Saw my first ever autocross accident today...

Ones i've seen in person: Potty incident with Evo at Ripken Stadium

Ones i've not seen but heard about: Older ZR-1 Vette going into the mini resevoir at Englishtown. Bone stock Focus on R-Comps roll over at Philly event earlier this year.

joey48442 wrote: I remember seeing a 3 series with an LSX motor run up on a curb, tearing up all the front suspension. Joey

That one scared the crap out of me- since people were sitting watching from there at times during the day.

E-

joey48442 wrote: I remember seeing a 3 series with an LSX motor run up on a curb, tearing up all the front suspension. Joey

Christ Pimpish, you have seen a fence run up on you as you thought we were going to roll over.

I have seen one at a Chatanooga auto-x where a Neon jumped a curb. Here in Atlanta there have been several incuding a Subie into the blue wall and an older Vette into a lightpost. Cars have lost wheels several times.

FYI, when you are on course and a shifter cart loses a wheel, get out of the way.

Only incident I've ever witnessed was an E36 325i spinning at a finish and hitting a curb. Messed up the rear suspension a bit. Also, while corner working I had a late model Mustang spin right past me at the end of a slalom and nearly hit a pole. He RELEASED the brakes while spinning (usually the wrong thing to do) and missed the pole by 3 feet. And finally, a stuck throttle on a Miata caused to come within 10 feet of hitting a huge dumpster. Oh wait, that was a co-driver in MY Miata! So many autocrosses and track days and time at full throttle had actually cut a hole in the carpet under the gas pedal. In this case, the carpet reached out and grabbed the pedal, holding it to the floor. So watch out for that, Miata drivers...

I've heard of other incidents. R-comps + soft stock suspension can = rollover. There was also a club that ran on an old runway on Cape Cod that had a few incidents a year (I stopped running with them mainly because I didn't feel there was enough runoff for my then novice driving skills). They got shut down.

woo. I don't think I can remember them all in my 20 years of autocrossing.

In rough chronological order:

mgb into armco, no real damage

elan into tree, two fatalities. I was at the event, but didn't see it. thankfully.

RX-3 electrical fire...my extinguisher put it out.

944 into timing trailer. (um, I designed that course :-(

scirocco roll at nats

Focus on R-comps roll at SEDiv in Alabama

Amod roll at Forbes nats

S2000 on S2000 violence at Forbes nats

Civic into electrical hookup post at HPT nats.

Hype R roll at a Roebling SEDiv autocrosss

numerous lost wheels

numerous cars into fence here locally. Really, too many to count.

Stuff happens. Much less than out on the street or even at the track, but still, stuff will happen.

Elan into a tree with two fatalities?

Terrible course design, heinous driving, critical mechanical failure, or all 3 put together?

The cause was never officially published. Rumor has it that the driver lost consciousness and veered off. It was well off the course area. The passenger was killed as well.

Worst thing I have seen was a heart attack caused when a 454BB Vette backfired at the start line. Driver of the Vette died on the scene. I was also at the event where the Focus rolled that Per mentioned. Both were at Hunt Stage Field in Alabama where I grew up autocrossing. I didn't realize how nice and open that site was until I started running other places. I've been scared enough corner working at some very tight events that I have consciously made sure I stayed behind a concrete barrier or light pole... just in case.

Still way safer than the track days I've done. Must be bad luck, but I've seen some seriously wrecked cars at 4 of my 10 or so track days.

Per Schroeder wrote: The cause was never officially published. Rumor has it that the driver lost consciousness and veered off. It was well off the course area. The passenger was killed as well.

Ahh, so it could have started as a medical situation. Well, all the safety stewards in the world can't do much about that, without requiring physicals. Thanks for the info. Still, it's a terrible shame.

The Vette heart attack story would actually be funny, if it didn't involve a real human death.

Saw in person: a 1st gen Jetta lose a wheel. (Note to self: plain spacers and sttock VW lug bolts do NOT mix well.) That guy also drove on my LeMons team, which says something about my ability to pick driving talent. Then a guy in a Subaru blew through the lights and crossed over the start line (that was actually an 'almost' accident). At an 'arrive and drive' we had a very green driver hit an 'island' and take out a small tree (brand new Z4, less than 1K miles).

Didn't see: an E30 hit an 'island', tear the whole bottom off the motor and destroy the front suspension.

EDIT: Just saw the fatality tales. Man, I hope I never see something like that.

Awhile back a mustang cobra had the right front caliper carrier snap going down the "back straight" of the auto-x and slid into a jersey barrier. Driver was ok, but car was totalled.

Apparently he was hitting over 90mph on that straight...

Wow, I guess I've been lucky in my ~12 years of autocrossing never to see anything too serious. I was at that event where the LS1-powered E36 climbed a berm, but I left before it happened. My understanding was that the throttle stuck. And I remember a real Mini losing a wheel at a Detroit SCCA event years ago. I helped "carry" the car off the course.

I have seen a few close calls and poor course designs that I thought were dangerous. And a corner worker ran right in front of a vehicle at the last event I did a few weeks back. Good thing the driver was paying attention.....

Boy I hope the insurance companies (who insure events) don't read these.

The things I've seen:

Fiat Abarth WAY up on two wheels but saved it.

Twin turbo camaro blows oil seal on course resulting in a very impressive cumulus cloud formation. That smoke was so thick you couldn't see through an inch of it.

A Datsun 510 rolling due to sticky tires on stock suspension.

Blown up engines due to oil starvation.

But the two most spectacular events happened just outside the autocross. We had 1/8 mile drags going on a the same time and got to see one of those tiny English delivery vans (with the 800hp engine in it) tumbling down the strip end over end.

But the worst - and dumbest - was some sportbike guys coming in to watch the autocross. The were in the inner road at Qualcomm stadium where there's a 20mph (or so) limit. One of them got tired of following the car ahead and decides to pass (remember, this is not a public street.)

I was working the course and heard him goose the gas, then immediately heard a "whump." Looked over in time to see him flying over the top of the Mustang Fox body (huh...) and land in the road behind it. I don't think he was very happy, but maybe a bit smarter.

Many years ago, I watched an Isuzu iMark (complete with "Handling by Lotus" badges!) roll on slow tight left hand turn. I suspect it had really sticky tires and a stock suspension. The front wheel just sort of tucked under and the car just went right over onto its roof.

I also seem to recall a GRM sponsored event on Cape Cod in the early 90's where two of the three Supercharged Corrado's that Volkswagen brought to the event went home on flatbeds; one due to mechanical failure and the other smacked into a granite curb, ripping out half of the front suspension.

Didn't see it, but knew the driver of a Focus that rolled over a few years back, r comps + stock suspension + not enough sense Saw two the same year, different clubs where gas and brake were confused and both cars left the playing field, no serious injuries, but bent cars. I was working during both accidents, but I don't think I was the common cause. Had a new Vette convertible with a first time driver spin and not know enough to let it go, ended up with a fender in a tree. Finished the event with minor body damage, but I think the resulting conversation with Mrs. Vette Driver ended his competitive career

My first year auto-xing about 12 years ago I witnessed a Championship White Integra Type R run way off course and nose into a construcion trailer. He driver was the 16 year old daughter of the guy who consistently set FTD in that car. He was very philosophical about it - she was very distraught.

Heard about but didn't see a new vette run up onto some 10" granite curbing and do a lotta damage.

Saw a kid in Daddy's 540i spin and take out the timing lights, which were sitting on a cement block. He must have caught it with a wheel as there was no damage to the car. He was invited to leave.

Overall the local clubs do a nice job putting on safe events.

I've only seen an audi lose a wheel. I almost saw an m3 go into a fence and therefore a busy street but the driver had the sense to stop (figure that one out, right?)

How the heck does someone roll an Amod car?

A 40mph crosswind?

In reply to mapper: "Here in Atlanta there have been several incuding a Subie into the blue wall and an older Vette into a lightpost. Cars have lost wheels several times. "

You forgot, or didn't see the yellow type R hit the wall and the IS 300 wagon lose two wheels.

Also, in CO I saw some kid in his mom's new E46 M3 spin and hit a curb. He did some damage to the entire rear suspension.

I would suspect a lot of the armco/curb/pole incidents come from staying in it thinking you can save a spin/slide far too long after the car is probably lost.

Thats exactly what happened to a newer 3 series at my second auto-x ever. Driver got the tail way out coming out of a slow corner. He left a 60 foot trail of rubber full throttle trying to save the spin before snapping the front end the other way and NAILING a post that was 100' from the course. Luckily there were no workers there, but I watched the thing from one light pole away. car was absolutely totaled.

Moral: If you are that out of sorts your run is already scrapped. At that point, you might as well swallow your pride and put both feet in, and try again next time.

Gotsol wrote: In reply to mapper: "Here in Atlanta there have been several incuding a Subie into the blue wall and an older Vette into a lightpost. Cars have lost wheels several times. " You forgot, or didn't see the yellow type R hit the wall and the IS 300 wagon lose two wheels. Also, in CO I saw some kid in his mom's new E46 M3 spin and hit a curb. He did some damage to the entire rear suspension.

Forgot about the Integra. Blue lot about 4-5 years ago. I got one run in my Miata and was on grid waiting when that happened. Never knew about the IS 300. How about the guy who lost a wheel during a run and then had a siezure. Found a gun, bowling ball, porn, and pot in the car. Busted car, ambulance, and cops. Bad day for him.

Not an auto-x, but I was a passenger in my own car when the driver sideswiped a tree during a rally-x. Thank goodness it was just my beater Corsica.

mapper wrote: How about the guy who lost a wheel during a run and then had a siezure. Found a gun, bowling ball, porn, and pot in the car. Busted car, ambulance, and cops. Bad day for him.

lmao - I certainly don't like hearing about wrecks, seizures, or wacky-tobaccy busts. However, combine them with the intelligence of a guy who chooses to autocross with a firearm and a bowling ball in his ride and you have sure-fire national lampoon's material. I mean honestly.