Nelson Ledges - Day Eight (Part Two)

No, this is not an update on the morning results.  There were two "incidents" that are note worthy.

First, as Amanda Hennessy is completing her laps in a Chevy HHR she jumps the curbing at mid-turn and it is enough of a jolt to set off both passenger and driver side airbags.  The spectators at the turn could hear the bags going off as they replicate close range gun fire.  Don Flanigin (Joe Drumheller's co-driver) has a great photo showing the passenger side window completely filled with airbag.  Imagine having a gun go off next to your ear and pushing your head over violently to the right as you are making a high speed turn and thinking about your threshold braking point and downshift in to the slowest corner of the track where exit to the front straight is critical to a good lap time (I wrote that long sentence just so you get the idea of everything that is happening as the airbags deployed).  She kept right on going!!!  Great work Amanda - I think I would have pulled in and collected my thoughts.

The second incident occurred when a new 2010 Mustang was coming down the back straight and its motor let go - as David Hobbs would say.."its done blow'd up".  There was a huge cloud of white smoke pouring from the rear of the car.  The driver continued on through the very fast right hand sweeper and eventually made his way to the left hand corner (same corner Amanda had detonation of her airbags).  As he pulls the car on to the grass the car is clearly on fire with the driver rushing out fire extinguisher in hand.  The emergency crew is getting there at the same time and directing the driver away from the car who is at the ready to put the flames on his car out.  He obliges the emergency crew and steps back.  At this point the fire crew have hose in hand and are ready to extinguish - as they pull the lever there is no water.  I kid you not.  The driver is standing there with his fire extinguisher in hand and still cannot assist.  The fire crew yells to try the other tank.  Another lever is thrown and at last there is water to put out the flames.  The car does not look to bad for wear, but it is clearly out of the event.

As I write this, the morning results are in.  I took 16th overall and Woody 33rd.  The Porsche Cayman finished 23rd.  This puts us up by 10 points in the class over Neil and Woody.  It also moves us up to 12th in the overall dropping Woody and Neil to 13th.  I need to stay on my game as it is not over yet!

More later.....cheers!