"Mikeado" (mikeado)
08/18/2013 at 06:27 • Filed to: BECAUSE RACECAR, Ginetta, crash
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"Mikeado" (mikeado)
08/18/2013 at 06:27 • Filed to: BECAUSE RACECAR, Ginetta, crash | 3
| 17 |
Mike Simpson races in the British GT3 Championship in a Ginetta G55. Fighting for the lead at Brands Hatch, his car is hit by flying debris at a not inconsiderable 140mph or so. But what kind of debris, you'll ask if you didn't read the title? Well, not a mirror or a bird carcass or a Green Shell, but an entire door . With much calm understatement, he explains the consequences with video evidence in this, er, video.
It turns out the Ginetta G55 is one tough cookie, then. And it's made in Yorkshire! For those of you not aware of this British GT racer, the G55 comes in two racecar-only flavours. For the one-make Ginetta GT Supercup series that supports the BTCC, it comes with a 3.7-litre Ford V6 punching out 370bhp through a 6-speed Hewland sequential 'box and a gruff, purposeful noise. But this is the full-fat GT3 version, so because it has to weigh 1100kg instead of the Cup car's 950kg, it's fitted with Ginetta's own 4.35L V8 (maybe an overhauled Ford V8?) producing "sufficient power" up to 8500rpm, and wider wheels.
It also has a stronger windscreen than it does radiator.
Sauce: Ketchu— I mean !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
Boss2452stolemylunchmoney
> Mikeado
08/18/2013 at 12:42 |
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Did anyone else notice that the door came off the car he passed going into the next turn? It appears that car wasn't involved in a collision at all, but his door simply came off.
StewMM
> Mikeado
08/18/2013 at 13:04 |
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I knew about this like a week ago from Ginetta. Must be a slow news day.
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Mikeado
> StewMM
08/18/2013 at 13:19 |
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Good for you. Would you like a cookie?
I posted this in the off-topic forum this morning because I spotted it on another site and figured Jalops might be interested. That's all.
ScreenShot
> Mikeado
08/18/2013 at 13:20 |
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I was driving a 3/4 ton job truck up Hwy 5 in the middle of the day, middle lane, one time, several lengths behind a car hauler. The cars on the hauler had been mostly crushed. Suddenly, a hood from one of the cars on the top rack came loose and went airborne, taking horizontal, edge-on aim right at my windshield.
I barely had time to duck... Apparently the air flow over the hood and cab lifted it up enough to float it over the cab, after which it immediately fell to the pavement behind me, only to be run over by the next car in line.
Wasn't my day to die, I guess.
stillersfreak
> Mikeado
08/18/2013 at 13:32 |
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Thanks for posting it. This is the first I've read about it and thought it was interesting.
Bacon
> Mikeado
08/18/2013 at 13:32 |
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Why does the video only show his head? Because they didn't want to show the wheelbarrow he carries his balls around in!
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Mikeado
> Bacon
08/18/2013 at 13:53 |
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Or, indeed, his head.
/IfYouKnowWhatIMean
bikertool1
> Mikeado
08/18/2013 at 14:36 |
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I would like a cookie. Are there any left?
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LazyLemming
> ScreenShot
08/18/2013 at 14:58 |
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I had this exact same thing happen to me with a piece of steel plate from a toolbox. Lifted off the truck in front of me and came straight at me looking ready to decapitate. The instant before it hit my windshield the airflow pushed it up and over my car. Scared the piss right out of me.
onerunjunior
> Mikeado
08/18/2013 at 15:28 |
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I asked in another story about touring cars getting hit by objects, why in the hell do touring car drivers ride around with their visor open??? This is a perfect example as to why you shouldn't do that. All those little slivers of glass flying around could have instantly blinded him. Touring cars now have requirements on driver cooling and there's no real reason I see to ride around with your visor open. Anything can and will happen and this is a perfect example of that. In the space of two seconds he could have been blinded for life. Visors aren't there for decoration, they are there to protect your eyes.
Jon
> Mikeado
08/18/2013 at 16:53 |
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A Ginetta G40R is on the list of cars to buy once I hit the lotto...
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Mikeado
> bikertool1
08/18/2013 at 18:06 |
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Hang on, I'll see if I can find one.
Here ya go!
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Mikeado
> Jon
08/18/2013 at 18:07 |
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Damn straight! It's like the lovechild of an MX-5 and an Elise. Pretty much perfect!
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Mikeado
> onerunjunior
08/18/2013 at 18:10 |
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Because they have a windscreen. With your visor down, not only can it get pretty sweaty but there's one more thing between your eyes and the road, like wearing two pairs of glasses. Besides, Mr. Simpson knew to point his head down and cover his eyes, and racecar windscreens are tough.
123456
> Mikeado
08/18/2013 at 19:46 |
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Damn, that guy is experienced. Just the fact he dips his head down to avoid shrapnel...
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onerunjunior
> Mikeado
08/18/2013 at 20:55 |
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I understand the sweating issue, but that windshield was throwing slivers of glass through the car after the door hit. I guess I'm unique because whenever I wear a helmet inside a car I always have my visor down. The sweat part sucks but I'd rather not have glass in my eyes. It appears that he continued to race with his down so I wonder if he'll put it down in the future.
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Jon
> Mikeado
08/19/2013 at 12:14 |
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Exactly.