View Full Version : Dear God
Pray nothing like this (http://ksdk.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=83585) ever happens at an IRL race - or any other type of race for that matter. :(
Illinois State Police have released new information about the fatal accident at the Mount Vernon Raceway Saturday night. The driver of the race car that jumped into the stands says something was wrong with the throttle of his vehicle in the moments before the accident. Two people were killed and six others hurt.
http://www.ksdk.com/assetpool/images/05821185828_racecar2.jpg
Oh crap! At first, I thought picture showed the car being loaded on a flatbed truck...then I noticed the bleacher seats. :eek:
Fortunately this happened during a qualifying run when there were fewer people in the stands. I've been to Mt. Vernon a few times, the catch fencing isn't any worse than any other short track I've been too. Just one of them unfortunate racin deals. :(
cameraman
08-22-05, 01:05 PM
It is a good thing that the stands were relatively empty at the time.
devilmaster
08-22-05, 01:11 PM
Damnit. :(
Everyone should keep their eye on this. We've talked about for years what the fallout would be if one the crapwagons launched into the stands.
You look back into history, and Switzerland still doesn't allow motor racing because of the LeMans disaster in 55.(?) That was before the current trend of frivoulous and/or class action lawsuits.
Any racing series and track should be watching this closely. When the dust settles, can Mt Vernon still be a track and can it still get insurance?
cameraman
08-22-05, 01:24 PM
They probably will not be able to afford the insurance unless their catch fencing is seriously upgraded. Can the afford to make that kind of upgrade? Probably not.
The Illinois State Police are hot and heavy into this investigation. They're now calling for anyone who might have video of the incident to come forward. I'm betting this is the end of Mt. Vernons racing season for this year anyway.
It is a good thing that the stands were relatively empty at the time.
This might be the only thing the IRL has going for it.
Chitowncartfreak
08-22-05, 03:39 PM
When I returned home from Elkhart Lake yesterday, I saw a headline saying, "Car Goes Into Grandstand, Kills 2". My initial thought is that something happened during the .1RL race in Colorado. The fact that it happened at a small track in Illinois doesn't make it any less serious - what a terrible and sad thing to happen. Thank God it wasn't any worse than it was.
Steve99
08-22-05, 05:27 PM
Did this car go through the fence, or did it go over?
Andrew Longman
08-22-05, 05:45 PM
Did this car go through the fence, or did it go over?
Looking at the picture down the page in the linked article it look like a little of both. The fence is intact but crumpled. I also don't see any reinforcing cabling. The fencing is the usual chainlink fence you'd see around a parking lot, not the heavy stuff you'd find on a race track.
Scary too is the car was alone on the track. It was not even launched off another wheel/car. That should not be possible. :shakehead
Did this car go through the fence, or did it go over?
Basically through it as I understand. Just pushed it over. Only support posts holding the fencing, no cabling.
Andrew Longman
08-22-05, 05:56 PM
A bit better article here http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/C8DF62E992BF408486257065001867CA?OpenDocument
Reminds me of an accident a couple of years ago in Amherst, OH, where a car went into the stands, killing a handicapped person in a wheelchair. :(
-Kevin
Limaland Motorsports Park - my local track - has a MUCH better catchfence than any other dirt track I've seen. It has to be one of the safest dirt tracks in the country. From what I have been able to ascertain, Mt Vernon would let the dirt thrown from the tires pile up at the bottom of the wall. By this point in the season only about a foot of the wall was above the dirt, forming a virtual ramp. Additionally, if you look at this picture
http://www.ksdk.com/assetpool/images/05821185854_racecar4.jpg,
the fencing was placed ON THE OUTSIDE of the fence posts, not the inside. It was a disaster waiting to happen. As one driver said, "I knew that was going to happen one of these days."
I think the track owner/promoter is going to have a serious lawsuit (or three) on his hands.
RacinM3
08-22-05, 06:32 PM
That fence wouldn't even stand up to Helio's antics.
Take a look at this photo. (http://stlracingphotos.smugmug.com/gallery/628731/16/26762760) You can clearly see the "short" wall and a bunch of idiots standing along the fencing. I can't believe nobody thought that this might be a problem. :shakehead
...the fencing was placed ON THE OUTSIDE of the fence posts, not the inside. It was a disaster waiting to happen. As one driver said, "I knew that was going to happen one of these days."
You mean like it is down at Texas Motor Speedway, site of Kenny Brack's flying crapwagon trick?
I've got friends that live about 5 miles from the track. I was over there 3 weeks ago for a going away party for their son who's headed to Iraq with the Marines. After the boy had left with his friends, a bunch of us were sittin around drinking and trying to decide whether to go the the BGN race at Gateway (too crowded) or head over to Mt. Vernon for the Sat feature. We decided to just sit and drink. Typical short track this time of year that doesn't get proper maintenance.
There are HUNDREDS of tracks all over this beautiful country of ours that are disasters just waiting to happen.
Limaland Motorsports Park - my local track - has a MUCH better catchfence than any other dirt track I've seen. It has to be one of the safest dirt tracks in the country. From what I have been able to ascertain, Mt Vernon would let the dirt thrown from the tires pile up at the bottom of the wall. By this point in the season only about a foot of the wall was above the dirt, forming a virtual ramp. Additionally, if you look at this picture
http://www.ksdk.com/assetpool/images/05821185854_racecar4.jpg,
the fencing was placed ON THE OUTSIDE of the fence posts, not the inside. It was a disaster waiting to happen. As one driver said, "I knew that was going to happen one of these days."
I think the track owner/promoter is going to have a serious lawsuit (or three) on his hands.
Is that the track I mentioned? I have kin folk in the Amherst area, so that hit close to home. Thankfully they weren't in attendance when the accident happened.
Oh, and welcome back to yer homeland. BTW, the propah spelling for Ohiya is oHIo. :)
-Kevin
cameraman
08-23-05, 01:11 AM
Take a look at this photo. (http://stlracingphotos.smugmug.com/gallery/628731/16/26762760) You can clearly see the "short" wall
Wall? That ain't a wall it is a curb.
Jervis Tetch 1
08-23-05, 05:35 PM
All in all, not a very good night period.
Don Quixote
08-23-05, 05:49 PM
Take a look at this photo. (http://stlracingphotos.smugmug.com/gallery/628731/16/26762760) You can clearly see the "short" wall and a bunch of idiots standing along the fencing. I can't believe nobody thought that this might be a problem. :shakehead
Wow, that is as bad as rally race spectators who stand on the outside of a turn! :shakehead
Just reported, the track will reopen next month with fewer seats in the area where the car launched into.
Andrew Longman
09-01-05, 01:39 PM
Just reported, the track will reopen next month with fewer seats in the area where the car launched into.
What, smaller target?
From what I can tell that track has serious safety issues
Just reported, the track will reopen next month with fewer seats in the area where the car launched into.
In other words, they roped off the bleacher seats that the car smashed, and opened the gates. Hope they wise up.
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