Dallenbach talks about Pike's Peak crash

There are a couple videos on youtube. I don't care to watch them again. Remember kiddies, if the throttle sticks KILL THE berkeleyING IGNITION. Repeat it. Know it. According to him, he didn't have the chance, but if you're ever at an autocross or on the street, it helps just to have it in your head. I had to reach over and grab the key on my brother's 911 when we were screaming into a bank parking lot in Dallas TX.

http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20120815/NEWS/120819937/1077&ParentProfile=1058

poopshovel wrote: I had to reach over and grab the key on my brother's 911 when we were screaming into a bank parking lot in Dallas TX.

That's a long stretch from the passenger's seat.

The other thing to remember is that killing the ignition will kill power brakes and steering. If you need to, pop it in neutral and blow the engine. It's better that than killing you or somebody else in an accident.

I'm sure he knew what to do but looking at the video he only had about a quarter second to figure out what was wrong and stop it, while his crazy-fast car was already crossing the point of no return. I don't think anything short of some sort of automated system could have prevented this.

frenchy wrote: The other thing to remember is that killing the ignition will kill power brakes and steering. If you need to, pop it in neutral and blow the engine. It's better that than killing you or somebody else in an accident.

The only advantage of doing that vs. an ignition shutdown (if you have the choice) is a fraction of a second of extra power steering assist just before the engine self-destructs (if there's no rev limiter).

In reply to GameboyRMH:

Yeah that's a good point I hadn't considered.

Plus you can probably stab the clutch a lot faster than you can turn off the key. Voila, engine disconnected from the drive wheels. The rev limiter will keep it from grenading and you'll have both hands on the wheel.

Dallenbach's car is a little beyond what most of us drive.

Yeah, I don't think anyone would have had time: he was in 5TH gear in a 1300hp car.

http://youtu.be/MnolSTQgy9Y

http://youtu.be/EpQtPhRDDs4

http://youtu.be/g2T0c-xDdwc

Wow.

This is the thing that I found most important in the article.

“Thankfully, the head-and-neck-restraint system worked. If I didn't have that, I would've broken my neck.”

Another driver that was probably saved to race another day by head and neck restraint systems.

GameboyRMH wrote: I'm sure he knew what to do but looking at the video he only had about a quarter second to figure out what was wrong and stop it, while his crazy-fast car was already crossing the point of no return. I don't think anything short of some sort of automated system could have prevented this.

That would have had to be the "Auto Pilot" based on the flight path I saw!

It's probably worth noting that you usually only find out about a stuck throttle when you get to your braking point.

Keith wrote: It's probably worth noting that you usually only find out about a stuck throttle when you get to your braking point.

And then you have that fraction of a second to wonder why the engine isn't slowing...and your brakes aren't doing their thing before turning into the world's fastest lumberjack.

Very, very glad he was okay.

Is the smoke that shows up evidence of him locking up the brakes?

On a related note, how lucky is it that no spectators were injured/killed? That last video posted above was scary, seeing how close the car came to plowing through a row of folks.

accordionfolder wrote: Yeah, I don't think anyone would have had time: he was in 5TH gear in a 1300hp car. http://youtu.be/MnolSTQgy9Y http://youtu.be/EpQtPhRDDs4 http://youtu.be/g2T0c-xDdwc

Based on the audio on those vids, the consensus is "Holy E36 M3!"

Yikes, what bothers me as much as anything is the looky-loos. Unless you're working the race as a paramedic or firefighter, GTFO. You've got no business being anywhere near an accident.

That, and in the news link, the driver says "The thing I needed to have was a kill switch...". No E36M3, Sherlock. There's no kill switch on a Pikes Peak Modified car?

Wow amazing he walked away from that,also amazing is the fact that people willingly stand at the OUTSIDE of a turn and that safety marshalls ALLOW them to stand in the worst place possible should something go wrong. As much as it would suck,if you stand in the place a race car/bike whatever will most likely crash into you brought it on yourself.

Wow, glad it was no worse than that.

I learned REAL early when spectating at MX etc to stand on the INSIDE of the curve.Don't like the idea of being a human snow fence, y'dig?

The infamous Jeremy Foley EVO crash: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bxcWExWmfI&feature=youtu.be

kevlarcorolla wrote: Wow amazing he walked away from that,also amazing is the fact that people willingly stand at the OUTSIDE of a turn and that safety marshalls ALLOW them to stand in the worst place possible should something go wrong. As much as it would suck,if you stand in the place a race car/bike whatever will most likely crash into you brought it on yourself.

A couple of feet the other way and this would have been all over the news - wow lucky that he is okay and even luckier that there aren't a bunch of spectators dead.

That's not really much of a turn, more of a gentle curve. When we were coming down the mountain, it didn't look like much at all. Definitely not where you'd expect a car to go.

The organizers do put tape up where they think you shouldn't be.

Any bend at all at 130mph is a potencial problem,doesn't matter what kind of motorsport I spectate I never ever sit/stand in place I can see a car ending up if it goes wrong.

In reply to Woody:

Yes. Yes it is. Smartass. Truthfully, my brother doesn't own a 69 911, and we didn't fly out to Colorado to pick it up, and there isn't a picture that I took on the way back of said brother in front of said car in front of the Ritz Carlton in New Orleans in GRM, and we didn't have the berkeleying adventure of a lifetime.

I'm totally busted.

Curmudgeon wrote: The infamous Jeremy Foley EVO crash: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bxcWExWmfI&feature=youtu.be

I agree with the commenters on that one: I would be hugging the builders of that roll cage.

In reply to DoctorBlade:

I don't know about the cage, but I think I saw helmets sticking out of windows.

Lots of photos and discussion about the cage, the builder, the driver and the PPIHC organization.

Choose your flavor:

Corner Carvers http://forums.corner-carvers.com/showthread.php?t=46490

RRAX http://roadraceautox.com/showthread.php?t=40904

Rally Special Stage http://www.specialstage.com/forums/showthread.php?46306-Pikes-Peak-Foley-crash

Rally Anarchy http://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?1,69477

Subaru fans http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2394891

Evo fans http://forums.evolutionm.net/motor-sports/594243-evolution-dynamics-pikes-peak-build-19.html (starts on pg19, but reading earlier pages is illuminating)