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Everyone was OK (archive)
[ Follow Ups ] [ 5-series (E28) Message Board ] [ Msg. Board FAQ ]
Posted by Phaedrus on June 25, 2001 at 08:29:10:

In Reply to: Here's why you should have a rollbar in your car.. posted by ) Rob K. on June 24, 2001 at 21:34:28:

I was at FATT, but did not witness the accident first hand. However it did appear that there was a significant impact on the front (looked like a berm hit) that pitched the car over. The seatbacks broke as they were designed to do in such a situation to keep the occupants from being crushed, however, interestingly enough, no airbags deployed.

After the jaws of life opened the door, both the driver and instructor got out of the car and walked away. Both were take to the hospital to be checked out, both were fine except for some cuts and bruises. The instructor returned to the track a couple of hours later.

Before you go off on R compound tires, take a good look. This car did NOT have them. This was done on street tires, that whole discussion surrounding tires is totally moot.

Roll cages are a form of very nice insurance, however nothing can save you from bad judgement or poor skills, except an attitude adjustment and more practice. I personally would love to have a roll cage in my E28, however unlike the common M3, there is no inexpensive method of getting one into an E28. The last quote that I got for a nice 6-point weld-in cage was $900+ with limited rear seat use, which destroys the usefulness of an E28 vs a 3-series.

I attend about 2 schools a year (for the last 10+ years) and have never spun, gone 2 wheels off, etc. I could hardly be described as being slow on the track either (and I run R compound tires mainly for their longevity and consistency when compared to street tires on the track). The best insurance on the track is a clear mind, good concentration, proper attitude, and a good feel for the car and track surface. Without these things, even a cage won't save you from a serious incident.

Summit is hardly that dangerous of a track. Check out the walls and armco of Watkins Glen, frightening... However if you want to compare it to VIR, I would agree that Summit's layout does not allow it to have nearly as much runoff room.

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