Crashes happen and most race cars are repairable, depending on the amount of damage.
When a severe crash happens, sometimes it is easier to start over than it is to fix the crashed car. The biggest determining factor in whether to fix a badly crashed car is often cost. If the cost to fix exceeds the value or worth of …
Did the shoe get cut off you right foot as well?
I guess that would fall into the cost of other safety equipment that can't be reused.
In reply to Karacticus :
Luckily the shoe survived. I love those AlpineStars shoes and waited years before splurging on them.
For those of you who want to see the good show at the Junkyard, I've got the video uploaded on my YouTube channel:
In reply to christinaylam (Forum Supporter) :
Ow.
Ouch. Sorry to see this happened to you, but I think it's good that people see the other, not-so-positive side of things just to remind them of the risks we take each time we strap in. Glad you're okay and were able to show us your story.
Watched that YouTube video of the car being brought to the junkyard. I was super impressed that the cage put up a fight against the crane's claws. Saw in another video that Hi-Speed did your cage too? They definitely did it right. Looking forward to the next few parts of this journey.
Similar happened to me except my car was salvageable. Unfortunately I sustained a concussion that hasn't fully gone away after 6 months.
Pulling that off in that short of time was nothing short of epic....always an inspiring story.
Looks like a tough lesson to learn. Glad you didn't quit. This is the kind of stuff that makes legends. Thanks for sharing your story. Hope to race against you one day on the track. Looking forward to reading the next part of this story.
$34 will get you like a case and a half of High Life. Which might help after balling up your racecar.
So wait, when did this happen?
With all racing cancelled I am confused, where and when? I don't recognize the track in the fotos.
or maybe it's because I have Corona virus, and am spaced out.
Oh wait, sorry I see it was before the run offs.
Where?
Photos look like repair was never going to be a realistic option which always sucks!
I had a crash at NJMP coming on to the front straight when a GTL car blew its motor and dumped 7 quarts of oil. I hit the armco at 115 mph with my left front, then the left side and the left rear corner. With 6 weeks until the Mid Ohio Runoffs I didn't have time to build a new chassis. Besides front an rear suspension and body damage, the left 1/4 panel was actually bent into a curl. I was unable to pull the 1/4 back out. The fix was a 3/4 section of the left rear, replacing suspension and body panels, including shimming the rear suspension in order to align it. I made it to the Runoffs and equaled my previous lap times. Over the winter I built a new car fro a fresh tub as the car was tweaked badly enough that it would never be right. Sometimes the only right repair is to start fresh.
amg_rx7 said:Similar happened to me except my car was salvageable. Unfortunately I sustained a concussion that hasn't fully gone away after 6 months.
People forget that injuries sustained in serious crashes will almost always stay with you for much longer than you expect. Concussions are terrible, hope you are able to heal up during this extended off season.
thatsnowinnebago (Forum Supporter) said:$34 will get you like a case and a half of High Life. Which might help after balling up your racecar.
Might not even take that much, I'm allergic to alcohol so half a can would do me in. 
BigsexySVG said:Looks like a tough lesson to learn. Glad you didn't quit. This is the kind of stuff that makes legends. Thanks for sharing your story. Hope to race against you one day on the track. Looking forward to reading the next part of this story.
Quitting is a terrifying thing. It brings you right back to where you started. And when you started, you'd give anything to be where you are now. Although I never imagined getting this far when I first started in motorsports, I feel like I've just gotten started. You'll see me around for a while. :)
IndyLegend33 said:Ouch. Sorry to see this happened to you, but I think it's good that people see the other, not-so-positive side of things just to remind them of the risks we take each time we strap in. Glad you're okay and were able to show us your story.
Watched that YouTube video of the car being brought to the junkyard. I was super impressed that the cage put up a fight against the crane's claws. Saw in another video that Hi-Speed did your cage too? They definitely did it right. Looking forward to the next few parts of this journey.
Hi-Speed Motorsports did my original cage. Done right for sure. I think the crane operator at the junkyard was surprised that initial hit didn't quite smash the car too bad. And then he proceeded to crush the thing to pieces haha.
RyanGreener said:Pulling that off in that short of time was nothing short of epic....always an inspiring story.
Tight timeline would have been nearly impossible if it wasn't for the help of friends and sponsors in the community.
Don49 (Forum Supporter) said:I had a crash at NJMP coming on to the front straight when a GTL car blew its motor and dumped 7 quarts of oil. I hit the armco at 115 mph with my left front, then the left side and the left rear corner. With 6 weeks until the Mid Ohio Runoffs I didn't have time to build a new chassis. Besides front an rear suspension and body damage, the left 1/4 panel was actually bent into a curl. I was unable to pull the 1/4 back out. The fix was a 3/4 section of the left rear, replacing suspension and body panels, including shimming the rear suspension in order to align it. I made it to the Runoffs and equaled my previous lap times. Over the winter I built a new car fro a fresh tub as the car was tweaked badly enough that it would never be right. Sometimes the only right repair is to start fresh.
Oof! That is a fast corner to hit oil on. You really nailed all the corners. It is heart wrenching when you tally up the damages. Must have been a ton of overtime pulling that thing back out and making Runoffs. It is nice when you can match previous lap times even with a tweaked car. Have you been back to MidO with the new car?
Polopharm said:Oh wait, sorry I see it was before the run offs.
Where?
Photos look like repair was never going to be a realistic option which always sucks!
This was at Thompson Speedway up in CT. Love the track! NER SCCA has a night race on the schedule there this year. Hoping if we are all still in lockdown it can get rescheduled. Racing under the lights sounds like alot of fun. A repair was possible but not financially feasible. We also ran the risk of not getting it perfect which can happen when a wreck is this bad. I know several friends with racecars that are tweaked from a crash. They can be fast again, but some are never quite the same.
On the plus side; about 15 years from now your ankle will let you know it's going to rain about 3 days in advance.
As with all racers you've kept your head down and just moved forward..............it's what makes racers special.
In reply to Tom1200 :
Maybe I'll have a future as a meteorologist with better accuracy!
Truth. My broken thumb is already an excellent weather barometer. The break did not carry such a glorious spectacle with it as your foot though.
I haven't been back to Mid Ohio with the new chassis. I did have a good run at NJMP last year and the new chassis is definitely better than the old one pre-accident. I was able to match my best previous time in extremely hot and slippery conditions.
Thank you again for sharing the chronicles of your (painful) story!
How's your foot?
In reply to Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) :
Foot is doing much better. With PT, I got to ditch the cast last month and slowly working to regain mobility. This accident caused more damage than the doctors anticipated. There was a shattered bone in my midfoot they did not discover until after the Runoffs. I avoided surgery and it is healing on its own so I am very thankful for that.
Don49 (Forum Supporter) said:I haven't been back to Mid Ohio with the new chassis. I did have a good run at NJMP last year and the new chassis is definitely better than the old one pre-accident. I was able to match my best previous time in extremely hot and slippery conditions.
Jersey was HOT last year! That was the only race I ended up missing due to this crash but I did go to watch. Weekend conditions like those are brutal so it is always satisfying to match a previous PB.
Shattered bone in your midfoot? Easy to miss on plain films. That is liable to give you less trouble in a stiff soled shoe, maybe with an off the shelf support. May have issues with it swelling for a while, support stockings should help with that.
In reply to Toebra :
Yeah, a fracture in the medial cuneiform was missed until after Runoffs. Took an MRI to finally find it. Good tip on the stiff soled shoe. I've been wearing Birkenstocks since getting out of a cast in March. I'll look into support stockings as well!
christinaylam (Forum Supporter) said:For those of you who want to see the good show at the Junkyard, I've got the video uploaded on my YouTube channel:
It's impressive to see how well the cage stood up to the abuse from the crane, even after the car had already been crashed!
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