RobinJI
Posted a lot
"Driven by the irony that only being shackled to the road could ever I be free"
Posts: 2,995
|
|
Jul 27, 2014 22:38:28 GMT
|
A quick update and I'm afraid it's safe to say it's the end to this cars story. Ben and I competed at Smeatharpe back in June and placed a fairly solid low 20's, which I'll do a bit more of an update on soon. The car was faultless, Ben drove well and the weather was great, it was an uneventful and very enjoyable rally. We were servicing next to one of Ben's dad's old service crew, who now rallies a rather lovely mk2 escort. The friendly competition with someone we knew added an extra level of enjoyment and made it a great day. Bens driving's really coming along and we were pushing the car closer to the edge than ever before, but unfortunately the stages weren't hugely suited to the Astra so our placing didn't really improve compared to previous rallys. We finally got some in car footage, including a mic feed from the intercom (for some reason the Somerset in my voice really comes out when I'm co-driving): This weekend was Bens dad Brian's next rally in the Astra, competing in the Boconnoc Motorsport Carnival in Cornwall. I wasn't able to service due to smashing my shoulder up mountain biking a fortnight ago, but Ben went down to help out. The next event me and Ben were booked to compete in was Carfax stages in two weeks time, but I was more than likely going to have to sit it out due to my shoulder. Which brings us to a couple of hours ago, when I received this picture : Instantly followed up with a phonecall to check how Brian and his Co-driver were. Thankfully both seem stable and should be out of hospital soon. They've got away with relatively minor injuries considering the severity of the impact, a few broken bones, cuts and bruises, but it sounds like it'll all heal up ok given time. I don't know the full details of the crash, but it happened at high speed on stage, involved another car and was absolutely not Brians fault. (The driver and co-driver of the other car are also both relatively ok, with injuries that'll heal up with time.) A sad ending to this cars story I'm afraid, but with an impact like that, that vehicle becomes a little irrelevant and the focus shifts to the occupants, who are happily safe. It's testament to the safety features these cars are required to have though. I've been told the impact was around 70mph, and into a subaru; I wouldn't even like to imagine the state the occupants would be in after an accident at that speed between a standard mk2 Astra and Impreza. The fact they can all be expected to be discharged from hospital within a day or two is proof that the safety systems really are there for a reason. (Having said that, the deformation of the passenger cell shows the reason for the shift in cage design since this car was built, especially the move towards triangulated door bars and an additional straight brace from the top of the a-pillar to the base of the a-post)
|
|
Last Edit: Jul 27, 2014 22:50:04 GMT by RobinJI
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 27, 2014 22:42:50 GMT
|
FECK Glad that the guys are doing ok.
|
|
|
|
Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,553
Club RR Member Number: 33
|
|
Jul 28, 2014 19:14:56 GMT
|
Gutted. Glad that everyone's alive to tell the tale, but gutted nontheless.
What event was it???
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 28, 2014 19:31:45 GMT
|
Just read the thread from start to intimely end, awesome story with a sad end, I am glad that everyone involved is ok.
|
|
|
|
RobinJI
Posted a lot
"Driven by the irony that only being shackled to the road could ever I be free"
Posts: 2,995
|
|
Jul 28, 2014 19:36:51 GMT
|
Thanks for the kind words guys. It happened at the Boconnoc Motorsport Carnival, on the 2nd or 3rd stage if I remember right. Having seen Ben today I've gathered a bit more info, but I'll keep it fairly short. Basically the cause of the collision was a Subaru driving in the wrong direction on stage. He barely had time to hit the brake pedal before hitting them head on in 4th.
It was caught on both cars on-board cameras, as well as being seen by marshals, so it sounds like there's no quarrel about the fault. I'm astounded it happened at all, and my feelings towards the other cars driver are really quite strong, but I'll not go into that in public.
I've been to Bens house this evening to have a look at the car and help unload the service van. All I have to say is that the state the car's in is truly horrific. The idea that both occupants got out without more severe injury is hard to believe.
|
|
Last Edit: Jul 28, 2014 19:41:19 GMT by RobinJI
|
|
Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,553
Club RR Member Number: 33
|
|
Jul 28, 2014 19:52:40 GMT
|
Pass on my best wishes to them for a speedy recovery. Competitors going WD on stages is treated very seriously by the MSA. I remember an incident a few years back on an event up here when two friends of mine rounded a bend to find a 205 coming at them at full-chat. Scariest experience they ever had.
|
|
|
|
fred
Posted a lot
WTF has happened to all the Vennies?
Posts: 2,957
|
|
Jul 28, 2014 20:28:04 GMT
|
Glad to hear all involved are ok, Looking at the car - it is a miracle of modern safety features that they did get out alive How can another competitor go the wrong way? I'm not to up on this stuff, as you can tell
|
|
'79 Cossie ran Cortina - Sold
2000 Fozzer 2.0 turbo snow beast
'85 Opel Manta GSI - Sold
03 A class Mercedes
Looking for a FD Ventora - Anyone?
|
|
Clement
Europe
ambitious but rubbish
Posts: 2,095
|
|
Jul 28, 2014 20:34:27 GMT
|
Gutted for the car, relieved about its driver and co-driver. It's a sad story but could have been much, much worse indeed, at least life goes on.
|
|
|
|
qwerty
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,409
Club RR Member Number: 52
|
|
Jul 28, 2014 20:58:12 GMT
|
Flip me!
So glad that the driver and co driver are alright, wish them a speedy recovery.
Cars can be replaced, friends and family can't.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 28, 2014 21:43:34 GMT
|
Shocking picture and even more shocking to hear how it happened. Its great news the occupants are not seriously hurt.
I had a roll caged Mk2 Astra up until 2009. I will never forget the difference it made to the strength of the shell when I fitted it so I fully appreciate its very likely it saved those guys lives.
|
|
87 Mk2 Cavalier SRi Turbo
89 Mk3 Cavalier SRi V6
90 Cartlon GSi3000 24v (Lotus Rep)
90 Senator CD 24v
99 Omega 3.0 MV6
|
|
|
RobinJI
Posted a lot
"Driven by the irony that only being shackled to the road could ever I be free"
Posts: 2,995
|
|
Jul 28, 2014 21:52:21 GMT
|
Thanks for the kind words guys. I know it'll be appreciated. I'm still a bit on edge and I think I will be until I see Brian out of hospital and back at home.
Fred, it's something that really shouldn't ever happen, I wouldn't like to speculate on what caused the other driver to loose his bearings, but personally, having co-driven a few times now I really can't see how you'd manage it. Everyone knows that if you take a wrong turn it's tough luck and you've just got to keep going with the flow until you can get off the stage safely. As Brian's said, heading the wrong way on stage is taken very seriously and tends to lead to disciplinary action even if you don't get in a shunt.
Brett, I think it's safe to say that the roll-cage definitely saved them. The cage's door bars ran past the a-pillars to link up to the strut towers. Although the A-pillar has folded on the drivers side, the door-bar has taken the force around Brian and into the rear legs of the cage. The B-pillar hoop has actually torn away from its mounting plates around the weld where the door-bar's pushed back against it so hard, (which is what ultimately allowed the a-pillar to buckle) but it's absorbed enough energy in the process that the passenger cell's relatively intact. Having seen the full extent of the damage, it's fair to say that not just the cage in general, but specifically the linking of the door-bars through to the front end saved them. It's very clear to see where the front end's folded up to the point where the cage starts getting in it's way.
|
|
Last Edit: Jul 28, 2014 22:02:21 GMT by RobinJI
|
|
MrOtter
West Midlands
"Your car is your story, so don't let someone else write the book." - Moog
Posts: 281
|
|
Jul 28, 2014 22:38:24 GMT
|
That is quite a story Robin, just read the whole lot in one go. Such a shame it had to end the way it did with the loss of the car, but as others have said, the most important thing is that the safety features did their job and no lives were lost.
Best wishes for the drivers and co-drivers recovery.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 29, 2014 14:49:13 GMT
|
Jeez!!!...end of the day, it's only metal and the occupants sound like they're on the mend ...thoughts are with all involved obviously
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 29, 2014 15:15:06 GMT
|
what a good story with a not as good ending!
however, driver/co driver got out okish by the sounds of things, and the car died doing something it was built to do, I'm sure its no consolation, but at least it was being used, and it didnt get pinched out of some private collection where it never saw dirt.
|
|
|
|
Davenger
Club Retro Rides Member
It's only metal
Posts: 7,272
Club RR Member Number: 140
|
|
Jul 29, 2014 21:25:01 GMT
|
A horrible end to a seriously cool car. But cars can be replaced, people can't
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 30, 2014 14:49:43 GMT
|
|
|
1993 Fiat Panda Selecta 2003 Vauxhall Combo 1.7DI van 2006 Mercedes Kompressor Evolution-S AMG SportCoupé
"You think you hate it now, wait til you drive it"
|
|
RobinJI
Posted a lot
"Driven by the irony that only being shackled to the road could ever I be free"
Posts: 2,995
|
|
Jul 30, 2014 17:50:39 GMT
|
Thanks guys.
I'm pleased to say that Brian's now been released from hospital and is back at home. He's still got quite a way to go with his recovery, but it's a great step forward to be home. Both him and Paul have already said they're keen to get back in a rally car and back on stage, so the hunt for a new car will commence once the dust has settled a bit more.
|
|
Last Edit: Jul 30, 2014 17:57:42 GMT by RobinJI
|
|
Brian Damaged
West Midlands
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 9,553
Club RR Member Number: 33
|
|
Jul 30, 2014 19:30:36 GMT
|
Thanks guys. I'm pleased to say that Brian's now been released from hospital and is back at home. He's still got quite a way to go with his recovery, but it's a great step forward to be home. Both him and Paul have already said they're keen to get back in a rally car and back on stage, so the hunt for a new car will commence once the dust has settled a bit more. Great news! I'll keep an ear to the ground for any suitable rally cars (Sod's Law dictates that Dean's lad campaigned a scruffy but strong and fundamentally well-sorted Mk2 Astra GTE on a couple of ACSMC events last year, and he sold it ten days ago for silly money.... ) Keep us posted as to Brian's ongoing recovery, would ya?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
did the dash cams record anything? that astra took a pounding.
|
|
'72 Opel kadett coupe
'77 Opel kadett city sr
'92 Peugeot 309 Gti Goodwood
'93 Peugeot 205 GL auto
'88 Citroen BX 16v(Breaking)
|
|
RobinJI
Posted a lot
"Driven by the irony that only being shackled to the road could ever I be free"
Posts: 2,995
|
|
|
did the dash cams record anything? that astra took a pounding. Yeah, the memory cards from both cars cameras were taken for the MSA investigation. I don't know if the other car's was recording, but Brians was apparently. The car really did take a beating. They think the total impact speed was around 140mph, that's a LOT of force. Another view of the car which I think brings home just how hard it's been hit, (no wide angle lens, just a normal phone camera): I'm glad to say there's already been quite a lot of talk about what's going to replace the poor thing, from both Ben and Brian.
|
|
|
|
|