Subaru Impreza WRX STi Track Crash

IGOTASTi

System Operator
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Alin

Diehard Car Enthusiast!
That sucks... Is it possible to correct that mistake? Granted, he hit the grass very early on... :doh: [MENTION=662]Batmobile_Engage[/MENTION] [MENTION=1868]Boogieman98[/MENTION]
 
I'm sure its possible to correct yourself eventually but it depends if your still disoriented to even recover at all.
 

Batmobile_Engage

Squirrel Meat Aficionado.
Staff member
Meh. That was a double whammy that is very difficult, if not impossible to recover from. #1. He entered that turn way too fast, which should be pretty obvious. #2. The point that he was beginning his turn in was also the crest of a small hill. Any time you are trying to turn and/or brake while cresting a hill is going to end badly. The weight balance of the chassis is thrown out of whack.

He was already getting loose in the rear end from entering the turn too fast, which was then compounded by standing on the brakes which moved weight/energy forward onto the front tires. He might have been able to recover, but the added fuckery of the road dropping out from underneath him as he crested the hill under those conditions, accelerated the weight/energy transfer forward. That allowed the rear tires even less traction than they already had...at that point he was f***ed.
 
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Meh. That was a double whammy that is very difficult, if not impossible to recover from. #1. He entered that turn way too fast, which should be pretty obvious. #2. The point that he was beginning his turn in was also the crest of a small hill. Any time you are trying to turn and/or brake while cresting a hill is going to end badly. The weight balance of the chassis is thrown out of whack.

He was already getting loose in the rear end from entering the turn too fast, which was then compounded by standing on the brakes which moved weight/energy forward onto the front tires. He might have been able to recover, but the added fuckery of the road dropping out from underneath him as he crested the hill under those conditions, accelerated the weight/energy transfer forward. That allowed the rear tires even less traction than they already had...at that point he was f***ed.
And at that moment he knew he f@#**d up.

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Batmobile_Engage

Squirrel Meat Aficionado.
Staff member
In my opinion, I don't think there's any way to recover from a screw up of this nature. The only thing that will save you in this situation is knowing the track well enough to avoid getting into that situation in the first place. On a turn such as this, you have to enter slowly and get the car cornering with no brake input and a stable throttle input (or no throttle) BEFORE you crest. The chassis will be as stable as it can possibly be and slight steering corrections through the apex will be all that's needed. When you're out of danger, THEN you stand on the gas.

There are a ton of turns of this nature at Nurburgring, which is what makes it such a dangerous track. And many of those turns that already incorporate an elevation change, also happen to be off camber. Driving too fast without an in depth knowledge of the track is a recipe for disaster.

RIP Subie... I'm guessing the frame/unibody is bent.
 
In my opinion, I don't think there's any way to recover from a screw up of this nature. The only thing that will save you in this situation is knowing the track well enough to avoid getting into that situation in the first place. On a turn such as this, you have to enter slowly and get the car cornering with no brake input and a stable throttle input (or no throttle) BEFORE you crest. The chassis will be as stable as it can possibly be and slight steering corrections through the apex will be all that's needed. When you're out of danger, THEN you stand on the gas.

There are a ton of turns of this nature at Nurburgring, which is what makes it such a dangerous track. And many of those turns that already incorporate an elevation change, also happen to be off camber. Driving too fast without an in depth knowledge of the track is a recipe for disaster.

RIP Subie... I'm guessing the frame/unibody is bent.
Yes rip subie but it still held up very well for that speed of an impact.

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Batmobile_Engage

Squirrel Meat Aficionado.
Staff member
Yes rip subie but it still held up very well for that speed of an impact.

Hell yeah, I definitely noticed that. After that first impact especially, I expected a LOT more damage. The second
impact, though much slower, seemed to do very little damage as well. But in reality, internal damage is often far worse
than the body suggests, as the body panels will often snap back out to roughly their original shape, while everything beneath
them is pushed in severely.
 

IGOTASTi

System Operator
Staff member
Saw that one a few years ago. No fixing that one. He slide.

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IGOTASTi

System Operator
Staff member
You think no wing cause that?

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You think no wing cause that?

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Not the cause of it but who knows it could have helped prevent it. I'll be honest with you the 17 holes in my trunk is the real reason I never removed it but I will say seeing the wing flex at freeway speeds is the secondary reason.

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Alin

Diehard Car Enthusiast!
I recall seeing the second video on here as well. It could be a combination of things, but it was stated that the car had street tires on. (Unknown tread depth??) Also, it looks like he goes WOT too early into the turn and his back end kicks out. Whether it was due to throttle lift off, or going WOT too early (DCCD free lock?), guess we'll never know. Unless the driver specified why he lost control through social media or an interview.
 

Batmobile_Engage

Squirrel Meat Aficionado.
Staff member
Our cars definitely handle well, but most people that get in trouble do so because they are over confident in the chassis. Knowing your limits is where it all begins.

I don't think a wing would have stopped that but it might have helped a bit.

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Alin

Diehard Car Enthusiast!
i watched the video a few more times in full screen and went frame by frame. The car's back end kicks out somewhere near mid turn and the driver attempts to correct it, however he still oversteers too strong and ends up losing control. I can only assume that he was going wayyyyy too fast for the turn. On a side note, did he pull his handbrake towards the end? Why do only the rear tires smoke right before the car goes onto the grass???
 

Batmobile_Engage

Squirrel Meat Aficionado.
Staff member
The rear tires smoked because they were sliding somewhat sideways. It's also easier to lock up the rear wheels, even if only momentarily, when you stand on the brakes because there is less weight on them. If I had to guess, after watching that video a number of times, the cause would be lift off over steer. He entered the turn too hot and tried to slow down rapidly in the middle of the turn. He'd have been far better off keeping the throttle even and just understeering off the outside of the track. He'd have likely had an easier time keeping the car pointed straight which would have allowed him to slow down more effectively. Sure, he could damage the car while leaving the track during understeer, but the chances of rolling over are far lower.
 
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