Sports cars FTMFW - the Clown Shoe maybe saved our lives

"Clown Shoe Pilot" (csp) 06/22/2014 at 17:28 • Filed to: None

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Mrs. Shoe Pilot and I went for a drive in the hill country this afternoon. We bombed around some nice little twisty 2 lane roads for a while and eventually made it back to US 281 a little north of Johnson City. We were driving towards Johnson City and came upon a rolling roadblock - 2 minivans abreast, a mile of open road ahead of them. They weren't going way under the speed limit or anything, but traffic was stacking up behind them.

The guy in the left lane was going maybe 10 feet/minute faster than the guy in the right lane. We hung back a bit for a minute or 2 and once left lane was past right lane, I prepared to make a move to get past them both.

Being in a little tiny car, my visibility around/through 2 minivans was shit. The elevation changes weren't working for me either. Suddenly, a GIANT PICKUP TRUCK was at a DEAD STOP in the left lane (he was turning left off the highway). Left lane minivan saw giant pickup and made a swift move right. Now I get two eyes full of pickup bumper maybe a little more than 100 feet ahead of me and I'm closing at 75 mph. I'd left a little room beside me and immediately swerved right and then left and got on the brakes to scrub some speed just in case I didn't make it.

I made it by inches. I got around the truck on his right and managed to not hit any minivans. Total incident time can't have been more than 3 seconds. After Mrs. Shoe Pilot and I realize that running into the back of a pickup ISN'T how we were going to die and we're back on course like nothing happened, the adrenaline shot hits, always 5 seconds late. We pulled off at the next gas station and got a drink.

I'm pretty sure that that crash would have been more survivable in my Hyundai. However I'm also sure that the maneuverability of the Clown Shoe (aided by the excellent Nitto NT-05 tires on all 4 corners) are what kept me from popping the airbags.

I wish I had dashcam video. I'd REALLY like to see that again from the safety of a computer screen.

Brian Silvestro > Clown Shoe Pilot 06/22/2014 at 17:32

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Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura > Clown Shoe Pilot 06/22/2014 at 17:37

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Reason number something to buy a clown shoe Beemer?

Clown Shoe Pilot > Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura 06/22/2014 at 17:40

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Certainly not a reason to avoid them.

Roberto G. > Clown Shoe Pilot 06/22/2014 at 17:40

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Turns out everithing went well, since you were not speeding and you were keeping your distance. Otherwise, you'd have crashed. Good job, and go on this way.