Fontana 2015 SCCA Major Start Video

[P. Howarth]

I just saw this on my Racer Bulliton email. I'll save the jokes until I know how this turned out. I hope everyone is ok and there wasn't too much damage. I'm assuming these are two FC's at the 1:00 mark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=Rxk2A6RNFAY

[racerdad2]

That's a wild tow !

[marshall9]

Hope everyone's okay as well. That looks like a lot of fun in those Mazdas.

[El Guapo]

Actually, the car in the back of the train is Robert Armington (FC #71) the car towing him is Chris Emmanuel (FA #36). If you watch closely you can see Robert wildly waving his arms as Chris keeps driving......

Regards,
EG

[Steve Davis]

Actually, the car in the back of the train is Robert Armington (FC #71) the car towing him is Chris Emmanuel (FA #36). If you watch closely you can see Robert wildly waving his arms as Chris keeps driving......

Regards,
EG

I noticed the same thing. Seems the 'tower' had no idea that someone was attempting to MATE with him.

I should say, that ACS looks a LOT like Daytona from at least some viewpoints. Apparently somewhat shorter infield, but the VIEW looks similar

[stonebridge20]

Somebody should have sprayed them with a garden hose.

[R. Armington]

Formula Retired ? The day I tow a car 700 ft @ 60 mph without realizing it until I see a video in impound .. I would seriously consider a safer car than a FA .. not only for myself but for my fellow racers on track !! and yes I'm the guy impregnating the FA for all you jokesters ...

Mirrors ?? what mirrors ?? we don't need no stinking mirrors !!

[racerdad2]

I saw immediately saw your arms flailing away and thought. ... "That's an extreme example of NO situational awareness."

Having never driven an FA, the next thought... "Are they so heavy & powerful that you can't notice you're 'towing' another car ?"

Certainly glad to hear no injuries. That was crazy !

[R. Armington]

I saw immediately saw your arms flailing away and thought. ... "That's an extreme example of NO situational awareness."

Having never driven an FA, the next thought... "Are they so heavy & powerful that you can't notice you're 'towing' another car ?"

Certainly glad to hear no injuries. That was crazy !

Well if I was driving that thing I would have been out front where I should be , Second I would have considered starting from the back since I was the only FA on track racing no one !

[Chris Livengood]

I hate to say it, but at all of the SCCA run events I have attended in the last 5 or 6 years FA drivers are consistently some of, if not, the worst on the track. Sure there are the few who can actually drive the car faster than an FC, but by and large this is not the case. Unfortunately, the thickness of ones wallet is not a strong indicator skill.

[TimH]

Go up to Canada some time and watch Marcel melt the asphalt in his FA..

[JByers]

Really - WTF - how does this happen ????????????????

[Monte]

Are some of these yahoos out there this ridiculous????

I imagine most of us hae seen the ESPN skit.......C'MON MAN!!!


That is number one in my book.....WTF!!

What happened after he went into that turn?? dying to know!


Chris M

[El Guapo]

When Chris got to turn 5 and he turned in and Robert's car slid off. Chris continued his race....

EG

[El Guapo]

.....To be clear, Chris retired a few laps later. I have to say I have never seen anything like this EVER.

EG

[Rick Kirchner]

I was at button willow a few year back spectating and watched Chris write off a Pro FM in one of the most spectacular crashes I've ever witnessed.

With 5 years of officiating in the old CART and USAC series I've seen some pretty big ones....

What was amazing was that he walked away, barely shaken. Several barrel rolls, cracked tub, even the brake rotors were broken! I don't remember if he had a HANS or not.

[Kazis31]

This Chris fella seams to be very aware of his racing surroundings.......
Gonna keep distance on test days.

[sccadsr31]

The sport racer getting turned around was on the front row, Chris Farrell, who was hit in the left rear by another sport racer...

D

[ghickman]

I had about an 8 lap battle with this same Atlantic car in Saturdays race. I tried like heck to get around him, the in car video is pretty spectacular.

He would pull away from me on the oval then I'd catch him on the infield road coarse. Held me up like crazy.

Fortunately he was grid way behind me for Sundays race.

[Zac.B]

I feel this kind of thing happens way too often and is the biggest problem with having more then one class on track at the same time. Guys in faster cars that just can't handle them, they go like hell down the straight aways and then use half the cars performance when they get to a corner. This intermixed with guys who can properly get everything out of a 'slower car' makes a dangerous session.

My experience with this was last year at the Portland majors when I was leading the FC class with P2,3 and 4 close on my heels. Due to FC having a large number of entries we had a split start behind the rest of the field, so we had to work through most of the field. Most of the field was aware of this and was aware that there were quite a few of us working through the field. I noticed quite a few cars facing the wrong way and sitting in the grass when coming up on a FS 2.0 car. He was about 2sec a lap off pace from the FC leaders. I followed him for a lap and noticed his lines were all over the place and he was way over slowing for corners and such. Also he was in dead last in his class (FA) with no one around. Of course with 50 more HP and driving irrational lines I figured getting by would be challenging. He broke about 400ft early so I drove down the inside and he just drove into the side of me. Obviously zero spatial awareness. Later I found out he had contact with at least 3 people that race.

Yes I understand we need entries and participation but shouldn't these guys be in a FF or a FV or something so they can focus more on what's going on around them rather then just holding on to a car that's beyond their capabilities? Do we need some sort of ladder system to license guys to drive faster for powerful cars? Driving a FA is from what I know, is far more challenging then driving an FV yet it's the same licence that you can get from driving a Honda fit around a track a few times...

My biggest issue is the Majors tour is supposed to be the best amatures in the country, when obviously this is far from true.

Just my thoughts...

And yes im working on getting to the F2000 series where they only race with F2000's, which i believe is worth every dollar.

[gcoffin]

Zac

I was hoping you were selling your car to someone shorter and slower than me!

[R. Armington]

http://vimeo.com/118155213

http://vimeo.com/118349272

finally grabbed the video out of the trailer

[stonebridge20]

http://vimeo.com/118155213

http://vimeo.com/118349272

finally grabbed the video out of the trailer

And the international sign for WTF dude at the end. Love it!

[BURKY]

I'm guessing he has tractor pulling experience.

[NPalacioM3]

http://vimeo.com/118155213

http://vimeo.com/118349272

finally grabbed the video out of the trailer

How the hell did he not see an FC attached to the back of his car? Or feel it? Amazing.

[mousecatcher]

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[mousecatcher]

What I really came here to say is that Mr. Emmanuel has got me as well in the past. I'm not surprised to learn that was him.

[Rick Kirchner]

Not trying to defend Chris here - I certainly don't know him - but keep in mind he didn't cause the accident - he was run into. Clueless about the tow perhaps, but I've had times where my car didn't accelerate as expected and my first reactions are to wonder about my throttle, ignition, look at the gauges, etc, not think that I have a trailer behind me.

We also don't know why he wasn't blazin out front given that portion of the track is perfect for that car. Could be he had some problem to start with.

Heck, one time I had a golf-ball sized lump of tire boogers lodged in the carb BELOW the throttle plates in the secondary. Anything over half-throttle loaded would just bog. Took a couple of hours to figure that one out.

In the few seconds he had to look in the mirrors he would probably have a hard time telling he had a car attached, although it's likely he could tell there was something wrong. Wide FOV video can be pretty misleading as to what can actually be seen by something on the other end of the lens. Bob's hands were most likely barely visible. He probably just looked like a FC in the draft. Yeah, Chris got clouted hard under braking, doubt that's the first time that's happened.

Keep in mind the short time, the chaos of that turn on the first lap, and general lack of visibility.

Would be interesting to know what Chris felt and what his intentions were heading into T5. It looks to me like he was staying drivers left instead of trying to cross the track and set up for the corner, then he pulls off.

I think there's more emotion here than total cluelessness.

[SV@RHC]

Wow Robert, That's a Drag.......Sorry had to. Glad your OK Bud.

[LenFC11]

Crazy to think the FA driver was not black flagged and continued on racing after detaching the FC car

[NPalacioM3]

Not trying to defend Chris here - I certainly don't know him - but keep in mind he didn't cause the accident - he was run into. Clueless about the tow perhaps, but I've had times where my car didn't accelerate as expected and my first reactions are to wonder about my throttle, ignition, look at the gauges, etc, not think that I have a trailer behind me.

In the few seconds he had to look in the mirrors he would probably have a hard time telling he had a car attached, although it's likely he could tell there was something wrong.

Yeah...I might be swayed to agree with you on something feeling off and it not be a car attached to you. But the excuse that one couldn't see an FC attached to the entire rear of the car is very concerning. You should very much be able to see that, especially with how much time transpired from contact to car being "detached".

[Rick Kirchner]

Just saying, in a quick glance, one might see something out of the ordinary (should have been visible in the right hand mirror, which is where he should be looking) but you might just think it was the rear wing that got clouted. The two cars are pretty close in color scheme.

By the time of a WTFO and a second glance, you are into the corner.

[mousecatcher]

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[mousecatcher]

I had some posts earlier in the thread which I've cleared out because I think I got overly defensive and may have had a bit of a go at Zac. Even if some of it was factually correct (and some not) I don't think they add any value here. Suffice it to say that I want to own up that it was me in the FS2.0 and Zac and I did come together last year. I don't feel his telling of the events is quite what the situation was on the ground, but that's ok since I accept my role in it anyway.

Anyway I'm not trying to be the good guy here or anything. What prompted this really was that Zac PM'd me and was quite the gentleman about it all. I hope that I can be so generous in the future when I have an issue with another racer!