Driver Killed at Lime Rock Vintage Festival

[M3 Esq]

Didn't see the crash but heard them call a black flag all which I knew couldn't be good. Someone said it happened in the downhill so we walked over and saw safety vehicles everywhere and long faces on LRP staff. The PA wasn't saying much so we knew it wasn't good. Very sad. No idea what happened, not sure if something broke on the car or he just made a mistake but we overheard people say he rolled the car. Tragic, especially since this a vintage event. Condolences to the family.

http://www.courant.com/news/connecti...om-OffTheBeat+" rel="" target="_blank">http://<a href="http://www.courant.c...ffTheBeat+</a>(Courant.com+-+Off+The+Beat)

[pkimM3r]

damn this sucks. lets all be safe out there!

i might need a cage and seats soon and pick up a craptastic daily.

[tinman831]

http://www.courant.com/news/connecti...+Off+The+Beat)

[klammer]

RIP

[1MOREMOD]

That's too bad, a vintage mg doesn't exactly have any safety to speak of in rollover.

[bigjae1976]

Dang...seems like there is more and more of these deaths. I wonder there really is or we are just keeping a better tab on what's going on in the amateur racing/DE world.

[1MOREMOD]

Originally Posted by bigjae1976

Dang...seems like there is more and more of these deaths. I wonder there really is or we are just keeping a better tab on what's going on in the amateur racing/DE world.

Your second comment is the case I think.

[M3 Esq]

Originally Posted by 1MOREMOD

That's too bad, a vintage mg doesn't exactly have any safety to speak of in rollover.

I read the car had a hoop but your right those cars don't have much.

[bigjae1976]

Originally Posted by 1MOREMOD

Your second comment is the case I think.

I really hope so!

[1MOREMOD]

just to be safe stop driving at the track when you are 72.

[M3 Esq]

It was the first fatality in the 32 years of vintage at LRP. FWIW people crash there all the time. It's a sweeping downhill right hand turn. Very fast. What usually happens is they drop a wheel at the track out. Dropping a wheel there almost always ends in a crash.

[M3 Esq]

Originally Posted by 1MOREMOD

just to be safe stop driving at the track when you are 72.

Lol most of these dudes are in their 60s and 70s so yeah how are those reflexes? :

[1MOREMOD]

if things go well i plan to still be driving then. if you have ben doing it all your life at a high level dont see it being an issue but vintage guys are often just parade lap style drivers.

[s85e90]

Originally Posted by 1MOREMOD

if things go well i plan to still be driving then. if you have ben doing it all your life at a high level dont see it being an issue but vintage guys are often just parade lap style drivers.

As opposed to the hpde guys who think they're winning something? I personally know some vintage guys who have enough $$$ to not care too much but most of the parading is due to not wanting to wreck cars that are irreplaceable.

[1MOREMOD]

Originally Posted by s85e90

As opposed to the hpde guys who think they're winning something? I personally know some vintage guys who have enough $$$ to not care too much but most of the parading is due to not wanting to wreck cars that are irreplaceable.

Yes you can win an hpde there are shirts that say so. A lot of the vintage guys do race not sure of this gentleman's background.

[M3 Esq]

There was no parade lapping going on here. These guys are racing and driving at speed. I give these guys a lot of credit for driving the cars and not just placing them on the concours. There is little if no safety in most of these cars so these guys know what they're getting into. This guy died doing what he loved. RIP.

[AxisMagi]

The top TT driver here in NASA was 70 years old, and lot's of
older drivers are racing and killing it. This is a sport you
can do for a lifetime.

It's risky pushing any car to the limit. My buddy just took
a hit into a tire wall sideways in his e46 race car and got
out of it relatively unscathed. The cage saved him from
what could have been a really bad crash.

Just about every other time I go to the track there is some
kind of incident, and most of it is advanced drivers pushing
the limit. There is a reason most of the advanced drivers are
in a full race car with cage and safety equipment.

I'm done tracking my street car. It was great to learn with but
safety is paramount and plan to continue driving into my
older years.

[WarrantyTracker]

More to the point, you never know what the car ahead of you will dump on the track right at track-out or the middle of the brake zone seconds before you get there. Shit happens, and sometimes it ain't good.

[Groundpilot]

Originally Posted by WarrantyTracker

More to the point, you never know what the car ahead of you will dump on the track right at track-out or the middle of the brake zone seconds before you get there. Shit happens, and sometimes it ain't good.

True. We love this sport and to me, there is nothing like it, but lets face it, its not safe at all. What happened to that 72 year old driver, can happen to anyone.
I heared he was a very good driver and has been doing it for the most of his adult life, but shit does happen and it wasnt good for him.

[bigjae1976]

I know this was a race...but I'll say this for us HPDE'ers...be careful who you HPDE with. How much track time you get is a very poor measure on the quality of an HPDE org.