Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More - Jalopnik Comments

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

tomic — Mon, 12 May 2008 23:53:32 EDT

On Sunday morning I got walked out to the track to retrieve a tire lost in the infield on Saturday. The track guy who escorted me told me what he knew of the crash. I am not certain if he was at the scene.

The track guys were first on-scene (I don't know how quick? a minute or two?).

He told me:

He said Court was already blue when they arrived at the car.

The "puff of smoke" was the extinguisher going off upon impact.

The seat lifted and distorted the floor pan, presumably from the energy of the impact.

I (and we) didn't know Court. This was our first race ever, and first LeMons (but not the last). Clearly he was well-loved by everyone who knew him, and everyone we met made us feel welcome, so he must have been as great a guy as everyone says. We miss him before we knew him.

tomic

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

SmaartAasSaabr — Sun, 11 May 2008 14:54:00 EDT

oh shit

SmaartAasSaabr

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

RaymondKite — Sun, 11 May 2008 04:58:55 EDT

From the team at car 39 we thank you for all of the prayers. Unfortunatly Court Summerfield did die. At this time the initial reports show he probalby blacked out or died before hitting the wall, his wife who was left behind is taking it as well as she can and our team is still trying to cope as best we can it still seems like a bad dream. Thanks again for the thoughts and prayers!! RIP Court hope there's racing where your at now...

RaymondKite

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

DoctorNine makes tires squeal in terror — Sat, 10 May 2008 23:14:59 EDT

@Novaload: Yeah, me too.

DoctorNine makes tires squeal in terror

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

creigs9 — Sat, 10 May 2008 22:31:56 EDT

Seems hard to belive, the car hardly looks damaged.

creigs9

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

NovaloadMissesPolar — Sat, 10 May 2008 21:59:52 EDT

@DoctorNine: Thanks. I needed that!

NovaloadMissesPolar

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

chrx — Sat, 10 May 2008 20:55:50 EDT

Just got back from the track. The four of us, getting sunburned and just picking which car to watch at that particular moment and then it happened rather quietly. Just sounded like your average fender-bender. We were in the top row with the flag tower between us and the apex. I saw him coning in fast below us out the corner of my eye and turned my eyes to see him jump over the apex and hit the wall just to the driver's side of square-on. It reminded me of seeing big E's crash at Daytona. Didn't look like much at first, but the lack of anything under the front-left corner of the hood afterward showed that it in fact was a bigger deal.

Wasn't in the gas and wasn't in the brakes, it was that quiet.

Seems like either the fluid boiled, or the pads faded. The only other things that could make sense were if he was overheated and losing his edge, already unconcious, or it was just too quick of an oh-sh*t moment to react. It was REALLY quick.

Earlier on, almost all of the rear-wheel drive cars were spinning in that turn, but everybody seemed to get over it. That said, even if he had the wheels turned, they would not have gripped enough to turn the car to a safer incident angle at the speed he was going.

We knew it did not look good when my wife noticed the 15-on, 2-off cpr motions of the rescuers even before the roof was cut off. It must have gone on for over 20 minutes.

The slow procession of the rescue vehicles leaving the scene pretty much summed it up.

chrx

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

DoctorNine makes tires squeal in terror — Sat, 10 May 2008 20:37:25 EDT

DoctorNine makes tires squeal in terror

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

DoctorNine makes tires squeal in terror — Sat, 10 May 2008 20:37:01 EDT

Birds gotta fly.
Hoons will always tempt the Fates.

Little things give us a crack to wedge our fingernails into.
But there is no such thing as safety.
No one gets out alive.

The swift knows the joy of freedom.
Who would deny it the life of hazard it pursues?
Mercifully quick, the falcon strikes.

The spirit of inventiveness and adventure flies also in us.
Our existence would be small and forlorn without it.

Salutations on the death of a friend.

DoctorNine makes tires squeal in terror

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

Ray Wert — Sat, 10 May 2008 20:25:59 EDT

@TheGuinnessTooth: Our publishing tool kinda sucks.

@Mad_Science: Check out that new post -- we'll update as we get more info.

Ray Wert

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

Mad_Science — Sat, 10 May 2008 20:14:25 EDT

@Ray Wert: Yeah, so obviously it's a tricky, tragic scene, but from the outside we're wondering whatever info you can give us as it becomes available.

Mad_Science

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

NovaloadMissesPolar — Sat, 10 May 2008 20:11:01 EDT

The guy on the board said the cops are there now, car wrapped in tarp and ambulance still. One witness said no brakes seen, like he just went full bore into the wall.

NovaloadMissesPolar

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

TheGuinnessTooth — Sat, 10 May 2008 20:10:43 EDT

@Ray Wert: You guys sure took a long time getting that up. It doesn't exactly say anything not already said here. Although that graffic is quite fancy.

TheGuinnessTooth

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

CeRuLeaNBLu — Sat, 10 May 2008 20:09:39 EDT

My thoughts and prayers go out to a track in Altamont right now, as well as to the families involved here.

CeRuLeaNBLu

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

Kitt — Sat, 10 May 2008 20:08:06 EDT

How very sad.

I am wondering if the driver had a heart attack or something.

Kitt

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

Ray Wert — Sat, 10 May 2008 20:06:46 EDT

@Mad_Science: @AustinMiniMan: check the post that I just published -- has what we know as of now.

Ray Wert

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

WilliamG. — Sat, 10 May 2008 20:05:56 EDT

RIP

†

WilliamG.

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

AustinMiniMan — Sat, 10 May 2008 20:05:09 EDT

@Mad_Science:

Seems that it is just on hold. Didn't they say "meet back tomorrow"?

AustinMiniMan

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

Mad_Science — Sat, 10 May 2008 20:01:33 EDT

Damn.

Been checking that other board, updates pretty quickly.

Thoughts and prayers and all that.

Someone else already said it, but there are certainly worse ways to go.

Can we assume the race is on hold or canceled?

Mad_Science

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

TheGuinnessTooth — Sat, 10 May 2008 20:01:15 EDT

Does anyone know if this is the first fatality at a 24 hours of LeMons event?

TheGuinnessTooth

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

bcc — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:58:50 EDT

My husband is at the track and he said he heard no announcement about a fatality, but otherwise confirms what has been written so far.

bcc

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

Parkington — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:54:02 EDT

Terrible news. Any motorsport comes with the risk of fatality, but as a friend of mine is a prospective Lemons competitor, I can't help but feel wretched.

Parkington

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

NovaloadMissesPolar — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:53:41 EDT

Their guy, Don, at track site confirms it is a fatality and was announced as such, but they have no details on what happened.

NovaloadMissesPolar

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

Ray Wert — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:51:41 EDT

We're starting a new thread in a moment.

Ray Wert

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

brandegee — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:51:29 EDT

Wow...looking for a fun altamount and I see this. Very sad...heart goes out to the driver's family and friends.

brandegee

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

NovaloadMissesPolar — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:48:59 EDT

I just asked that board where the driver is--surely an ambulance has come? I'll let you know if they answer back. Apparently at least one or two are right there trackside.

NovaloadMissesPolar

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

Aatos — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:48:54 EDT

Aatos

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

Spasticteapot — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:43:34 EDT

Wow.

I hope someone made a mistake.

Spasticteapot

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

NovaloadMissesPolar — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:41:06 EDT

They said life flight left, empty, and there were tarps around the car.

NovaloadMissesPolar

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

NovaloadMissesPolar — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:40:39 EDT

@Novaload: If you click on them, you are responding to the message and it determines where your comment would appear in the thread/under a comment as opposed to new comment.
So what you read there is all that's being said. It's very telegraphic.

NovaloadMissesPolar

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

NovaloadMissesPolar — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:39:50 EDT

@Adamskiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy: Imagine that you are reading a series of text messages. That's all that they are typing/texting are those short phrases.

NovaloadMissesPolar

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

Adamskiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:35:52 EDT

@Adamskiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy: Or....maybe not.

Adamskiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

Adamskiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:35:09 EDT

@ohms: Oh, no wonder....for some reason, the main body of each post wasn't showing up in Opera, just the title -- works in IE though.

Adamskiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

tenbeers — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:31:43 EDT

Fuck.

tenbeers

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

Charles_Barrett - Now with Variable-Valve Timing — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:31:23 EDT

How horrific.
A very solemn and tragic turn of events for what began as a light-hearted endeavor. My heartfelt condolences to all in attendance and to the deceased's loved ones.

Charles_Barrett - Now with Variable-Valve Timing

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

Repiv — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:27:13 EDT

Wow.

Repiv

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

ohms — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:24:35 EDT

unfortunately. =(

try
rbp.f0e.net/forum.php

should be an easy to read msg board, newest posts appear at the top.

ohms

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

Adamskiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:21:59 EDT

@ohms: That forum is impossible to navigate.....so the driver really did die? :(

Adamskiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

ohms — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:16:11 EDT

heartbreaking.

[rbp.f0e.net]

ohms

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

BigEnosBurdette — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:16:02 EDT

for the sake of decorum for any future posts, that same board is now claiming its a fatality.

BigEnosBurdette

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

TheGuinnessTooth — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:14:46 EDT

@TexanIdiot25: Other site says it is a fatality now.

TheGuinnessTooth

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

Buckster — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:14:28 EDT

Man that sucks. Lets hope he's ok.

Buckster

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

TheGuinnessTooth — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:10:43 EDT

That car looks good as a convertible. Here's hoping the driver gets to enjoy the new look of his Volvo.

TheGuinnessTooth

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

TexanIdiot25 could use some of that bail out money — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:08:57 EDT

According to that other site ohms posted, life flight came, circled around, and left.

SHIT! That good or bad?

TexanIdiot25 could use some of that bail out money