A friend of mine, Scott, was racing his FB RX7 at Pacific Raceway in Seattle over the weekend when someone dive bombed into him coming into the first corner. He had no chance to save it at that speed, watch him tuck his arms:
A friend of mine, Scott, was racing his FB RX7 at Pacific Raceway in Seattle over the weekend when someone dive bombed into him coming into the first corner. He had no chance to save it at that speed, watch him tuck his arms:
Wow! He drove as far into that crash as he could.
50 years ago I learned to keep my thumbs on the outside of the wheel when I was a kid in 1/4 Midgets so they wouldn't get broken.
Was watching Indy qualifying or something several years ago and saw Danica do the arm fold thing when crashing while sliding on grass before impact and thought "Thats a great idea!" . Thankfully I haven't needed to use it.
That is exactly how shiny happy people drive on Forza and Gran Turismo.
NOT A TA said:50 years ago I learned to keep my thumbs on the outside of the wheel when I was a kid in 1/4 Midgets so they wouldn't get broken.
Was watching Indy qualifying or something several years ago and saw Danica do the arm fold thing when crashing while sliding on grass before impact and thought "Thats a great idea!" . Thankfully I haven't needed to use it.
I recall she took some flack about doing that after she transitioned to NASCAR and crashed there.
I had to watch the video a couple of times to see the little dot in the rearview mirror come into view. Did the other driver get black flagged???
Yeah, what happened to the other driver?
pinchvalve said:Yeah, what happened to the other driver?
Hopefully he got taken out of this world, or at the very least, taken off the track, forever.
1. That really sucks for your friend. Hopefully he's fine and the car is fixable.
2. What's the reasoning behind folding your arms like that?
In theory it keeps your arms from flailing about and impacting things like the steering wheel and the roof etc. as well as keeping your thumbs out of the spokes.
I can see a couple benefits...
gets you off a death grip on the wheel, which will jerk if hits something. Even with hands on the outside only and no thumb wrap, you could snap a wrist. Forcing into the body also keeps your hands from going out the window net, bang around other stuff in the cockpit, or going up instinctively to "protect" a roll-over... where buckling roof skin could do a bunch of finger/hand/wrist/arm damage.
Ah, makes sense. Thanks guys!
In reply to Tom1200 :
you beat me 'cause I typed that out single handed while the other was holding a sleepykid#2 in order for them to fall asleep 
Folding your arms also protects your chest if you're thrown forward or steering wheel is pushed back
stuart in mn said:NOT A TA said:50 years ago I learned to keep my thumbs on the outside of the wheel when I was a kid in 1/4 Midgets so they wouldn't get broken.
Was watching Indy qualifying or something several years ago and saw Danica do the arm fold thing when crashing while sliding on grass before impact and thought "Thats a great idea!" . Thankfully I haven't needed to use it.
I recall she took some flack about doing that after she transitioned to NASCAR and crashed there.
Several NASCAR drivers have started doing that though.
Ah Pacific Raceway.... the memories. I hope your friend and the car recover quickly.
AnthonyGS said:Ah Pacific Raceway.... the memories. I hope your friend and the car recover quickly.
Scott was fine. The team has the car back out same day, just some bent suspension pieces. Other driver's conduct has been reported to the race organizers with this video as evidence.
Did he yell "you mother is a whore" when he did it? Because THAT would be online racing!
(insert obligatory BMW driver comment here)
Added bonus of protecting your arms, wrists and fingers in the wreck is that you are in better shape to confront the other driver after the race.
Adam
1: BTDT...at LeMons CMP. Fortunately it was T1 and not the kink, so we both just ended up on the beach.
2. Brilliant move getting the hands off the wheel. Hopefully that one is burned into our collective subconscious?
Thing I was taught early on and yes I used it. You hear the old “two feet in when you spin”. It should be “all four in when you spin”.
Be aware, depending on distance to steering wheel, the arms across chest thing might not be the best idea in a car with an airbag. There's a risk of an arm getting snapped or concentrating the pressure on your ribcage and leading to a cracked rib or 2. Better to put the arms somewhere else in that situation if you're taking them off the wheel IMO (maybe down next to legs?)
Airbags should always be removed in a car with a cage and harness. I doubt there's a sanctioning body out there that allows them in wheel to wheel racing.
Oh, and WTF is up with dive bombers. I've spent a lot of time in slow race cars, and despite point bys and tons of room I've had so many people try to take the nose off my car I almost expect it.
Brake and let him by he will slide high, late apex and cross under and force him high unless he does it for you, say Bye bye.
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