Run-Off Issues

[Pat Joffrion]

After my good friend Woodro went into the drink at Gainsville, I took a good hard look at the shutdown area at No Problem Raceway. I remembered how I watched a Super Stock racer go thru the sand trap at Reynolds, Georgia. “Fred” apparently suffered a heart attack. I was just getting off the track after a qualifying run with Steven Hall when I watched as his car ran full throttle thru the sand, hit the berm, and went airborne across the highway, landing in a field, nose first. Fred’s head was down as he passed me, but his foot remained on the throttle. Nothing could have saved him. It was just a bad situation.

When I built No Problem, I thought about Fred, and designed a ˝-mile shut-down with another ˝-mile of run-off. But all of that was no help for a racer who suffered a heart attack after he crossed my finish line. He died before his car came to a stop after slowly hitting both walls several times. The driver let off the gas, but never applied brakes. The car had only cosmetic damage, but it did wind up in a drainage ditch 400-feet from the end, and to the right of the asphalt. By the way, his family sent me a two-page “Thank You” letter for trying our best to save their father’s life. CPR and our electric defibrillator were of no benefit. His autopsy indicated that he died instantly.

To avert the possibility of another driver going into the drainage ditch I erected a 45-degree concrete wall. That wall is lined with tire bundles, is over 50-feet to the right of the guard wall, and is designed to keep a racer from going into any standing water. We have second tire-wall 1,000-feet past the end of the asphalt which is designed to slow a runaway car.

With the tragic loss to the Kalitta family, I took another look at our run-off. I used to “chop” the sand, but found that it caused the cars to “dig-in” and caused a runaway Jr. dragster, and a big dragster to flip. The kid wound up with a broken arm, and a totaled machine. The older driver flipped his machine, but had no injuries. Since those incidents, I no longer chop the sand. Rather, it is a smooth grass surface that assists the driver of a runaway car to maintain steerage and control of the car. We have actually had a 200+ mph dragster loose his brakes and traverse the run-off at 150+, avoiding the tire wall, and making it back to the pits by way of our road course. He ran thru the grass, got on the asphalt road course, and idled back to his pit area unscathed.

I don’t purport to know it all, nor have I seen it all. But I have seen sand (or chopped dirt) cause cars to flip, which resulted in injury. In my opinion, the fact that I have another ˝-mile of grass and road course has worked out fine for the racers who for whatever reason have run off the end of the track.

I truly believe that most track owners look out for the safety of their racers. Some however, are limited to the space available. In a perfect world, all tracks would have another ˝-mile of runoff. In the meantime, track owners need to take a good, hard look at what can be done to improve the safety for drivers in trouble. As racers, we should take time to inspect the runoff areas, and give suggestions to the owners. I don’t remember noticing the pond in Gainesville, but I do remember a barb-wire fence at another track. I made one pass there, and have never been back. Barb wire is for horses… not horsepower.

[Charley Downing]

Pat Its a good thing your track has one of the longer shut downs on the tour. If not for it Matt Alvey, Greg Smith and myself would have watched one of our dear friends from div3 run off the end of the track after his breaks failed him after the finsh line. Flatout Belle Rose is the most racer friendly track from the pits to the race track its self hands down.

[Woodro Josey]

Pat, thanks for your input on this very important issue. The sand trap at Gainesville was made of P-Gravel and was like going over asphalt i guess because it had not been plowed in who knows when. Yes i hit the bank at probably between 80-100 mph and i went airborne and flipped upside down landing in a Lake that not only did i not know was there and i have been racing there since 1970, but none of the racers there knew there was a Lake down there. Boy was i surprised when i realized i was in deep trouble, thank God the windows were blown out.
I want to encourage all racers to inspect the shutdown area where they race, especially 1/4 mile tracks. Yes i was very, very lucky that i only lost my car and not my life.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the Kalitta Family and i can't help but think how close my Family came to having to go thru the same suffering!
I would like to say one more time, thanks to all the friends and racers that came to assist us in that time of need!
At least Pat realizes the importance of our Saftey! Thanks Pat for all you do!

[Travis Miller]

One of the best things a racer can do for himself is to go down and look at the end of a racetrack. It is much better to take a slow scooter ride down the return road to familarize yourself with the shutdown area than it is to try making a quick decision when you suddenly find you have no brakes.

A prime example is the shutdown at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green KY. While it may look like the track ends at the woods, there is a run-off that goes about a mile across a flat field. You cannot see that run-off until you actually go all the way to the end of the track which is a few hundred feet past the last turn-off.

Again do yourself a favor and actually check out the end of every track where you run. It could make a difference when you least expect it.

Travis

(Disclaimer: Opinions expressed by me on this forum are exactly that, my opinions.)

[Alan Roehrich]

Wise advice Travis. I saw Amy Faulk go off the end of Bowling Green in her TAD. You could see the dust go on forever.