This didn't go well at all... Jump to the 5:37 mark [ame="http://vimeo.com/47956007"]Mid-Ohio Sprint Race 02 - August 18, 2012 - Demise of the Bionic 911 on Vimeo[/ame] From another car one the other side of the track. [ame="http://vimeo.com/47890963"]2012 PCA Mid Ohio Blue sprint 2 start on Vimeo[/ame]
That line along pit wall was was always my preferred place to be into turn 1 on a start. Easy passes into turn 1. Thankfully I was never punted over by another car there. YIKES!!!
So i don't know much about the behind the scenes of racing. If you get hit like that and it's clearly not your fault, is the other driver responsible for your damages? Does it work just like insurance in the real world? Sounds dumb, but man, I don't know how one would manage to race if accidents like that happen (and they do, all the time). I know sponsors are out there, but if you aren't winning and something like this happens quite often, what's the incentive to keep racing?
Each car owner is on their own when it comes to damage. There is insurance available but it's quite expensive and usually only carried on the team as a whole and not on the cars or drivers themselves. Pro drivers may carry their own insurance. For the Club Racer, which is what this race was, the drivers are on the hook for their own medical care if needed. As to motivation to keep going, it's hella lot of fun so long as you can keep paying the bills.
If you put your car on a track it is all on you. Stuff happens. Insurance is available but at a huge premium.
At an HPDE, if it's the fault of the driver, it's on the driver to pay for it, wether they hit another car, barrier, or leak oil on the track, at least around here. If you hit it, you buy it. But club racing, it's on the owner of the car. If you're ok with parking your car at the edge of a cliff and pushing it off, you're ok with club racing. Some people are, some people aren't.
and that is why all the pro races I've seen start on the back straight... Race start at Mid Ohio - David Levine
The pro races start on the back straight because turn one is so close to the starters stand. Frankly I don't understand that starting back there. We have started 65 cars on the front straight many times without issue. Pro cars are hella faster so maybe that is one component. Or possibly it is a lot of the field rounding the carousel while the leaders take the green. So you put your car on track at a HPDE & a screw up happens. You expect to be paid for repairs? Good luck with that.
For certain HPDE's by entities such as BMW CCA and PCA you can buy HPDE Insurance. There may be other events by other sanctioning bodies that qualify, I don't know, I've only seen the ads. HPDE Insurance Program
Yes. I've seen it happen firsthand. I suppose if you did something that was your fault you could welch out of it, but it's an honor thing. I've never seen someone try and get it of it, including an instructor who wrecked a students car (which is why instructors no longer driver students cars). HPDE insurance is also a good idea to cover the driver.
When you are in the carousel turn you can not see the starters stand. If the start is waved off there is the danger of the cars back there piling into the front cars that have slowed because of the wave off. I learned early on to watch the the corner station before that turn & check out what flag they were holding. That was not an easy thing to do when you are straining to watch those in front, next to & behind you, the start is always an interesting time. SCCA always started us on the pit straight. I swear sometimes I felt like I held my breath until I got into the keyhole on a start.
Kinda like the start stand at Road America. Just past the crown of the road and sometimes difficult to see depending on traffic. I am surprised that RA hasn't moved the stand what with all of the recent crashes.
Just like that. A few years ago several million in vintage iron were wiped out there on an aborted start. There was talk of moving the starters stand down the hill before the crest, but that has not happened yet.