[stpracer43]

UPDATE - 6 June: My car is finally back on the road!

Click link below to jump to the update post...
My update thread with pics...

------------------
Well Gang ~

Here's my story, with pics. The 45th show at Barber Motorsports Park was outstanding. Faye, Marcus, and I made the drive up on Friday.


Saturday and Sunday was highlighted by too many amazing cars to see and a ton of track time on the track day!!! Faye and Marcus parked in the TS Corral with many of you! Great viewing location of the track for sure.


Love the track! Technical turns with lots of elevation change. Five sessions on the track was just awesome. On Saturday morning, I followed a 66 GT-H to the track at sunrise... crappy camera picture but the imagery was spectacular.


Met up with Steph and Paul in paddock. Had a great time chatting about our laps on the track. Big smiles all around every time we came off of the track.


Fast forward to the last run of the day.... Anyone see a Red/White Stripe GT500 tag the rail after fish-tailing and spinning out of the hairpin? Well... I, no doubt, had the best view of it... from about 5 feet away. First immediate thought ~ thankfully the airbags didn't activate. It was a relatively "slow" speed glancing blow. I drove it back to the pits and checked out the damage.




Other than the fender being pushed in on the wheel, the car was/is drivable. The steering wheel is in the right position and the car tracks straight, with no vibes in the wheels, steering, or drive train... So I pull the fender off the wheel and call it a day.

Bottom line ~ driver error. I drove every corner on the track in 3rd gear in every prior session. Was only in 4th gear on the front straight, intermediate and back straights. During the last session I had caught two slightly slower cars entering the hairpin... My speed was well below what I had been driving earlier, and I just instinctively down-shifted to 2nd. On the exit, I hammered the throttle just like I had been doing in 3rd all day.
End result ~ rear end steps out right, I correct right, rear comes left and I try to catch it, this goes left/right for another iteration, and it finally spins around on me, headed toward the edge of the track and guard rail. I locked the brakes down hard those last instantaneous seconds on the asphalt, hoping to get it stopped. The nose comes around, I'm off the brakes and steering away from the guard rail. Just not enough room...

Thankfully, no one else's cars were involved, I'm okay, and my car will be okay too. Already working with Michael Morris on the parts list...
For those that offered help at the track, "Thanks!". I appreciated your concern and offers to assist in any way. If anyone captured the action on camera, I'd love to see it from the external view.

Bottom line, I'd always rather it be my fault, enjoying my car on the track, as opposed to getting plowed by some inattentive driver in a parking lot.

And yes, I was driving it like I stole it! Check out my tires from one session... I can still smell the sticky rubber and the brake dust!




Here's a link to photobucket with other pics as well...45th Mustang Anniversary

All in All, a memory of a lifetime! Just one hell of a way to get folks to take pics of my car!

Keith

This post has been edited by stpracer43: 06 June 2009 - 08:32 PM

[vapor08GT500]

Great pictures and honest text Keith...I have a great deal of respect for someone that accepts responsibility when something goes wrong, can laugh about it, then keep on enjoying themselves. A++++

Alex

[Cobra GT]

Keith,

We enjoyed spending the Saturday next to you. The advice about keeping it in 3rd and only shifting into 4 on the straights was priceless, too bad I only got to use it one session!

How did the wife take It? She did not look like a happy camper leaving.

Paul

[stpracer43]

Cobra GT, on Apr 21 2009, 03:55 AM, said:

Keith,

We enjoyed spending the Saturday next to you. The advice about keeping it in 3rd and only shifting into 4 on the straights was priceless, too bad I only got to use it one session!

How did the wife take It? She did not look like a happy camper leaving.

Paul

Faye was naturally relieved I wasn't hurt, but disappointed at the outcome and the unplanned expenditure for repairs...

But, she understands my desire to be on the track (hell, she bought me the Richard Petty Driving Experience for my birthday) and tolerates it.

Naturally, I would have preferred a different outcome as well. But, You and I both know how much fun we were having on Saturday.

Certainly worth the price of admission from my perspective.

Been There, Done That, Got the T-Shirt!

Keith

This post has been edited by stpracer43: 21 April 2009 - 07:40 AM

[mywickedshelby]

Wow Keith Sorry to hear about your GT500,

but thanks for sharing your accounts/pics of what happened.

[Cobra GT]

My friend Bob Egleston (he had the '93 FHP Pony) took this picture and just sent it to me. I believe this one was 1 lap before she spun.

Attached File(s)

•  GT500_3.jpg (260.53K)
  Number of downloads: 54

[CobraFun]

stpracer43, on Apr 20 2009, 11:35 PM, said:

Well Gang ~

Fast forward to the last run of the day.... Anyone see a Red/White Stripe GT500 tag the rail after fish-tailing and spinning out of the hairpin? Well... I, no doubt, had the best view of it... from about 5 feet away. First immediate thought ~ thankfully the airbags didn't activate. It was a relatively "slow" speed glancing blow. I drove it back to the pits and checked out the damage.

Keith

Keith, I was videotaping cars going into that turn when I heard your car go into the spin.
I quickly panned over with the camera and caught the smoke and the "hit".

It was a very painful thing for us all to see and I felt terrible.

I took a whole bunch of video of the racing and I'll be posting on youtube.

Great show, my car was parked in front of the Quantam Performance folks the whole time.
I met a lot of great people and look forward to the next event.

PS: I was staying at the Marriott and tried to meet the owner of the red
super snake with "super s" from Mo. on the license plate but could never find him.

I have some good footage of his car on the track..

This post has been edited by CobraFun: 21 April 2009 - 03:24 PM

[stngfever]

CobraFun, on Apr 21 2009, 06:47 PM, said:

PS: I was staying at the Marriott and tried to meet the owner of the red
super snake with "super s" from Mo. on the license plate but could never find him.

I have some good footage of his car on the track..

That was Reg a.k.a bossreg

Met him and his wife Mary over the weekend!

I'm sure he would love to see the footage.

[Red Snake]

Keith,
Glad you guy's were able to enjoy the rest of the weekend and got home safe. I know you'll have her go to go soon.

Mark

[TDS]

WELL,

On the good side of this, at least y'all didn't mess it up like the Rousch 427R on Thursday.
HE TOTALLED THAT CAR, the shifter acted like a can opener through the console.
And the dash pad came off.

WHAT DO YOU TELL ALLSTATE IN THIS CASE?

TDS

[stpracer43]

TDS, on Apr 22 2009, 10:32 PM, said:

WELL,

On the good side of this, at least y'all didn't mess it up like the Rousch 427R on Thursday.
WHAT DO YOU TELL ALLSTATE IN THIS CASE?

TDS

I know nothing, I say nothing. Not making an insurance claim... out of pocket on this one.

Keith

[stpracer43]

CobraFun, on Apr 21 2009, 06:47 PM, said:

Keith, I was videotaping cars going into that turn when I heard your car go into the spin.
I quickly panned over with the camera and caught the smoke and the "hit".

It was a very painful thing for us all to see and I felt terrible.

I took a whole bunch of video of the racing and I'll be posting on youtube.

CobraFun ~ have you had a chance to post the video clip yet? Would love to see it!

Thanks,
Keith

This post has been edited by stpracer43: 23 April 2009 - 06:16 PM

[bossreg]

CobraFun, on Apr 21 2009, 05:47 PM, said:

Keith, I was videotaping cars going into that turn when I heard your car go into the spin.
I quickly panned over with the camera and caught the smoke and the "hit".

It was a very painful thing for us all to see and I felt terrible.

I took a whole bunch of video of the racing and I'll be posting on youtube.

Great show, my car was parked in front of the Quantam Performance folks the whole time.
I met a lot of great people and look forward to the next event.

PS: I was staying at the Marriott and tried to meet the owner of the red
super snake with "super s" from Mo. on the license plate but could never find him.

I have some good footage of his car on the track..

That would be me..let me know when your going to put up the video would love to see it...was about 1/2 lap behind Keith when he spun...I ran the 3.73 gear in 3rd and 4th all day...could only get the SS up to @110 on the front straight before the brakes have to be applied....the new 6P Baers on the back just squat that car right down....I have in car video of one session I'll try to put up on youtube....Reg

[kaylan1521]

That sucks, glad you were alright. Yes, that Rousch took a big hit. I was there with my Bullitt rather than my GT500. In the group photo that would be my hood up that is facing the far left blue Mach just behind the camper van. I had a great time as well. Managed to get a brief conversation with Robert and Scott Hoag of MRT and picked up a really cool Michael Lovitz GT500 print.

This post has been edited by kaylan1521: 23 April 2009 - 08:56 PM

[stpracer43]

Still looking for an external view of the action... anyone with pics or video?

Thanks,
Keith

[stngfever]

I have a couple of Video's from my track time on Thursday.

First with some music added: HERE

Second with wind noise and Engine: HERE

[stpracer43]

stngfever, on Apr 25 2009, 10:29 PM, said:

I have a couple of Video's from my track time on Thursday.

First with some music added: HERE

Second with wind noise and Engine: HERE

I captured a similar video clip as well... but not of my spin and hit. Hoping someone out there has it so I can get the spectators' view.

[lClutchl]

Ouch!

Glad the damage was limited to just body panels...

These might make you feel a bit better - I snapped them at various times during the weekend. Thanks for running that beauty!'

(You can download the originals by clicking on the pictures and following the links - look for "All Sizes" and choose the original)

Hope you have her back on the road quick!

Red Shelby Leads


RedShelbyLeads2


3 red stangs


Red 08 Shelby

[stpracer43]

lClutchl, on Apr 30 2009, 11:41 PM, said:

Ouch!

Glad the damage was limited to just body panels...

These might make you feel a bit better - I snapped them at various times during the weekend. Thanks for running that beauty!'

(You can download the originals by clicking on the pictures and following the links - look for "All Sizes" and choose the original)

Hope you have her back on the road quick!

Red Shelby Leads


RedShelbyLeads2


3 red stangs


Red 07 Shelby

Clutch ~ Nice shots!!! Thanks for taking them and thanks for making them your first post on Team Shelby. Have to say, Damn my car looks good on the track !

Car went in the shop on Weds and should be done early next week.

Welcome to TS!

[stpracer43]

* UPDATE *

Here's a series of photos with the action from an external view... Guess I was influenced by the flagman waving the blue flag at the cars in front of me in the hairpin

Hammer it & get ready to pass these guys!


Oh crap, this is gonna leave a mark...


Driving away after hitting the guard rail, glad the airbags didn't activate.


Signaling I'm slow... looks like the other driver is checking out my damage


Done for the day, but damn that sure was fun


Keith