They were just weeks away from shutting down the whole operation there, as Disney was ready to knock it all down and make it a parking lot later this year.
They were just weeks away from shutting down the whole operation there, as Disney was ready to knock it all down and make it a parking lot later this year.
When my father and I did the NASCAR experience I'm not sure the paying drivers had instructors with them, and I did a ride along with an instructor.
I thought it was strange that the amateur drivers were basically alone in a 400hp car at 150mph.
Maybe I'm remembering it wrong, though.
We saw a booth for something like this at the auto show last week. My brother commented that there didn't appear to be anyone in the line he'd trust to ride a bicycle with. I was a bit offended.
PHeller wrote: When my father and I did the NASCAR experience I'm not sure the paying drivers had instructors with them, and I did a ride along with an instructor. I thought it was strange that the amateur drivers were basically alone in a 400hp car at 150mph. Maybe I'm remembering it wrong, though.
No, that's basically how it worked when Adrian and I did it at MIS a couple of years ago. But, as he said, we had firesuits, helmets, HANS, and 5-point harnesses, as well as a full cage, of course.
Sounds very similar to the operation that Exotics Racing runs out at LVMS. Supercars on course with no added safety protection.....just a helmet. To be fair I think the course is a lot smaller/tighter, so not as fast as was reported here at the Disney site. I think I saw 120 as a peak MPH at 1 or 2 points on course. But still -- can't imagine what the families of both the driver and passenger are going through right now.
Local news carried the press conference with responding LEO reporting that there was in-car video, and it showed the instructor lunging over and grabbing the wheel to try to turn the car right before impact. They estimate the car was doing 100 mph, and yes, helmet and factory shoulder/lap belt were only safety equipment--but noted the impact and resulting injuries to passenger were so severe, would not have mattered what equipment was in use.
I feel for the instructor's family, and perhaps even more for the student and his loved ones. Mistakes happen. Most of us will never suffer as much for one as this young man likely will.
Say what you want about Jalopnik, this editorial is spot-on: http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/please-stop-killing-my-friends-1697610915/+pgeorge
In reply to Tom_Spangler: Yes I've done the Richard Petty Driving Experience at the Brickyard twice (my wife is awesome, btw) and you are alone but playing follow the leader with a pro so they can sort of control your speed. I was following Jennifer Jo Cobb and couldn't keep up and my top speed was 139. I heard the fastest they were allowing was in the low 140's and that's in a Cup chassis with crate motor at Indy. I couldn't believe it was the same company letting someone loose like this. I was impressed with them especially after I did the Rusty Wallace experience last year. Something about that one just did not give me a warm fuzzy feeling. I found out later they had a fatal crash the weekend before at another track. Kinda freaked me out.
The accident is tragic on so many levels.
One thing I'll add: If you see something, say something. Not comfortable with a track layout, instructor situation or whatever? Don't get into the car. If you're already on track, pull into the pits. Let someone in charge know. Don't get back on track until things meet your comfort level.
I have ducked into the pits during a DE because I didn't feel comfortable with something I saw. Yes, I sacrificed some track time, but I did so to get myself away from a perceived threat.
TLNXTYM wrote: In reply to Tom_Spangler: Yes I've done the Richard Petty Driving Experience at the Brickyard twice (my wife is awesome, btw) and you are alone but playing follow the leader with a pro so they can sort of control your speed. I was following Jennifer Jo Cobb and couldn't keep up and my top speed was 139. I heard the fastest they were allowing was in the low 140's and that's in a Cup chassis with crate motor at Indy. I couldn't believe it was the same company letting someone loose like this. I was impressed with them especially after I did the Rusty Wallace experience last year. Something about that one just did not give me a warm fuzzy feeling. I found out later they had a fatal crash the weekend before at another track. Kinda freaked me out.
tom and I did the MIS NASCAR School together. I had no issue with not following someone and being alone on track. I felt it was a safe all the time. We were on the standard Indy car/NASCAR oval, driving in the correct direction, in real race cars with full safety equipment but much less power (400 Vs 750+ hp). I at 140mph was in the same type of car with the same safety equipment on the same track in the same direction as the guys doing 200mph. Could I have had an accident? Yes, the idea wasn't to prevent the possibility of accidents, it was to make any accident as safe as was reasonably possible. I'll also bet that the cars were not only low on power, but set up to be benign as possible to drive with far downforce than in full race trim. We were given max revs, but once in top I was nowhere near them, my shiny happy person was puckered far too tight for that. Even though Tom and I have both raced, autocrossed, done trackdays etc. and are competent if not skilled drivers, the feeling of the proximity of those outer walls was very very intimidating.
There is a world of difference from what we did to driving a super car with a far higher power to weight ratio and zero safety equipment the wrong way around a track.
That Jalopnik editorial was spot on.
I'm always saddened to hear of a motorsports death, especially one as preventable as this one. Running the course in reverse was a very poor decision on someone's part.
I have done both the Buck Baker and Petty Experience with retired Cup cars. In both the level of safety equipment was pretty much state of the art, in fact Petty was the first time I wore a HANS, I can't speak to the level of safety equipment in the Lamborghini etc. I do remember thinking to myself both times 'there's no way I could take the risk of being an instructor'. That's because I saw others in my party who were pushing to set fastest time but with only the bare minimum of instruction and they were being egged on by their buddies; peer pressure is a helluva thing.
Think about it for a moment: here you are in a car with someone who perhaps feels he has something to prove. He has had 45 minutes of classroom and maybe 30 minutes of riding with an instructor, then he's sitting there behind the wheel and ready to prove what a badass he is. As instructor, if he does something flagrantly stupid you can pull him in but that's small comfort if his bravado mistake is getting you killed.
That's what has always stopped me from pursuing a second job as a driving instructor. Well, that and a lack of talent.
Jalopnik article said: I know a colleague of Gary's. He put me in touch with their company manager in 2010 because they were looking for qualified instructors. After a brief phone interview, I realized that they were looking for anyone with a pulse to sit shotgun and babysit untrained strangers, in supercars, on a racetrack. The pay offered was only slightly above minimum wage, with no benefits or healthcare. It was insulting and a huge red flag.
Holy E36 M3 
Sorry to say it, but I've been thinking that most of these "put a total noob in a supercar" operations have been an accident waiting to happen for some time now, and this is confirming my suspicions. I've just wanted to get my turn in before it all goes to hell, maybe I'm too late.
I will never be an instructor again. the last time I did a track day, even though I have racing experience and had been to that track many times in the past I asked for an instructor as it was several years since I'd been to the track. When the guy came up and introduced myself I thanked him, told him my expereience and explained that I wanted someone to make sure I hadn't got any bad habits in the years I'd been away and was looking fro critique on lines etc. I never drove past 9/10ths.
The only time I instructed was at Waterford hills about 15 years ago. I had a guy with a then brand new 996 C4S. That was the first and last time I ever did it. Young ish guy who was making buckets of money thus could afford a new Porsche at a young age. He was arogant, cocky and of the digital throttle mindset. Never never again will I get in the passenger seat of a car unless I know and more importantly trust the person. I'd jump in next to Tom on track without a second thought. I have another friend who I road with years ago who backed us into the armco in his Mustang at Gratton as he isnt' a good track driver. Great frined, love the guy, but I'll never get in a fast car with him.
I feel terrible for this instructor and his family, plus the kid who was driving. I've no idea what happened inside the car, but even if the driver was 100% fault free, he will have to live with the fact that he was driving and someone in the car died for the rest of his life. Just horrible all round.
I think Gameboy is commenting on the general "supercar experience" events, not this particular crash. They are aimed at noobs. Just look at their marketing. You put enough people behind the wheel of very fast cars with minimal or no safety gear, something is going to happen. I know that I'll happily pass over the keys to a turbo Miata - but a V8? I'll drive, thanks.
The Targa Newfoundland is flirting with the same with their Hot Tour group. It's supposed to be a chance to drive the closed courses in your fast car with a pace car out front, and a top speed of something like 80 kmh. I know they were topping out at over 200 kmh - in stock cars with no extra safety gear other than a helmet. These are the same stages where the fully prepped Targa cars with cages, seats, harnesses, etc are topping out at about the same speeds. It's going to be what shuts down that event, the inevitable big accident from an underprepared, unskilled driver. Heck, the first Fast Tour group put an Enzo in the drink.
I have a friend who instructs at one of the supercar experience setups down in SoCal. If you get him, you're lucky. He's won the 25 hours of Thunderhill, been to the NASA nationals and is very smooth and fast. I can't comment on the others.
More info coming out: http://www.autoblog.com/2015/04/14/instructors-death-disney-racetrack-3rd-past-year-video/
Couple of things. One, I didn't know that this had already happened a couple of times recently:
It was at least the third death in the past year at speedways in the US that allow customers to get behind the wheel of a fast car. Last September, an Indiana man was killed in a crash at the Rusty Wallace Driving Experience at Kentucky Speedway, and a New Jersey woman died at the Wall Stadium Speedway in New Jersey.
And also, the guy killed was from Michigan:
Terry grew up in a racing family in Michigan. His brother, Adam, was also a race car driver. Terry was married with a toddler-age daughter, said Horvath, who grew up with the Terry family and runs a graphics business in Michigan that specializes in motor sports.
Keith Tanner wrote: I think Gameboy is commenting on the general "supercar experience" events, not this particular crash.
Yes I mean these events in general and not this crash - for all I know the driver was a pro and a tie rod snapped - but I certainly DO mean this operation, which was also an accident waiting to happen.
Thanks for checking in, Brent. And hang around, you'll like this place.
On a side note: I think Disney could have done more with that track and it sucks they are tearing it down.
They used to run IRL and Craftsman Trucks there back in the late 90s.
SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote: On a side note: I think Disney could have done more with that track and it sucks they are tearing it down. They used to run IRL and Craftsman Trucks there back in the late 90s.
Yeah, I remember watching the very first IRL race in 1996. It was at the "Mickyard".
In reply to bbanninga:
Thanks for the insight.
From some other stuff I've read, the instructor was in charge of the event, including safety.
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