I was at Buttonwillow last week and will be there with many of us next weekend. It's terrible to hear when something like this happens. Always makes me think....and then I get back in the car.

Here's a link to the story:

Cobra Driver Fatality at Buttonwillow

The early info is that it may have been a car in front of him going off course and coming back on hitting him, and causing him to go off course and flip several times. One thing I've always wondered is if the cage design of the Factory Five Series Cobra's has enough protection in the front. I know I really like the idea of the full cage I have around the front windshield as well.

My thoughts are with his family.

I've also attached a picture of the type of cage allowed in the series. This car IS NOT of the gentleman involved in the crash.

Bill P.

That's horrible.

My thoughts go to his family.

Very sad and a sobering reminder about safety.

When I was looking at Factory 5's as a possibility I saw him on their website. I too was learly of the Factory Fives roll over protection.

I am very sad to hear a fellow enthusiast is no longer with us

All the safety equipment cannot protect you from stupid idiot drivers

QUOTE (Brando @ Apr 9 2006, 12:10 PM)

All the safety equipment cannot protect you from stupid idiot drivers

nowhere in any of the postings do i see anything about a "stupid idiot driver" ...

Andy

You are pretty exposed in one of those cars....
not much around you, except a little tubing. (very little)

the 914s are much more substantial....even with just the targa bar and windshield hoop. If he did an endover like the posting said, he may have broken his neck from the impact of hitting as the car went over.

We had a 911 do and endover last year in the TT series. Car landed on all 4s. Driver restarted the car and drove it into the pits. Driver had a concussion but was otherwise OK. Should have seen the dent in his helmet where it hit the rollbar. Car was totally tweeked, but it still drove and all the glass remained intact.
Car was flat towed home and salvaged.

German tank....vs.....fiberglass toy. IMHO.

I am very sorry for his family's loss.

It's a sad thing to hear.

Nothing can protect you from 100% of all possible accidents, so I'm not sure I'd be waving my fist at the car just yet.

QUOTE (Brando @ Apr 9 2006, 01:10 PM)

All the safety equipment cannot protect you from stupid idiot drivers  :o

Not exactly as I might have said it, but,


John


P.S. Sad Stuff

QUOTE (SirAndy @ Apr 9 2006, 12:32 PM)

QUOTE (Brando @ Apr 9 2006, 12:10 PM) All the safety equipment cannot protect you from stupid idiot drivers  :o nowhere in any of the postings do i see anything about a "stupid idiot driver" ... Andy

If you go off-track, wait for the pack to pass and you've got a clearning... At least, I'd do that instead of come back with a car I can't control, and hit someone...

QUOTE (Brando @ Apr 9 2006, 03:15 PM)

If you go off-track, wait for the pack to pass and you've got a clearning... At least, I'd do that instead of come back with a car I can't control, and hit someone...

the way i read it, the car went off track and spun back on track. nothing the driver can do about.
you'd be surprised how often that happens, usually, they'll hit the wall on the opposite side from where they went off track ...

not that uncommon at all.

unless i mis-read those posts, the guy did *not* intentionally drive back on track and into the other car ...
Andy

Andy, we must have written our responses at the same time...I agree

Folks, this is racing...sometimes you go off and you have no control of the car.
You are just along for the ride. You don't know if the car is going to spin off and stay off or spin off and shoot back across the track.
At Buttonwillow, there are several places like the exit of 13 (sunset I believe) lots of folks go 2 wheels off there, freak out and jerk the car back onto the track....then the car shoots across the track completely out of control.

Don't know where this incident happened, so you can't say what exactly happened....but it is racing and stuff happens...some of it not in yours or anyone elses control.

I wouldn't call a 911 a tank. There was a fatality last year or 2 years ago at Summit point when a 911 went off the track and hit a tree sideways

It's a tank compared to a tube framed, fiberglass body replicar.

I was there when it happened. Very sad indeed...

I didnt know he died. When I left after the racing was over he was in a coma. They didnt bring in a chopper so it must have been pretty bad.

Hi Folks - I've been "lurking" on this forum occasionally for a year or so, but haven't registered 'till now. I'm attracted by fellow "lunatic fringe" car fanatics!

I know this is a funny place for my first post, but I'm deeply saddened by the Cobra fatality. Two weeks ago was the 1 year 'anniversary' of my own Cobra fiasco.

I feel truly blessed to have survived; let alone walked away from the wreck. In considering whether to build another, I had similar thoughts to what others have already expressed here: they have as little driver protection as a '50's USAC sprint car and who knows the power to weight ratio......7, 6, 5, or ?? lbs/hp. (Mine was about 5.0 lbs/hp.) On the street, the temptation to 'use it' is just too great!

Anyway, hello , and as I sure everyone else here is, I'm distressed seeing someone lose their life pursuing the hobby we all love and enjoy.

P.S. Better look out: the "stupid idiot" drivers are switching over to teeners from Cobras!!!

QUOTE (Rufus @ Apr 9 2006, 05:24 PM)

Two weeks ago was the 1 year 'anniversary' of my own Cobra fiasco

holy sh*t ...

glad you made it out of there OK ...


Andy

That little tree sure did a number on your Cobra!