Not sure if this belongs here or in OT (Subiegal can move it if she wants), but you have got to check this image out!!

<IMG SRC="http://www.io.com/~jpphoto/drp/00events/solonationals/Saturn.jpg" border=0>

WOW http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/biggrin.gifhttp://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/eek.gifhttp://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/lildevil.gif

JJ

Serious pucker factor with that manuever! Don't ask me how I know, but I know! http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/wink.gif

Pucker factor ?!? I'll say...

You can almost see his Uranus !!http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/biggrin.gifhttp://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/wink.gif

Now that boy was really trying!

Notice how the observer in the background of the big picture is completely oblivious?
Wouldn't you have hated to miss that in real life. Probably the closest seat in the house.
I remember reading about that in SportsCar magazine, but realy needed the picture to visualize exactly how high he was.

I wonder what broke when he came down?

Mike

I wonder what broke when he came down?

My first guess would be the driver's control over his bladder.

-Red

At Nationals (93?), Erik Strelnieks did the same thing in his 318. Except he went all the way and his arm made it outside the car.

This sort of thing is yet another reason why I dislike the fact that SCCA solo2 Stock classes are permitted to use DOT race tires.

Softly sprung, high cg non-performance cars + questionable alignment settings + really sticky tires + really aggressive driving = less than safe.

OMG http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/eek.gif http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/eek.gif

So did he rooled it or not?

No, he didn't roll. The small oval pic in the upper right is the 3rd frame in the sequence, and yes he did hit that cone.

I think he damaged the suspension after slamming back down.

[This message has been edited by ColinL (edited February 13, 2001).]

I've heard that Saturns have EXTREMELY fragile front suspension and steering racks along with frames. http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smilies/frown.gif Kinda feel sorry for the guy, ya know...

JJ

Looks like a good photoshop job to me. Is it real? It seems like the car is in the exact same position relative to the scene behind the car in both photos.

Lonne

Sorry, that's no photoshop job. Here is a cut&paste from my regional autox mail list.
> But Jim is exactly 1/100th ahead of former ES National Champion
> Dave Pearson... and Pearson is still in the same Saturn that he won in.

Just wanted to correct this. Dave Pearson signed up in his 91 Saturn,
however his water pump locked up (on the way to nationals) and took the belt
and the pulleys with it, and then he asked to co-drive another guy's Saturn.
However "the other guy" was the 1st driver in the car and about flipped the
car on his first run. When I say flipped, I mean flipped. He was almost
completely vertical! But when the car slammed to the ground from about 4'
feet in the air, it broke the rear hub on the rear axle. Which then left
Dave without a ride. He then ran all 3 of his runs in Jim Abel's car.
Greg Reno
Mazda MX-3 GS V6
#36 ES

The name of the person who actually did this is not mentioned, which maybe isn't a bad thing. Jim Abel is our local ES Saturn guru, who usually does quite well but I don't know if he had a clean run on either course.

Anyway, the photo is real and the vast majority of cars that get into trouble like this at divisional / national events are in fact Stock class cars.

Newbies: no this is not normal for autocross. Autocross is quite safe and covered under most forms of insurance since it is *not* racing.

think I will just stick with street tires. and the saturn guys (I'm on the saturn mailing list) keep harping about too much surface area for such a lightwieght car?? they never did explain that to me.

Oh man!!! That is crazy!!