Leyburn 2011

[grt]

I didnt go to this but saw this quite scary photo. Apprently the driver only had a cracked rib.

[RallyPack]

Its ment to be a genuine GT too ,
I was talking to someone who said if he had a harness he would be dead but he was wearing a lap belt which let him slip over avoiding being crushed, lucky guy too bad for the gt

[David W]

[Neville Bertwistle]

I was running at Leyburn over the weekend and yes he was very lucky.

Thing was Saturday we had 40mm of rain, the wettest day of any Leyburn in the last 16 yrs. Drivers briefing was simple - keep it on the blackstuff!

This incident was on the first run in pouring rain and around the school at turn 6. He was VERY lucky to walk away (yes lap/sash saved him) but he had a bruise on his hip the size of a football already there by the time the medics arrived.

Car was a genuine GT but I believe the owner is a panel beater so I guess we're going to see just how good his work really is.

His was the worst but there was a steady string of incidents on Saturday due to the extreme wet conditions. Tyson Cowie took out the LH front on his RS again on the very first run on Saturday, and his brother Alex did the same in his on Sunday. Lots of hasty panel work did in their pit over the weekend.

[DarrylG]

Wasn't sure if it was genuine... Nasty... It looked like this...

Looks ok here

GTBefore3.JPG (92.49 KiB) Viewed 21304 times

Oops

GTGoing.JPG (63 KiB) Viewed 21304 times

Yes it was wet

GTGoing2.JPG (80.84 KiB) Viewed 21304 times

At least he got out ok

GTOutOk.JPG (77.66 KiB) Viewed 21304 times

It actually didn't look like that big a lose - but once on the wet grass/pond he was just along for the ride, and those poles have magnets in them + a few tyres stacked in front of them doesn't really do much to soften the blow.....

[DarrylG]

And to show what the tyres don't do...

[maxrs]

That's how I crashed out lakeside.
Wanting to go left, but the grass slope kicks the bum the wrong way.
Thanks for sharing Darryl. Well caught.

Next time I go off road like that, I will be powering out. Not braking.

[DarrylG]

Here's Neville keeping it tidy in the wet

[maxrs]

Ahh, the car Homer simpson built.

[DarrylG]

A few more pics. Saturday was fairly miserable but Sunday was fine, so any heroics on Sat in the wet didn't really translate into any more than keeping the bedraggled spectators amused...

[David W]

[Neville Bertwistle]

[maxrs]

[crusey]

I think it's a warning to everyone who competes in these public display events. They should be about enjoying the car and displaying it 'quickly' to the public. I think what happens is guys understandably get carried away and try too hard. The tracks are not overly safe and cars are damaged and potentially people are hurt. I love events of this type and if I was fortunate enough to own some of the cars driven there then would enter in a heart beat, but perhaps they should not be timed and be a truly display event. Racing should be left for permanent tracks/hill climbs.

I hope the guy in the GT is ok and glad to hear he is a panel beater. I suspect it will become one of the many 'genuine' cars that have been re-shelled.

[escortmk1600gt]

Found ths on my Facebook
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyeoq9_W ... ture=share
Worth a laugh

[gen mk 1rs2000]

[grt]

[bmw02rally]

[crusey]

Rallies are heaps different on many levels. But I guess from my point of view rally cars are purpose built therefore safer and also generally more replaceable than a genuine GT and other cars driven at these type of events.

My point is these are 'display' events. The best cars from each class rarely if ever turn up and when they do, Steve Richo for example, he is smart enough to understand that all you can do is look stupid by trying too hard and crashing.

I'm not soft, motorsport is dangerous, it's just a stretch to call it motorsport when 90% of the cars turn up to roll around, enjoy the car and let others enjoy them and then the other % try too hard and end up on a forum/magazine looking well, stupid. I do feel for the guy though.

[DarrylG]

Dunno about anyone else here but I've made one or two mistakes. It happens.
As for the event - it caters for everyone, it is up to the driver to use some judgement - if someone wants to wrap a car around a pole on a wet road they don't need an organised event to do it, and suggesting the act of timing runs causes instant red mist is a bit unrealistic. I don't think anyone was really taking it as a deadly serious competition, least of all the guy in the GT - he was just having fun - for a while.