03-24-2013, 10:20 PM
The brakes failed (ABS malfunction) in my E36 M3 race car at the end of the front straight at VIR. This was in the first NASA HPDE-3 session at around 9:30 yesterday morning. I impacted the tire barrier at around 80 mph. Suffered a concussion, 1.5 inch gash on my forehead that required six stitches to close, and severely bruised ribs.
Going frame by frame in the video and doing the math... between the 600 and 500 ft brake markers I was going 113 mph. Between the 100 foot marker and the turn-in arrow, I was still going 97 mph.
Regarding the gash on my forehead, I was rushed and unprepared for this trip to the track. I'm also a forgetful mofo and I thought that my helmet and HANS device was in my car. I was wrong... so I ended up using a NASA loaner helmet. When I impacted the tire barrier with the right side of the car, my head snapped to the right and my helmet came into contact with right side of the seat (the seat is U-shaped at the top and curves around both sides of my head). This impact crushed the helmet into my forehead, splitting open my skin on a sharp piece of plastic in the loaner helmet. I was bleeding all over the place. I may have been unconscious for a second or two, but I really am not sure. I just remember blood gushing down my face into my mouth and checking my rear view mirror to see where the **** it was coming from.
The first track worker who got to my car asked me if I was alright before actually seeing my face. I responded "yeah... I'm alright," then he looked at me and quickly responded "no you're not" and got on his radio and asked for an ambulance. I wanted to get out of the car, but no one would let me. They got me straight onto a stretcher and took me to the hospital for a CAT scan and x-rays of my neck, back, chest, etc.
I try to look on the bright side, though... my neck is alright and if I had remembered my helmet, I wouldn't have this awesome scar to use as a conversation starter. :beer: I really am extremely thankful that my neck wasn't injured. It's crazy that the first time I'm on my track without my HANS device, this **** happens. As I was careening off the track towards the wall, all I could think of was #$%* I hope I don't break my neck. I purposely tried to hit the wall at an angle instead of straight-on; I didn't want to go out like Dale Earnhardt. My neck is sore today, but I'm totally fine with that. Plus, it's nothing compared to the pain in my ribs.
I remember as I was impacting the tire barrier and everything was going in slow-motion, I could feel my ribs crushing. I thought they were going to break, but then after I came to a stop, I didn't feel any pain. I guess that was a result of the adrenaline coursing through my veins. Even on the trip to the hospital on the super uncomfortable backboard, I didn't feel any pain. It took another couple hours before I started feeling it, and GODDAMN was it excruciating. I could hardly move at all without feeling like someone was smashing me in my ribs with a sledge hammer. I also started to feel nauseated as a result of the concussion, which was not pleasant at all. I was so worried that I'd throw up, because the pain that would have caused my ribs would have been ****ing ridiculous. Even a little hiccup was enough to send me through the roof, let alone vomiting. The doctor gave me some anti-nausea pills and that fixed my stomach relatively quickly... thank God.
Manly Scar:
![[Image: IMAGE_3DE98283-3D5D-4F43-B5E6-67F0ECD76AFF.JPG]](http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-25PyFGTxg_o/UU4-kjY-hzI/AAAAAAAACkk/1lOz-5vw7Mg/s1024/IMAGE_3DE98283-3D5D-4F43-B5E6-67F0ECD76AFF.JPG)
Wreck Only:
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bos8YsUWlA8">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bos8YsUWlA8</a><!-- m -->
Full Video:
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XO35pr1H1E">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XO35pr1H1E</a><!-- m -->
Going frame by frame in the video and doing the math... between the 600 and 500 ft brake markers I was going 113 mph. Between the 100 foot marker and the turn-in arrow, I was still going 97 mph.
Regarding the gash on my forehead, I was rushed and unprepared for this trip to the track. I'm also a forgetful mofo and I thought that my helmet and HANS device was in my car. I was wrong... so I ended up using a NASA loaner helmet. When I impacted the tire barrier with the right side of the car, my head snapped to the right and my helmet came into contact with right side of the seat (the seat is U-shaped at the top and curves around both sides of my head). This impact crushed the helmet into my forehead, splitting open my skin on a sharp piece of plastic in the loaner helmet. I was bleeding all over the place. I may have been unconscious for a second or two, but I really am not sure. I just remember blood gushing down my face into my mouth and checking my rear view mirror to see where the **** it was coming from.
The first track worker who got to my car asked me if I was alright before actually seeing my face. I responded "yeah... I'm alright," then he looked at me and quickly responded "no you're not" and got on his radio and asked for an ambulance. I wanted to get out of the car, but no one would let me. They got me straight onto a stretcher and took me to the hospital for a CAT scan and x-rays of my neck, back, chest, etc.
I try to look on the bright side, though... my neck is alright and if I had remembered my helmet, I wouldn't have this awesome scar to use as a conversation starter. :beer: I really am extremely thankful that my neck wasn't injured. It's crazy that the first time I'm on my track without my HANS device, this **** happens. As I was careening off the track towards the wall, all I could think of was #$%* I hope I don't break my neck. I purposely tried to hit the wall at an angle instead of straight-on; I didn't want to go out like Dale Earnhardt. My neck is sore today, but I'm totally fine with that. Plus, it's nothing compared to the pain in my ribs.
I remember as I was impacting the tire barrier and everything was going in slow-motion, I could feel my ribs crushing. I thought they were going to break, but then after I came to a stop, I didn't feel any pain. I guess that was a result of the adrenaline coursing through my veins. Even on the trip to the hospital on the super uncomfortable backboard, I didn't feel any pain. It took another couple hours before I started feeling it, and GODDAMN was it excruciating. I could hardly move at all without feeling like someone was smashing me in my ribs with a sledge hammer. I also started to feel nauseated as a result of the concussion, which was not pleasant at all. I was so worried that I'd throw up, because the pain that would have caused my ribs would have been ****ing ridiculous. Even a little hiccup was enough to send me through the roof, let alone vomiting. The doctor gave me some anti-nausea pills and that fixed my stomach relatively quickly... thank God.
Manly Scar:
Wreck Only:
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bos8YsUWlA8">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bos8YsUWlA8</a><!-- m -->
Full Video:
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XO35pr1H1E">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XO35pr1H1E</a><!-- m -->