for a groundhog corpse is squarely in the "sucks" category.

That somebody was me.  I was begging it to stay on the side of the road, it wouldn't listen. 

[Waterboy]

That somebody was me. I was begging it to stay on the side of the road, it wouldn't listen.

Think you can swing by the house. I have a groundhog problem.