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Thread: 33 Crash?

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    Papa's Avatar
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    I hate seeing these stories. The loss of life and injuries caused by what appears to be driver error (who really knows for sure). The very first post in the Roadster Forum should be required reading by anyone building/buying/driving any of these street-legal race cars.

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  4. #3

    Steve >> aka: GoDadGo
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    Quote Originally Posted by Papa View Post
    I hate seeing these stories.
    Ditto Papa Dave, Ditto!

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    Senior Member Gordon Levy's Avatar
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    Looks like they were backwards at the time of contact.
    This is really sad, hate to see it.
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    The vast majority of these crashes are as simple as this:

    You can't get any (viper, corvette, etc included) of these cars "out of shape" (read that as "sideways"), and then simply "step off the throttle" - do this and you instantly become a passenger, you're going for a ride (and you're not going to like the ride).

    Stepping off the throttle and then onto the brake simply makes it worse (more completely uncontrollable).


    You have to get the steering wheel straight, come back to "neutral throttle", and that *all* has to happen "reflex quick".

    That is not a "natural reaction" for most - most of us have to practice that "reflex", "regularly" (autocross is an excellent place to practice).


    Either that or make it a point to never, ever, exceed traction with throttle.


    There are (many) additional potential failure modes.

    But it comes back to driving (or anyone you choose to ride with) with the certain knowledge that "if anything goes wrong, anything at all, your fault, my fault, nobody's fault"...


    It can happen, it does happen - be careful out there.



    I hate to see it too - just trying to offer further analysis + best advice.

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    I just met a local builder who is going through SB100 registration on his Hot Rod before having it painted. It's really hard to tell if it's his car since I only saw a few photos of it on his phone, and the TV images lack resolution when seen on my computer. However, the crash site is close to his home. I will try to verify by PM / email, but I am very afraid that we have lost a member of the FFR builder family.
    Keith

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    Senior Member TDSapp's Avatar
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    One of the other post has released the name of the driver.

    Stephen Hook, 61, was a resident of the Sherwood Forest neighborhood of Northridge
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    Senior Member AJT '33's Avatar
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    Tragic and Sad... unfortunately it looks like this area is synonymous for crashes and street racing, similar accident last year based on searches for the area. Heartbreaking!
    Last edited by AJT '33; 01-28-2019 at 01:50 PM.

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    Senior Member AJT '33's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TDSapp View Post
    One of the other post has released the name of the driver.

    Stephen Hook, 61, was a resident of the Sherwood Forest neighborhood of Northridge
    https://patch.com/california/northri...ash-identified

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    Heavy Heart on this...... But it Does confirm MY game plan for my 33'...... Street Cruiser only. Low to mid 300 HP, 5 speed, Loud with occasional "brief" burst of speed for ego purpose and maybe a chip of tire here and there.... Sad day in F5 community.

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  15. #11
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    Shows that safety equipment is more important than most peep think, i will have more weight in my car but will have a good chance of walking away.
    Sad for others in their lives!!

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    Administrator David Hodgkins's Avatar
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    From the looks of one of the crash scene pics (which I choose not to post) it looks like the hotrod had a temp plate and a coyote motor. Looks like they were rear-ended.

    A witness says on the video that the hotrod was at excessive speed, lost control and spun out. Then they were rear ended.

    The cockpit looks like it held up and did not crumple.

    With further investigation, It looks like it is one of our members, HotRodHook. His last post fits the narrative:
    https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...135#post351135

    Incredibly sad!


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    Just terrible. I feel for his family and the family of the passenger.
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    Ol Skool
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    This is not what we want to hear. Too bad. Now I really really have to emphasize that if you haven't driven such a light car with a V-8 or other power adder that you get some time in cone racing or some similar closed course time in the seat. My best training experience was running on a wet air strip. It teaches you throttle to wheel to brain control very fast. I'm not assuming Steve was at fault at all, but, just reading the post on the cobra forum isn't enough. Get some wheel time in a controlled environment. There are just too many variables on a fresh car. The tires are still "greasy", the EFI is still "learning" and most of all the driver isn't calibrated to the car yet.
    Its ok to put a stiff spring on the throttle linkage and limit it to less than full throttle also...

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    Senior Member KDubU's Avatar
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    Very sad news for the FF community and their families. I have read it was a head-on crash when the 33 went into oncoming traffic. We won’t know the exact cause until after an investigation.
    Kyle

    Complete Kit pickup 09/05/2015, 351w, QF680, 3.55, 3-Link, 15" Halibrands with MT's, Painted Viking blue with Wimbledon white stripes on 03/15/2017. Sold in 08/2018 and totally regret it.

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    Tool Baron frankeeski's Avatar
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    This was posted on the NASA facebook page earlier today.

    With great sadness, I am sorry to report that NASA SoCal has lost two great members of our community. Steve Hook and Les Smith, both SoCal instructors, passed away in a tragic car accident on Saturday January 26th in Northridge, Ca.

    Steve was known throughout the paddock as one of the nicest people you would ever meet, and was our HPDE 1 Group Leader for many years. He had a passion for helping people and spent many years at the track making friends and teaching students how to drive.

    Les was a kind person that helped everyone and was a trusted mechanic to many folks at the track.

    Both will be missed beyond any words can describe. They made a lasting impression with anyone they met and will be remembered for their positive impact on our lives. I know each of them had a passion for life and would encourage each of us to make the most of every day. God Speed.
    Frank
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    Quote Originally Posted by wrp View Post

    Guys the 33 was struck in the rear while most probably sitting still preparing for a left hand turn.

    Negative.

    The debris field from the impact is not even remotely close to the turn lane.

  22. #18
    Senior Member CDXXVII's Avatar
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    I'm no expert but the skid marks look like they belong to the 33. Kind of what you would expect to see when the rear end come around and you lock up your brakes. Looks to me that the 33 spun and slid backwards into the white car. In either case "Murder" is not what happened here.

    I do not know what happened in this case but there is a reason these are called accidents and in this case a very unfortunate one.


    Quote Originally Posted by wrp View Post
    Guys the 33 was struck in the rear while most probably sitting still preparing for a left hand turn. The actual videos show he was struck at precisely the intersection in the turn lane most likely at a complete stop. The white car skid marks travel right through the turn lane where the 33 would have been. While everything said about control and so forth is true, none of that had any bearing on this crash. Here is the site from Google maps. Before we all start throwing each other under the bus over this we need to step back and take a breath. More convincing than the so-called witness with the calibrated eyeball and the TV News Reporter with the big scoop on the racing hot rod, the guy in the 33 and his passenger were murdered by the driver of that white car.


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    Papa's Avatar
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    There are only four people, likely only one or two of them, who were there that may be able to shed any light on what really happened. Let's not beat each other up over speculation.
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    Okay I stand corrected.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Papa View Post
    There are only four people, likely only one or two of them, who were there that may be able to shed any light on what really happened. Let's not beat each other up over speculation.
    I agree completely.

    Quote Originally Posted by wrp View Post
    Okay I stand corrected.
    I wasn't looking to start an internet pissing match.

    I don't "know" whose skidmarks are whose.

    Just tried to offer insight + my best, considered - advice.


    But I will guarantee you that whatever it was *exactly* that happened to that hdpe instructor - it could happen to me.

    And I've autocrossed since the early 1980s, ran dirt track too...


    Let's count our blessings and be careful out there.

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  28. #22
    Papa's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mike223 View Post
    I agree completely.



    I wasn't looking to start an internet pissing match.

    I don't "know" whose skidmarks are whose.

    Just tried to offer insight + my best, considered - advice.


    But I will guarantee you that whatever it was *exactly* that happened to that hdpe instructor - it could happen to me.

    And I've autocrossed since the early 1980s, ran dirt track too...


    Let's count our blessings and be careful out there.
    Mike,

    Thanks for that. That was my intent with my first post recommending everyone read that post in the Roadster forum. Regardless of where the fault lies, we are driving cars on the road that have incredible performance and very little modern protection (air bags, head restraints for those of us with low-back seats, crumple zones, reinforced doors for side impacts, etc.), and we will be the ones worse for the ware in any accident. We need to be twice as aware of our surroundings and our behavior as the guy driving the family sedan. When I park next to my lifted F-250 and see the bumpers sitting at head-level, it's a bit sobering.

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    I made an *** out of myself and owe everyone an apology. I have had two experiences that rattled me and that make me very concerned about safety. I had an 8.8 housing twist a tube which threw me into a violent lefthand turn and I lost the steering connectivity on the column. In retrospect this incident should give us all pause to consider the many variables with the cars, traffic and the road, just as many of you have pointed out.
    Last edited by wrp; 01-29-2019 at 12:55 AM.

  31. #24

    Steve >> aka: GoDadGo
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    Gentlemen,

    This Forum, The Problem Solvers That We All Are, Dave Smith & His Staff Are All A Different Breed.

    We care about each other, the communities where we live, and this virtual community known as The Factory Five Forum.
    With that being said we all are upset when the unthinkable happens, especially when life is lost and others are hurt.
    We, the folks on this forum, are grieving because we all hate when joy turns to tragedy and laughter turns to tears.

    Whether We Know The Folks Involved Or Not, We Still Care So Let Us Pray For All Involved!

    Steve
    Last edited by GoDadGo; 01-29-2019 at 06:43 AM.

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  33. #25
    Senior Member TDSapp's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by David Hodgkins View Post
    From the looks of one of the crash scene pics (which I choose not to post) it looks like the hotrod had a temp plate and a coyote motor. Looks like they were rear-ended.

    A witness says on the video that the hotrod was at excessive speed, lost control and spun out. Then they were rear ended.

    The cockpit looks like it held up and did not crumple.

    With further investigation, It looks like it is one of our members, HotRodHook. His last post fits the narrative:
    https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...135#post351135

    Incredibly sad!

    David you are correct... this is from where he requested to be put on the 33 Google Map.

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    Not painted yet, but registration in process.
    Tim Sapp
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    Delivered 5/31/2017

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