noticed on the www.dirttrackdigest.com forum that an IMCA modified went into the stands at Can-Am last night and had it not been for a smaller than normal crowd, there might have been serious injuries or worse. I noticed the fence had no top kick in and the tension cables were slack. Plus security seemed non existent after the incident. How good is the fencing at your local track?. I used to think some folks who stood in the ends at Flammy were great targets for a car with a stuck throttle. I worry one major insurance claim could put a lot of tracks that appear to be just "hanging on" out of business. You can access www.steveweedproductions.com for video.
Can-Am is an American track but it has an number of Canadian fans as it's only 15 miles from the border (from the Ivy-Lea Bridge near Gananoque Ontario).
Well, at Barrie John Fitzpatrick tested it 3 years ago with his CASCAR and it passed with flying colours...haha...poor inflatable coke bottle....
Looked like know one was in the seats where it hit. It climbed the fence. Maybe they need higher fences. The track owner is going to be under investigation for sure.
you notice the guy in the blue shorts and blue top seems to get away without spilling his drink but I'm not sure how impressed the woman beside him was when he took off
Catch Fences are a critical item when it comes to race track safety, not just for the fans but the drivers as well. Most Tracks in th USA that have races where the cars are travelling over a certain speed ( I believe 100 mph) are mandated by Insurance to have a height no lower then 22 feet, and in some cases even that does not cover the fact or fiction of safety.
I remember Stan Wattles in a IRL race at Charlotte getting air born (1999) and the car did stay inside the containments of the fence ( only 18ft high much to everyones surprise) but the parts that made it over the fence injured and killed race fans.
Another time we were racing Sprint Cars at Terra Haute Indiana and Jack Hewitt was caught up on the left rear spinning him upside down and over the Flag Stand only to get caught up in the fence at the very top.
Hanging upside down, Hewitt released his belts and fell some 16 feet to the race tracks front straightaway- unhurt.
The fans sitting on the front straight may have soiled there pants, but that was the extent of the bodily harm.
It amazes me to this day that tracks allow fans and racers to stand along a race track guard rail for the fun of it. It's stupid on both sides- fans and track owners.
If you want the same rush go and hang out on the side of the 401....you will be safer there and won't tarnish the sport of auto racing.