rec.autos.simulators

--
Oliver Nikolic
DP-MAX Computers
http://www.racesimcentral.net/
BeoRocket Racing Team (retired)
http://www.racesimcentral.net/

--
Oliver Nikolic
DP-MAX Computers
http://www.dp-max.co.yu/
BeoRocket Racing Team (retired)
http://www.beorocket.co.yu/

--
Oliver Nikolic
DP-MAX Computers
http://www.dp-max.co.yu/
BeoRocket Racing Team (retired)
http://www.beorocket.co.yu/

: The big
: change ind F1 saftety didn't start until Ratzenberger and Senna died.

  Hmm... I think you're underestimating the roles of Jackie Stewart and
Prof Sid Watkins.  (the prof's book "Life at the Limit" is truly excellent).

--
Richard G. Clegg       Only the mind is waving
    Networks and Non-Linear Dynamics Group
      Dept. of Mathematics, Uni. of York
    www:  http://manor.york.ac.uk/top.html

____________________
Try not to let your mind wander. It is too small to be out by itself!

Jerry Morelock

  What is "reasonably possible" is surely a matter of opinion.  I think
that it is easily possible that F1 and CART cars could both be made much
safer without any ill effects to the "sport".

: Freak accidents do occur and they can have tragic results leading up
: to and including death.

  When you're getting two a year can you really say they're
"freak" accidents.  To me that indicates an unacceptable level
of danger for the drivers.

: Deal with it! He knew what he was doing when
: he climbed into the car and I hardly think he could have made it as
: far as he did without having a few serious carreer considering
: accidents along the way. That said, he knew the risks, he died doing
: what he wanted to be doing, and everything leadin up to and including
: the crash was prepared to the best of everyone's given ability.

  I'm sorry, but I disagree with you here.  There are circuits that
all drivers dislike and consider unsafe.  They may "know what they're
doing" but I bet also that most drivers would prefer to know that it
was a bit safer.  You could make the same "own free choice" and "know
what they're doing" argument at any period of motor sport and it would
have been equally spurious.  Safety can (and should) be improved.  I
don't want to watch a sport where I have a good chance of seeing one
of the driver's killed.  I love watching most forms of motor-sport but
I hate the idea that the drivers may be killed or injured, at the
end of the day for my entertainment.

--
Richard G. Clegg       Only the mind is waving
    Networks and Non-Linear Dynamics Group
      Dept. of Mathematics, Uni. of York
    www:  http://manor.york.ac.uk/top.html

Thats a poor attitude to take, you make it sound as if he didn't care if he
got killed.

---- "You put your hindsight glasses on and proclaimed instant expertise on
the subject" ----
That pretty much hits the nail on the head. We can all discuss what <should>
or <could> have been done to prevent this and other tragedies AFTER the
fact.... but it is not OUR responsibility to design the courses and safety
features of each. When a track is being designed is the time to consider the
possible accident scenarios, and design the safety features accordingly. If
that wall had been designed differently (and safely), we would not be
donning our "hindsight glasses" today. Track designers should be the
"expert" on the subject, and it astounds me how they could not have foreseen
a possible crash with this (unprotected) wall.

I will admit to downloading ESPN's video of the crash -- not because I am
morbid, but because I want to know why the crash ended the way it did. There
was some discussion about the actual angle of the wall that Greg hit in
relation to the track... Upon watching the replay, you can clearly see that
the wall is parallel to the track for the most part, except the last 30-50
metres or so, where it curves around to the right - to a 45o to the track.
Unfortunately, any car that would be likely to lose control in that turn
would come off the track, and impact that section of the wall HEAD-ON. As
was proven twice yesterday, this is exactly what happened. Hearne should
consider himself lucky that his car twisted sideways upon hitting the escape
road, otherwise he too would have hit the wall HEAD-ON.

I wonder how many other times in Fontana's history cars have gone off in the
same spot? More importantly, how many of these cars went airborne, or were
twisted around after contacting the escape road? Perhaps this weekend was
the instance, but I have a hunch it was not. Others may have been
lucky(Hearn was just 8 laps earlier), but unfortunately Greg was not.......

He will be missed; as Senna's (& Ratzenberger's) deaths brought about new
attention to safety in F1, hopefully some good will come as a result of
Greg's untimely loss.

R. Hashana

How silly...

l8er
ronny

--
The box said "Windows 95 or better", so I installed LINUX!

          |\      _,,,---,,_        I want to die like my Grandfather,
   ZZZzz /,`.-'`'    -.  ;-;;,_              in his sleep.
        |,4-  ) )-,_. ,\ (  `'-'     Not like the people in his car,
       '---''(_/--'  `-'\_)            screaming their heads off!

This is much sicker than what he wrote.

l8er
ronny

--
The box said "Windows 95 or better", so I installed LINUX!

          |\      _,,,---,,_        I want to die like my Grandfather,
   ZZZzz /,`.-'`'    -.  ;-;;,_              in his sleep.
        |,4-  ) )-,_. ,\ (  `'-'     Not like the people in his car,
       '---''(_/--'  `-'\_)            screaming their heads off!

<snip>

. . . which is a helluvalot better than no sight at all.

But--
Just because you may not have been privy to any previous pertinent
discussions (not necessarily here in this group) regarding needed track or
other series safety improvements doesn't mean that they haven't occurred.

The sad truth is that it takes a tragedy, or sometimes a series of tragedies
like this to get most people to rinse the crud out of their eyes and admit
that theres even a problem to be fixed.

Jerry Morelock

____________________
Try not to let your mind wander. It is too small to be out by itself!