Picture of Peter Hommel's wrecked TT.
02-10-2000, 12:46 AM
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
Definately not the result of understeer -- but Chuck is right
... those winter tires were the first thing I noticed in the picture (could have been that they were, um, unnaturally exposed...)
Does anybody know details -- time of year, driving conditions, speed, that sort of thing? Could be the plain winter wheels, but those tires look downright shaggy.
Just because a "performance winter tire" is rated to withstand the stress of 130 mph doesn't mean it's an ideal tire for emergency manuevers at that speed. Obviously this was a skilled driver... and I'm not qualified to comment on the particulars of the crash, not having all the information.
But I can't help making an analogy to the ski slopes: it's usually the more experienced, the "better" skiers who hit trees. Yes, it's possible the skis were defective, but it's also entirely possible that they hung to tightly on the limits of the gear and crossed that limit.
Mods or no mods, I encourage everyone to get to know the limits of the car in a safe environment, and then _respect_ those limits. A good driving course never hurts, either, no matter what your skill level.
That said, this is a nasty crash. Very sobering, but I'm still undecided on mods.... doesn't suit my driving style, but I've made arrangements with my dealer to drive an identical car w/mods to see.
Does anybody know details -- time of year, driving conditions, speed, that sort of thing? Could be the plain winter wheels, but those tires look downright shaggy.
Just because a "performance winter tire" is rated to withstand the stress of 130 mph doesn't mean it's an ideal tire for emergency manuevers at that speed. Obviously this was a skilled driver... and I'm not qualified to comment on the particulars of the crash, not having all the information.
But I can't help making an analogy to the ski slopes: it's usually the more experienced, the "better" skiers who hit trees. Yes, it's possible the skis were defective, but it's also entirely possible that they hung to tightly on the limits of the gear and crossed that limit.
Mods or no mods, I encourage everyone to get to know the limits of the car in a safe environment, and then _respect_ those limits. A good driving course never hurts, either, no matter what your skill level.
That said, this is a nasty crash. Very sobering, but I'm still undecided on mods.... doesn't suit my driving style, but I've made arrangements with my dealer to drive an identical car w/mods to see.
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02-10-2000, 05:01 AM
#10
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Posts: n/a
Comments about his tires....
As someone who once purchased a totalled car, I learned a bit about what can happen to cars after an accident.
More specifically, I wonder if the wheels/tires in this photo are the ones that were actually on the car during the accident. My car (the SCX, not the TT!) had blown one of its original tires in an (obviously) less severe accident.
An accident this bad may have blown or otherwise shredded the existing tires, making the car unmovable by those cleaning up the site afterward. Note that the car was obviously moved from its original crash location prior to this photo being taken.
It is very common to throw bologna tires on a car to facilitate moving and towing. Especially since it was unlikely that they'd have anything to fit the 17" wheels on hand, these wheels and tires could be something the tow shop had laying around....
More specifically, I wonder if the wheels/tires in this photo are the ones that were actually on the car during the accident. My car (the SCX, not the TT!) had blown one of its original tires in an (obviously) less severe accident.
An accident this bad may have blown or otherwise shredded the existing tires, making the car unmovable by those cleaning up the site afterward. Note that the car was obviously moved from its original crash location prior to this photo being taken.
It is very common to throw bologna tires on a car to facilitate moving and towing. Especially since it was unlikely that they'd have anything to fit the 17" wheels on hand, these wheels and tires could be something the tow shop had laying around....