I've looked back through the Southwest forums and didn't find any mention of this:

Track Day Crash At La Junta Raceway Leaves MRA Racer Seriously Injured And Another Rider Dead

LINK

My younger brother races in the MRA and we've had many conversations about this incident. According to his most recent report, a similar incident happened this weekend during a sanctioned MRA race. Both riders mentioned in the link above are now dead.

I'm just surprised that we haven't had a serious discussion about this, so I'm posting this for your thoughts and comments.

Also, there's an open track day at PMI in September that makes me think about these incidents and consider the implications of attending an open track event. Does the guy in front of you know where to pit-in? Does the guy behind you still have brakes? Are the people you are sharing the track with generally safety conscious? Who is a newbie and who is a seasoned track veteran? The list goes on and it really makes me nervous to think about it.


Joel

 

I remember hearing about this. One of the AWDPirate.net members was a close friend of both. Unforunatly accidents happen at track events, while I'm sure most are not this serious. Remember you are travling at very high speeds and pushing your car, or in this case motorcyle, to its limits or your driving limits. Although, through the track events I been in; auto-x, La Junta, drag, I feel I'm a much better driver on the road. I'm more aware of my surroundings & more cautious. You just have to always keep safey in the back of your mind and the safety of your fellow driver/racer.

 

Wow. Thanks for posting Joel. R.I.P. to the riders and condolences to their friends and families.

I also have a few reservations about going to an Open Track day event. This isn’t the first time I’ve been on a track, but it’s the first time I’ve ever attended an open track event. My worries about open track events as compared to a HPDE or Z Car club sponsored event are, who sets the rules and who enforces them? I also believe that it’s the driver’s responsibility to know and drive within their means as well as the cars limits, but if someone is out there become a hazard, driving too aggressively, or become a danger to others, who will police them?

In this case with the MRA riders it seems like it was one simple mistake that resulted in a horrific accident. I’ve also seen the video of an EVO that smashed into a parked NSX and G35, but that was at an instructed driving event. So to me it seems like any type of track event has the possibility for a catastrophe.

I think it may be a good idea to begin the group who will be attending to get on the same page on what is expected at this Open Track day. I am planning on following the rules that the Z Car Club of Colorado, David, or Gary set when they host a HPDE. This includes preparing my car for the track and also while I’m on the track. I’m not too sure what everyone else is planning, so it’s good that Joel stated this thread. Hopefully it will carry over to the other sites.

I hope that this event at PMI is ran safely, communication is abundant, rules are set and strictly enforced, and that we all have a great time.

David

 

Joel- Perhaps this tragic news can serve some purpose in getting everybody to really sit up and pay attention. For those who've been to LaJunta, it's a relatively simple and safe track. For there to be TWO fatalities at that track, it took only ONE serious mistake, or lapse in judgement. Remember that while we all crave the speed and excitment that a good track day brings, if we fail to pay attention and screw up, it may be the last $#%! up we ever do.

While rules, walk-throughs and other safety talk may sometimes seem like overkill on any of our HPDEs, remember that there are NO corner crews, safety workers or paramedics on hand at any of our track days. There's no officials to oversee the running of our events. While that lack of oversight may be liberating, it also means there's no safety net if the you-know-what hits the fan. Call 911 and pick up the pieces are all that's left to do...

Over the years I've witnessed my share of big shunts and fatal crashes in and out of racing. Pushing the limits of what we or our cars can (or can't) do is always risky. We don't usually have roll cages, HANS devices or decent harness systems in our street cars, but we do have the power to rein in our egos and focus our attention on what's going on right here and now. Those, together with the right attitude of listening and cooperating with being safe remains our most powerful tools, pure and simple.

 

Wow, that's terrible news. Not to be morbid and dwell over the details (not to mention the fact that I wasn't even there, so this is really all hearsay anyway), it sounds like this was a procedural error on one rider's part, that ended up costing 2 lives on what was supposed to be a fun day at the track.

Like everyone has already said, it just points out the necessity to not take anything for granted at the track, and to make sure that everyone knows the basics of how to get on and off the track safely at a track day event. It seems like such a minor thing to focus on when everyone is out there to go fast and build up speed, but as we see here, it's time well spent. I think the best we can do in this situation is to try to learn from this, for our own future events (and for the record, I've always felt completely safe at the track events that dkmura puts on, as safety has always been the primary focus at those events).

The fact remains that driving on a track is still safer than driving on the street (I'm not sure the emergency response time or the final result would have been any different if something like this had happened on I-25), but it's definitely something to keep in mind when you're out there at an uncontrolled event with people you don't know.

I think the best defense against something like this happening is for everyone to take it upon themselves to make sure there's an event leader (formal or informal), that some sort of discussion about how the day will go takes place, and throughout the event, if unhappy with anything going on, just pack up and stay off the track. The lost money in track fees pales in comparison to what else could be lost.

 

Just want to commend Joel for bringing this IMPORTANT topic up. I'm somewhat surprised that there haven't been more comments from Z members in this thread. While risk is inherent with any motorsport, we need to do all we can in terms of planning and cooperation to make things as safe as possible. Let's not forget these two lives!

 

I'm surprised too. I can also say that I would be completely at ease sharing the track with the few people who have responded to this post. You have my respect for enjoying motorsports to the fullest while being mindful of the potential dangers to yourself and others. The non-respondents have me concerned.

Gary, I think your assessment is spot-on. It's awkward to place blame in this instance since the outcome was the loss of not one but two lives. We all make mistakes, and in this case it was fatal, unfortunate and quite possibly avoidable.

Joel

 

I would have posted earlier on this thread, if I were going to make this track day. If I were there I would be begging David to post more of his turn by turn break downs that he has done in the past, and asking to do a lot of follow the leader. Auto-X is only fun (and safe) if you can be comfortable on the track and any info you can get to get you there is greatly appreciated.

I am also surprised there wasen't more more local news coverage of this tragic event. Was there and I just missed it? I didn't hear about it til it popped up on the board.

 

It's not too surprising there wasn't more news coverage of this LaJunta accident. It happened in a remote corner of SE Colorado, on private property and during a test session. But it should be noteworthy to the rest of us that the victims were apparently two experienced MRA riders, and even a informal test session can prove DEADLY if you make the wrong assumtion at speed.

 

Another reason I don't like open track days. I really wanted to go to the last one at SCR before it closed, but otherwise I generally avoid them. Going with our group or with the SCCA and ZCCC is different, simply because of rule enforcement. Walking the track, following the leader, and breaking run groups by skill and speed are all important to ensure everyone goes home safe. Open track days, they can become an "every driver for themselves event". As David asked, who's going to police them? With SCR, PPIR, and CDR all closed, it makes the number of attendees at PMI and LaJunta go up, and that just adds to the risk IMO. More people mean greater chance of someone not following common rules and courtesy, getting the red mist, and ruining everyone's day. Naturally, there are risks on any track day. But there are easy precautions to reduce those risks that most open days I don't think enforce.
Will

 

I'm posting this from LaJunta and the SCCA races. I talked to the track manager yesterday and got some disturbing news. As a result of the potential liability that this city-owned track incurred with this accident, they are considering renting only to groups with theiir own liability insurance. Since our Colorado 350Z group is more of an informal gathering of enthusiasts, it would be both difficult to get and cost-prohibitive. He said that the track may end up closing for the season after the last Porsche Club event in October.

After our talk, he agreed to go before City Council and ask for permission to continue renting for our HPDE/test days. No guarantees this will be approved, but he's going to bat for us. I'll post the answer when I talk to him next month.

 

I am sorry for not posting here sooner, no excuses. I work with one of the instructors who was there at the track that day. Everyone was briefed proper pitting and normal track safety, however one individual missed the exit to pit lane and thought he could get into the pits on the other end. Meanwhile, two fellow riders came aound the last turn and up the front straightaway splitting the confused rider (one on the right, and one on the left) and accellerating as you would on this part of the track. Needless to say the rider on the left was doing about 140 mph when the confused biker got to the far end of pit lane and decided to turn in... T-bone!

I have seen, and may be you have too, a distrubing increase in motorcycle accidents this year, probably due to more of them on the road. If you do ride, please PLEASE be extra careful out there. Too many people in a hurry, driving with a phone in their ear or food in their mouths! With such flagerant disregard for motor vehicle safety today, I'm not surprised there aren't more of every type of accident.