Crash At Summernats

[Goanna]

Bit of an incident at the Nats tongiht, The CAPA drift team were on the gravel circuit doing there stuff, doing a fantastic job until one of the Utes lost control and went into the fence and hit some people, about 4 injured, no one serious from what they said. We were on the other side of the track when we saw it go in, car only went about a metre if that through the fence. Feel sorry for the CAPA guys and the people hit, the guys were putting on a great show of driffting. Sure everone will see it on the news on Sunday.

[pagey]

bugger... bet the promoters will be flicking through the PL insurance.. and no doubt expecting a rise next year.

[throttlehappy]

i wish i was up there
love seeing the capa ute on speed week
and the manaro

[Uncle Tone]

i wish i was up there
love seeing the capa ute on speed week
and the manaro

You'll see it on the news now:doh:

[HazzaHSV]

Yeah bloody hell!! Damn shame. Hope this doesn't get Chic and the Summernats in doubt for future years. I must admit I was a bit surprised the CAPA drivers weren't wearing helmets and safety harnesses etc. I know Bulger was doing a bloody great job in the Monaro and the other ute driver was great too but that third ute lost it twice. Once spun without hitting and once into the people. Bugger.. Yeah Chic said only cuts, bruises and maybe a broken bone or two so lucky I spose.

[Y2kGoofball]

there not hacing much luck lately the CAPA boys.

At Bathurst the ute come off pit straight smoking, no not from the tyres, from the engine bay which is one of the worst times to have something in the engine bay fail :vpo:

[mmciau]

Expect a massive beat-up from all the "do gooder" TV shows such as ACA, 7-30, etc.

"Cowboy promoters", "dangerous hoon antics" "public at risk", et al!

And you can bet your bottom dollar there will be a police inquiry with the usual outcomes - anti-social behaviours, hoons, non compliant cars noise smoke.

Do generally feel sorry for the exhibitors who look to the event as their annual show case.

Mike:(

[Lokky]

Its already made the news. Its the top story at news.com.au

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,17760593-2,00.html

Its going to be a real shame how this story is told, as the journalists will no doubt see it as an easy target.

[mavss]

This isn't good and that fact that there were 2 crashes, one involving a 5 year old boy, has put a black mark on this event.

The organisers really have to beef up safety if they plan on holding any more Summernats.

[Goggles]

here is an interesting view of it:
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,17760593-2,00.html

[Oztrack Tuning]

I remember seeing years ago an accident at the drags (in the early 90s) it took ages for the fire crew to get to a burning car - i thought the driver was going to be incinerated. But luckily he was OK.

But nowadays things are like a special forces operation - they are there within seconds. Thats how things change.

Things need to be assessed very carefully in terms of safety before accidents occur. To do less than that is just making a fast buck for someone.

[Goanna]

Well.....don't they love to spin some crap!, the second crash was ment to happen, it was a Stunt driver meaning to roll his car, and he was out within 10 mins if it took that long!!. Yes the other crash was bad, but the media is just stupid sometimes, proberly written by someone who was told to make something up!!!.

[chilly]

there was a 5 year old taken to hospital unconscious
a woman with a broken leg
etc

of course there will be a beat up
a chain link fence for security......yeah right
more like for crowd control
i wonder how many of us would feel if it was thier kid...
or girlfriend / wife that will be sore and sorry for awhile

accidents will allways happen

lets hope we/they learn from it

[Milzy]

Is the second accident the media are talking about where that bloke was attempting to do that flip in his car and from what goanna said, im taking it he didnt go too well. ah well at least they will/should learn from mistakes because thats what mistakes are there for.

[Sonnymad]

This is not good guys,the media is gonna absoloutly tear this event apart to attract attention of ppl in higher political positions,so the event can get banned or start calling car enthusiates "hoons" "niusance" maybe to the point where we are gonna get scrutinised about the mods we do to our cars.It just sucks,i think eventually ur not gonna be able to even change the air filter on ur car the way this media is carrying on,my 2 cents worth


regards sonny

[NickS]

If a 5 year old has ended up in hopital and a woman has a broken leg then clearly something needs to be changed.

There really shouldn't be any risk to spectators at all. However, hopefully it won't go to far.

[Uncle Tone]

This is not good guys,the media is gonna absoloutly tear this event apart to attract attention of ppl in higher political positions,so the event can get banned or start calling car enthusiates "hoons" "niusance"

The media has a field day with the guys that do this sort of stuff illegally on the street...... if they take the angle that this was supposed to be under controlled conditions:errr: at an event.....there could be a lot of negaive publicity.

[Ron]

The cars where no where near the edge of the track, they where drifting from the centre , they already labelled us as rowdy crowd (hoons in other words) talk about a beat up. There is a big difference to what sells a story and what actually happens

[ROGUE]

Two things need to change.

1. Better fencing to protect spectators.
2. Better driver in the ute.
http://network.news.com.au/image/0,10114,5094205,00.jpg

[marcu5]

I sent an email to news.com.au (follow "contact us" link at the bottom for the online mailer) telling them not to beat up on it, maybe a hundred more or so would help ;)

[karter42]

This is not good guys,the media is gonna absoloutly tear this event apart to attract attention of ppl in higher political positions,so the event can get banned or start calling car enthusiates "hoons" "niusance" maybe to the point where we are gonna get scrutinised about the mods we do to our cars.It just sucks,i think eventually ur not gonna be able to even change the air filter on ur car the way this media is carrying on,my 2 cents worth


regards sonny

Could not agree more



Two things need to change.

1. Better fencing to protect spectators.
2. Better driver in the ute.
http://network.news.com.au/image/0,10114,5094205,00.jpg

Sorry, but that is a joke. Nobody is protected in that situation.
Media, Polo's etc are going to haver a feild day with that photo.

Duty of care??

I reckon there will be a lot of changes regarding safety before they allow the event to be held again.

[Nursing_Mother]

Guys i think it would pay to remember that motorsport is dangerous,that is why when we go to the drags and pay at the gate,if you care to read the back of the ticket it will clearly state that they do not take responsibility for death or injury that may result from you attending there event but still people crowd in with 5 kids a piece(most of them under 10)and line the track(albeit rally/drags or summernats)getting as close a possible to the action then complaining if they get hurt.Well i have a news flash for those people DONT TAKE YOUR KIDS,i used to work at AIR(Adelaide international raceway)and it never ceased to amaze me that people would come in the gate then basically tell there kids to nick off while dad heads off to the beer tent and mum finds a spot to sit and see how many Winnie blues she can suck through in a night.I have seriously seen these patrons try and catch red hot bits of clutch that has flown out of exploding top fuel cars then bitch that they got burned:teach:

[throttlehappy]

Expect a massive beat-up from all the "do gooder" TV shows such as ACA, 7-30, etc.

"Cowboy promoters", "dangerous hoon antics" "public at risk", et al!

And you can bet your bottom dollar there will be a police inquiry with the usual outcomes - anti-social behaviours, hoons, non compliant cars noise smoke.

Do generally feel sorry for the exhibitors who look to the event as their annual show case.

Mike:(

I HATE THAT WORD!!!!!
ARRRRRGGGH

[BLQWN]

This is a damn shame, and could mean the end to such events.
But..from the photo, you have got to ask that with so much contraversy surrounding such events, how could this situation NOT have been considered?
Its no wonder they dont have driving events in the U.S.....
cheers n beers

[Y2kGoofball]

although theres 2 ways to look at this situation

my stance is summed up best on the back of the SCA 1000 2005 Ticket (scanned below)

http://img462.imageshack.us/img462/9274/ticket2gv.jpg

"motorsport is dangerous and that accidents causing harm can and do happen and may happen to you"

The ticket says in BOLD CAPITAL letters at the top "MOTOR SPORT IS DANGEROUS"

Its common knowledge heading into things like V8SC events.

Although I agree theres always room for more safety the fact is once you enter any motorsport event, whether its drifting, V8SC, go-karting, drag racing ... there is always that chance of injury or even death, especially if you sit right on the fence line.

I bet the media will forget this though, the fact is someone got hurt so KABOOM

I dont know what Summernats have, whether theyve got this sort of thing printed anywhere, all I am saying though is events like Bathurst 1000 print this on the back of your ticket so you cant say you didnt know.

I dont know why people (media included) think you go along to something like motorsport as a spectator, without running any sort of risk of injury.

[QIKMIK]

The second 'stunt driver' was Lawrence the Legend or something similar, a professional stunt driver (or complete idiot). The was some discussion before his stunt as to whether or not he would land on his roof. We came to the conclusion that since ALL of the signwriting on his car was UPSIDE DOWN, he meant to land on his roof...and he did.

Mick

[SLE355]

Just saw the channel 10 news update and number one on it was the summernats crash.

[RIDE:42]

Guys i think it would pay to remember that motorsport is dangerous,that is why when we go to the drags and pay at the gate,if you care to read the back of the ticket it will clearly state that they do not take responsibility for death or injury that may result from you attending there event but still people crowd in with 5 kids a piece(most of them under 10)and line the track(albeit rally/drags or summernats)getting as close a possible to the action then complaining if they get hurt.Well i have a news flash for those people DONT TAKE YOUR KIDS,i used to work at AIR(Adelaide international raceway)and it never ceased to amaze me that people would come in the gate then basically tell there kids to nick off while dad heads off to the beer tent and mum finds a spot to sit and see how many Winnie blues she can suck through in a night.I have seriously seen these patrons try and catch red hot bits of clutch that has flown out of exploding top fuel cars then bitch that they got burned:teach:


spot on nurse
another one is clowns takeing kids to the drags and sitting them on the fence then bitchin about getting smacked by a stone or something flying of a car :hmmm: if they are YOUR kids YOU look after them :slap:

[Ron]

spot on nurse
another one is clowns takeing kids to the drags and sitting them on the fence then bitchin about getting smacked by a stone or something flying of a car :hmmm: if they are YOUR kids YOU look after them :slap:

A women beside me let her 5 yr old stand on the fence for the entire Drifting display :hmmm: I was having 2nd thoughts about where I was sitting let alone let a 5yr old do his own thing .

[Oztrack Tuning]

The problem is that it makes no difference in court what is printed on the ticket if it can be deemed any negligence took place on the part of organizers.

Sure people should take responsibility for their own safety - but crap will hit the fan if the fencing is inadequate etc etc etc.

[Y2kGoofball]

if it helps at last years Oran Park event we had to stop a little boy who wouldve been 5 years old or so from climbing the wire fence at the last corner.

We dont know where the parents were but he just kept climbing the fence and almost got over on a number of occasions. He then got a football (from where we dont know either?) and threw that over the fence, it landed in the grass thankfully, then started to climb over the fence again announcing "thats my ball".

One of the flag marshalls come over and confiscated the ball, which suited us. The child then ran off crying and we didnt see him again.

My question remains, where were the parents? I know its difficult to imagine, but think about if no one saw this kid scale the fence (it only took all of 3 seconds for him to get to the top bar when we saw him do it) and he got through and fell down the ledge and onto the track as the V8s thunder up there under brakes. The flag marshalls were about 10 or 15 metres away so by the time they realise and someone runs over ... all it takes is 3 seconds to scale the fence, 1 second to drop down and the flag marshalls still a 2 or 3 second sprint getting there ... and its too late ...

[Sonnymad]

if it helps at last years Oran Park event we had to stop a little boy who wouldve been 5 years old or so from climbing the wire fence at the last corner.

We dont know where the parents were but he just kept climbing the fence and almost got over on a number of occasions. He then got a football (from where we dont know either?) and threw that over the fence, it landed in the grass thankfully, then started to climb over the fence again announcing "thats my ball".

One of the flag marshalls come over and confiscated the ball, which suited us. The child then ran off crying and we didnt see him again.

My question remains, where were the parents? I know its difficult to imagine, but think about if no one saw this kid scale the fence (it only took all of 3 seconds for him to get to the top bar when we saw him do it) and he got through and fell down the ledge and onto the track as the V8s thunder up there under brakes. The flag marshalls were about 10 or 15 metres away so by the time they realise and someone runs over ... all it takes is 3 seconds to scale the fence, 1 second to drop down and the flag marshalls still a 2 or 3 second sprint getting there ... and its too late ...

I,m with you on that,some parents are just so irresponsible and when something happens its that persons fault or that events fault,they point the fungeri,m gonna put it simply for all"looking after children is like driving a car,you take ur eyes of the road you crash" so if you cant be bothered looking after ur kids ,its simple "you are a totally bloody moron idiot who shouldnt have any" simple really isnt it ?:cussing:

regards sonny

[Nursing_Mother]

Sonny and Y2k you guys are spot on,perhaps we should tip our hats to the responsible parents(and i know for a fact that all our fellow forum members are and i hold them in the highest regard).I do not have kids so all i have to worry about when i am at a motorsport event is not drinking to much or if i am racing,remembering to hit my diff lock button so i dont open wheel the whole track(kinda private joke that many know about):rofl:

[Beardie]

hey guys i was sitting right near where that ute crashed threw the fence (luckly i had left about 20mins before that crash) and the young kids that were there were hanging over the fence at the start of the supercruse im shocked that no one else was injured or worse as there was about 10 young kids there when i was there. im actually glad me and my mates moved from that spot as where that ute crashed was the very spot that we were sitting. :shock:

[Goanna]

Just been on Channel 10 news with footage of it all. And best of all they did not beat it up like New.com.au did, funny that they have changed there story too!

[skully]

would I be right in guessing that while a lot of the summernats patrons these days are car enthusiasts of to some degree, many of them go to the event to be 'entertained' as they would go to the footy, rather than to 'see the cars', as it were? And as such, they might not think about their own safety, instead assuming that everything is under control?

Judging from that picture, I know that if I was there I would not be standing so close to an armco barrier and relying on it to stop a car that's spinning around in a cloud of smoke, let alone allowing any kids near it. Clearly that didn't even occur to the people lined up, I guess everyone just crowed in to get a closer look, as you do...

[V8R]

happens and unfortunatly here, it happened to a kid.. if it was a pair of drunken yobs they wouldnt have given a ****.. i did post on another forum tho, if there was to be driving events on the oval, atleast some low concrete or water filled barriers should have been used.. but 20/20 hindsight is a great thing .....

[Cole trickle]

Here's a vid of the accident, (borrowed from street commodores)

He was going at a fair rate on knots

http://www.canberracruises.com/Macl...ats%20Video.3gp

Cheers

[VT2_SS]

Guys
the fence in the photo with the CAPA ute stuck in it looks totally inadequate for a motorsport event. Ireespective of what class of driver you are, accidents can and do happen.
The media will beat up on it and the organisers will cop some heat if the facilities were inadequate.
I can recall going to the speedway as a teenager and standing against the fence .... it was all part of the excitement, but as the cars got faster and after a few accidents, the fence got stronger and higher ... AND a separate inner fence was erected about 5 rows in ( about 2 metres).
Fact of life ... any motorsport event needs a buffer zone. Its not as good for the spectators, but necessary to help avoid accusations of inadequate protection for the punters.
cheers............

[RhysB]

a chain link fence for security......yeah right
more like for crowd control


Too true. We were looking at each other whilst the display was on, and as awesome as it was, we were like, "there is only a chain wire fence between these cars drifting/ driving at 70-80 k/hr and all these kids lining the perimeter, you wouldnt want one to spear off through the fence".
And low and behold..........

[tlr1000]

Seen it on channel 10 and 7 just had it, including the goose who ran onto the oval under the car which was to fall on the caravan.To many:beer: for you mate. Update, was on channel 9 also.

[Gareth@Willall]

Accidents do happen..... Maybe the event organiser should have used their brain and put up barriers!!

I just heard on the news that the fencing / feild had government approval for 'stunt driving' not speedway driving :confused: :confused:

[heavychevy]

link wont work sorry...

[richiejs]

Hope things can be leaned from this accident. Spectators saftey should be number 1 after all they are the reason we have events like this. It just a shame that there are some cowboys out there that run events like this that spoil the better run and safer events elswhere compromising insurance cover and the like. Soon there will be no events. :cussing:

[TeeBee]

It comes down to facts:

1. Motor sport has always and will always be dangerous. it is a power sport where the limits are pushed. Power when under control is beautiful and out of control can be ugly. The problem is that the consequences of being out of control can be impossible to predict.

2. We give the media far too much credibility. A sensational story will always get more exposure than a factual unbiased presentation. Headlines rather than content is the focus of many journalists and basically their job is just to sell copy or airtime. Responsible reporting is entirely optional.

3. The people who sadly have been injured in this event need our support. If experienced officials cannot predict the event that unfolded, how can the average joe supporter of the sport. Hopefully all will recover quickly and much can be learned by everyone.

Lets keep having fun in the sport that we love in the safest way possible!

[monarocv8r]

Talking about big things going on was anybody in the dynocell when TTVXR8 (tryhrd) was doing his 1200hp atw runs?? well if not on his second run he got up to max revs then as soon as they backed off the throttle there was a huge fireball that came out from engine bay on the drivers side and it wasnt showing any signs of stopping, it might have been a fuel fire... it would have been very scary to be in that cage at the time of the fire anyways and a thing that pissed me off was that the engine builder for TTVXR8 and the dude that drives the dount king van with the jet engine in the back were having a good old laugh while the car was still on fire while the owner just saw major $$$$ go up to shit... gotta suck to be him tonight.

[Marco]

I just heard on the news that the fencing / feild had government approval for 'stunt driving' not speedway driving :confused: :confused:

Was it on the main arena there? The Holden Stormriders perform there at the Canberra Show every year, but there's a fair distance between them and the crowd. I don't think people are allowed right up to the fence line.

[Fezz]

Yes it was on the main arena on the gravel track that surrounds the turf section.

As Rhys said as entertaining as it was, I said straight away to the boys this is pretty stupid driving 500+hp cars around on gravel at the speeds they were going.

Oh well, live and learn I guess.

[CarlFST60L]

Were they suppose to be drifing? or just driving around?

its been all over the news on 7, 9 and 10...

[Goanna]

I think that it should have only been Robbie doing the driffting, He does it for a living and he was driving the Monaro. He didn't even look like he would lose control. The other guys were doing a good job but both spun, after the first spin i think it should have been pulled.

Im not saying i didn't enjoy it, Its the best thing i have seen at the Nats for years, Robbie had that monaro screaming!, Its just a shame it happened, if the accident had not occured, the praise for how good it was would be all you would hearing. But as Ryhs said, we were all a bit, Gee, what if somehting goes wrong....

[Goanna]

Were they suppose to be drifing? or just driving around?

its been all over the news on 7, 9 and 10...


As far as we could tell, Yes they were ment to be Driffting. As to if they were ment to be going that hard, well..... your guess is as good as mine.....

[Goanna]

Talking about big things going on was anybody in the dynocell when TTVXR8 (tryhrd) was doing his 1200hp atw runs?? well if not on his second run he got up to max revs then as soon as they backed off the throttle there was a huge fireball that came out from engine bay on the drivers side and it wasnt showing any signs of stopping, it might have been a fuel fire... it would have been very scary to be in that cage at the time of the fire anyways and a thing that pissed me off was that the engine builder for TTVXR8 and the dude that drives the dount king van with the jet engine in the back were having a good old laugh while the car was still on fire while the owner just saw major $$$$ go up to shit... gotta suck to be him tonight.

Yeah, i was in there, that was pretty Extreme!, Biggest blowup i have seen, i had quick look under the front guard while on the truck and there looked to be a bit of melted cable!
The Donut guy was Robbie Boulger, I think you will find he is good mates with all those guys and of you know Robbie, he is a clown, Plus im sure he was betting it would blow and thats what he was laughing about. The owner didn't look too upset, he had just won and that is all that matters in the elite stuff like those cars.

[One tonner]

Hope things can be leaned from this accident. Spectators saftey should be number 1 after all they are the reason we have events like this. It just a shame that there are some cowboys out there that run events like this that spoil the better run and safer events elswhere compromising insurance cover and the like. Soon there will be no events. :cussing:

Right on.

I am just back from the Nats and let me say what a debarkal.
In my opinion the whole event is up the sh#t. I am surprised no one has been killed on the road inside the event where the entrants can drive around. The crowd appeared drunk in most cases at least three to four people deep.
Cars with irrespirable drivers doing burnouts and launching the car in front of the crowd.
Mind you the crown was egging them on considerably.
Try crossing the road to go from one display to the another. Good luck as you need it.
The event appears to have out grown the facility. They need a purpose build venue.
I went to see if things had changed since the riots in the late 80s because I was going to enter my Monaro next year. I am sure that I am not alone in saying not a chance.

[Ron]

I think that it should have only been Robbie doing the driffting, He does it for a living and he was driving the Monaro. He didn't even look like he would lose control. The other guys were doing a good job but both spun, after the first spin i think it should have been pulled.

Im not saying i didn't enjoy it, Its the best thing i have seen at the Nats for years, Robbie had that monaro screaming!, Its just a shame it happened, if the accident had not occured, the praise for how good it was would be all you would hearing. But as Ryhs said, we were all a bit, Gee, what if somehting goes wrong....

Actually the commentator praised the driving skills of all the drivers 1 lap before the accident

[Goanna]

Right on.

I am just back from the Nats and let me say what a debarkal.
In my opinion the whole event is up the sh#t. I am surprised no one has been killed on the road inside the event where the entrants can drive around. The crowd appeared drunk in most cases at least three to four people deep.
Cars with irrespirable drivers doing burnouts and launching the car in front of the crowd.
Mind you the crown was egging them on considerably.
Try crossing the road to go from one display to the another. Good luck as you need it.
The event appears to have out grown the facility. They need a purpose build venue.
I went to see if things had changed since the riots in the late 80s because I was going to enter my Monaro next year. I am sure that I am not alone in saying not a chance.

That is Summernats im afraid!, Its is now Tame to what is used to be!, Go back a few years and it was Crazy! Yes, there are a few Crazy's in the cars but most behave. The crusing is the Nats... If there was no crusing, the event would be dead.

[Magnum9]

Have to agree with One Tonner on this one. I was at the Nats 2 years ago and I have to say that the safety aspect was a complete joke. On the first public day, any cars attempting burnouts (or any loss of traction, chirp, etc) had their rego taken down with a three warning system after which they were banned from cruising. On the second day security was permitting small "launch" type burnouts. By the evening of that day static burnouts were getting pretty common. The next evening (Saturday) there was so much chaos I am surprised nobody got killed. While the night events were going on in the main arena, the area behind the arena turned into a street full of pissed idiots throwing stuff at mega dollar show and race cars, pouring water, oil and whatever else they could find on the road.

Check out these pics. First one is the start of a burnout, second one is everyone converging on the cars to try and push the rear guards or even lift the cars. Some of these cars were race cars running methanol and other fuels strong enough to just about burn your eyes out. Yes, there were actually concrete barriers lining the streets, but they are pretty useless unless security can keep people behind them and off the top off them. As you can see from the lighting this was still in the afternoon, it got much worse than this. Don't get me wrong, I had a great time and thought it was the most awesome thing I had ever seen, but I would never even consider taking my family there.

Last pic, a reminder of who still holds the ultimate HP record!

http://members.westnet.com.au/atate/Summernats121.jpg
http://members.westnet.com.au/atate/Summernats123.jpg
http://members.westnet.com.au/atate/Summernats080.jpg

[ACT_Cross8]

It just a shame that there are some cowboys out there


Yep, Chic Henry is a cowboy, he's only been running the Summernats for nearly 20 years, what would he know... :rolleyes:



The event appears to have out grown the facility. They need a purpose build venue.


They can move the Nats to the new ACT dragway when it gets built... :lol:

[Ls1CorpCruiser]

Well,

wanted to have a say as well!!!

1. While I am a petrol head and prolly would have been hanging over the fence with everyone else.... my 5yo would have been nowhere near the fence.

2. That fence was no-where near adequate for the type of driving being performed.... dirt track... drifting.... POS cyclone fence = disaster waiting to happen.

could have been far worse!!!!!

Almost as responsible effort as the promoters of the event where Judge died.

I say if there's gonna be a media feast out of this then good!!! where was the forethought of something like this occurring?

My .05c and yes I am prepared to get flamed for my opinion!:soap:

[Little_Lord]

I feel sorry for the driver, he must have simply, run out of talent!

[Vulture]

I'm with you LS1CorpCruiser, allowing drifting anywhere near those puny barriers was a stupid decision and probably downright negligent :doh: I don't know how far away the fence was from the utes but it looks as though it was only designed as a crowd borderline rather than any protective sort of function. Media will put a spin on it but I don't really think they are going overboard this time (first time for everything). The organisers have given them plenty of ammunition without having to exaggerate stuff.

[HazzaHSV]

I'd have to agree with Goanna here. I have been to the last 7 summernats in a row (at least), and this year it was much more tame. Not saying its under control at all times, thats for sure, but they are doing more things every year to control it.

I remember when I entered in 2000, on the Saturday night it was like Mad Max in there, bomb fires on the side of the road, crowds converging on cars 5 times worse than this year, drunks chucking glass bottles at cars etc etc. This year they closed off the cruising lap route before dark. I noticed this because after the debacle of all the "entertainment" (Capa Ute crash, car being dropped by the crane and missing the target, Lawrence the legend doing a whole 90 degree death spiral instead of 270 degree) I walked to my car and noticed no Mad Max scenes because there were no cars cruising and security manning mostly closed gates.

Also noticed this year, my bag was searched very thoroughly looking for glass bottles and alcohol. From what I saw there were more concrete barries and security than last year too. Also don't know if it was just me, but I noticed many fewer entrants than last year too. I agree a bigger venue would be better but good luck finding a bigger/better venue than EPIC in the short term. Considering the government have been promising a dragway for the last 5 years alone.

If you are looking to enter your pride and joy then IMO there's very little risk cruising, doing the grass events, doing the go-whoa etc except for Friday after dark and Saturday and Sunday after 4ish.


That is Summernats im afraid!, Its is now Tame to what is used to be!, Go back a few years and it was Crazy! Yes, there are a few Crazy's in the cars but most behave. The crusing is the Nats... If there was no crusing, the event would be dead.

[Aus8]

Motorsport is dangerous and accidents do happen. you agree to this when you buy the ticket.

[cheffy]

reminds me of a similar incident in adelaide a few years back when a boy actually got killed......

Motorsport is dangerous but the drivers also have a responsibilty to asses the danger before demonstrating...

[Aus8]

reminds me of a similar incident in adelaide a few years back when a boy actually got killed......

Motorsport is dangerous but the drivers also have a responsibilty to asses the danger before demonstrating...

Its always dangerous the drivers know this too. There is always a element of risk and danger involved in any motorsport event for spectators and drivers. Please elaborate. What do the drivers need to asses etc?

Cheers

Aus8

[cheffy]

a driver in this situation should asses wether or not the crowd is too close or not protected properly. This is why i wont drift at pt Gawler again.. (adelaide drift/ gokart track)

[Abacus]

Hi all, this is my first post on these forums.

A few people in this thread have made suggested that “like the ticket says, motor sports are dangerous” as this in some way vindicates the Summernats organiser rather slack approach to safety in this event.

I think these guys are missing the point, which is that the accident was a reasonably foreseeable consequence of conducting the event with inadequate safeguards to protect the public, and the organiser has a duty of car to take reasonable steps to protect the safety of the spectators.

Fortunately, what happened here didn’t result in death or life-threatening bodily injury. But it all too easily could have. Using chain link fencing as the primary and only barrier between the driving display and the spectators goes way beyond mere negligence, for which the organiser should, and no doubt will, be sued. It was also breathtakingly stupid. A chain link fence in no way, shape, or form minimises the risk of being hurt by a 1500kg+ car travelling at more than a few of km/h. It was not a reasonable degree of protection for the spectators of the event at which the accident occurred.

The simple fact is that the organiser should have reasonably foreseen that a driver executing the manoeuvres that precipitated the accident could lose control. He had a duty of care to take steps that would prevent the spectators being injured by such a reasonably foreseeable loss of control. He didn’t do it.

There is absolutely no way that the organiser will be able to hide behind the puerile disclaimer printed on the back of the spectators’ entry tickets. A disclaimer warning that motor sports are dangerous, etc, etc, may provide some limited protection where the organiser has at least taken reasonable steps to prevent injury to the spectators. In this case, however, the organiser’s negligence was so extreme that the disclaimer will be worthless.

Yes motor sports are dangerous. We all know that. And that is precisely WHY the use of chain link fencing to separate cars from spectators in this situation was entirely inappropriate. Go to any regular motor sport venue and observe the safety precautions that are put in place to protect spectators. They are in place for a reason. Motor sports are dangerous, and the organisers have a duty of care to protect the spectators.

For that matter, I would be surprised if the organiser’s insurance company would cover any claims arising from this particular accident. The wilful negligence displayed by the organiser in this matter would, I imagine, give the insurer every right to walk away.

When interviewed by The Australian (see http://www.theaustralian.news.com.a...55E1702,00.html ) the organiser, Mr Henry said "the only way the fence could have been safer was if concrete barriers were erected around the entire track - an option that was cost prohibitive....If we did that we wouldn't have the event". This is a surprising comment, given the obvious legal issues he now faces.

Clearly, taking reasonable steps does not mean that nothing will go wrong. Even at the best run motor sport events, a wheel can go airborne and/or a car can flip over into the grandstands. It is about risk minimisation, and being reasonable.

I have heard some people argue that the accident occurred due to a lack of ability on the part of only one of the three drivers, as if this is some form of defence. It is not, in any way, a valid defence. Further, questions such as why the organiser didn’t adequately vet the drivers before the event, or stop the event after two of the drivers lost control at an earlier stage, or stop the event when it became apparent that at least one of the drivers was attempting overtaking manoeuvres, in addition to drift manoeuvres, are also redundant.

It is obvious that the CAPA drivers really ought to have taken into account the nature of their environment and backed off a bit. Ultimately, however, it is the organiser who must take responsibility.

I’m ambivalent about whether the nats continue or not. I’ve never been there, but they look like they could be fun. However, if this accident causes the event to be discontinued, either by government intervention or prohibitive insurance costs, the organiser must accept 100% of the blame.

[LS1UTE]

I'm not sure about anyone else, but i didnt receive a "ticket" as such when entering the nats. All i did was paid my money and had a wrist band slapped on my wrist. Didn't notice any signs either stating " motorsport is dangerous " anywhere before you enter. I entered through the rear carpark gate, did anyone see any signs there or anywhere ?

As Abacus said, the promoter does have a duty of care to ensure the safety of patrons or else what are you paying all that money for ?

[Nursing_Mother]

Abacus mate you can not wrap the whole world in cotton wool,all we can do everyday is hope we get through ok and try and enjoy whats left,your way of thinking is why i constantly see'speed limit changed'signs(lower from previous) and playgrounds with disclaimers because mr&mrs good citizen's kid got hurt and dry zones in the best spots because again mr&mrs good citizen complained to there local council that they saw a bunch of drunk'n louts and they got scared.......think about it mate

[Vulture]

Hi all, this is my first post on these forums.

A few people in this thread have made suggested that “like the ticket says, motor sports are dangerous” as this in some way vindicates the Summernats organiser rather slack approach to safety in this event....

Abacus, a cracker of a first post and right on the money. Sure motorsports are inherently risky endeavours, so is brain surgery but gross negligence on the part of the brain surgeon wouldn't be tolerated and neither should the same thing from anyone involved in the safety of a member of the public in an official capacity. On the one hand, the community has become obsessed with litigation but some things are just plain wrong. The organiser of that fence was the latter.

[chilly]

i wonder how the insurance works for this type of motor sport

1.3 meg file

http://chilly.theddrzone.com/Crash/

[Abacus]

[
Abacus mate you can not wrap the whole world in cotton wool

I'm not suggesting you should. I certainly don't live my life wrapped in cottonwool. My past pursuits have included motocross, trail riding, bikes of all descriptions really, parachuting, and the list goes on. Its really not the point.

If you, I, or anybody else wants to go off somewhere and knowingly do something risky, without harming anybody else, that's fine.

The issue here is that an organiser had organised an event and invited the public to attend, for money. The goal posts are a little bit different. It is reasonable for the customers to have an expectation that the organiser has taken reasonable precautions to prevent them being killed or injured.

And I'll repeat, its about being reasonable. Its not reasonable to have an event such as the drift show staged in front of thousands of customers with the only precaution being a chain link fence. No cement blocks, no water filled barriers, no exclusion zone, no run-off areas, no sand traps, nothing - but a chain link fence.


your way of thinking is why i constantly see'speed limit changed' signs(lower from previous) and playgrounds with disclaimers because mr&mrs good citizen's kid got hurt and dry zones in the best spots because again mr&mrs good citizen complained to there local council that they saw a bunch of drunk'n louts and they got scared.......think about it mate

No, its not because of my way of thinking. Its because of the law. The fact is, if people are negligent, and thereby cause death or injury to other people, or loss or damage to their possessions, they get sued. Its a fact of life.

Look, its kind of like this. Normally, somebody jumping into a river without checking the depth can't sue the local council when they break their neck.

However, if the council had fenced of a part of a river, charged people admittance, and advertised it as a diving area, and the river was then found to be shallow for that purpose, the council absolutely could be sued when patrons break their necks.

We've got a similar situation here. You could be out in a paddock playing silly buggers with your car, drifting, sliding, whatever. You roll the car and you hurt yourself. No big deal. Its your fault, nobody else got hurt, you wear the responsibility.

But the summernats people had an enclosed area, charged people for admittance, and conducted events to entertain those people. They are accordingly liable for the safety of those people.

See the difference?

[HazzaHSV]

Fair point. That chainlink fence was designed as nothing more than crowd control. So by rights motorsport entertainment should not have taken place on the gravel track. But it has been done for years and years. At the yearly Canberra show, I remember 10+ years ago the Holden Precision Driving Team displaying 360 degree spins, laps of the arena on two wheels, drifting slalom style between themselves, stunt bikes doing crazy things etc etc. Few years ago there were the Crusty Demon style bikes doing huge jumps and pulling up just before the fencing etc.

Technically this was all not suitable due to the fencing, but as you say by minimising the risk ie. very experienced professional drivers, buffer zones by using the lower part of the dirt track etc this was all deemed safe by the numerous organisers over a space of 20+ years. Chic Henry and the Summernats were the ones to cop the unfortunate incident and it certainly will never be done again, but driver experience, skill, and inapropriate vehicle were definately a part and could have been avoided with stricter organisation.

I don't know if you were actually there so it might be hard for you to make a complete judgement but Bolger in the Monaro was hugging the inside 'ripple strip', doing a much faster speed, in a much more powerful car and never looked like getting anywhere near the danger zone. Why? Simple correct vehicle, correct driver.


Hi all, this is my first post on these forums.

[V8BRUTE]

Its a pity the media now has up its sleeve an accident where a young kid gets injured badly to create an anti Summernats campaign next year, gladly the kid came out ok and will heal up :bash:

Unfortunately for this event the pissed idiots are killing it for the real car enthusiasts, I am talking owners of cars with some real work done to them and not stock production cars with stereos and wheels, bring back the good old days :bawl:

On the bright side CAPA did get some pretty good advertising footage on TV and in the papers :confused:

[Roger]

Abacus has explained it correctly guys.
It astounds me that many of you have said that it has been happening year after year, high powered cars doing burnouts with only a chain wire fence between them & Joe Public.
Very poor Risk Management.
Fortunate it was a relativley minor incident, but the Public Liability insurer will pay for sure.

[HazzaHSV]

Just stating the truth mate. Not saying its right, but it has been happening for longer than I can remember. Check out the clip from Chilly of what has been happening for years and still happens in International sanctioned Rally events.

Maybe now the Government will put some money into the complex and upgrade the wall and other facilities.

PS - Not burnouts. Its dirt. But yes exhibition activites such as drift, slides, small jumps etc.


It astounds me that many of you have said that it has been happening year after year, high powered cars doing burnouts with only a chain wire fence between them & Joe Public.

[team illucid]

Maybe now the Government will put some money into the complex and upgrade the wall and other facilities.

Unlikely - I would think that they would rather get rid of the snats alltogether rather than spend money on it and encourage it.

[IIV8II]

Gotta say, I was standing on the infield when it happened. I didn't know the cars were going to be doing the speeds they were doing and when I realised what was happening, I quickly positioned myself behind a truck and said to my mate: "I hope this doesn't end up like Le Mans 1955..."

Two laps later....

[ms700]

But it has been done for years and years. At the yearly Canberra show, I remember 10+ years ago the Holden Precision Driving Team displaying 360 degree spins, laps of the arena on two wheels, drifting slalom style between themselves, stunt bikes doing crazy things etc etc. Few years ago there were the Crusty Demon style bikes doing huge jumps and pulling up just before the fencing etc.
The Hyundai/Holden Precision Driving team, and the Showtime Motocross team are still regular attendee's at the Canberra Show, so it was, unfortunately, only a matter of time before a spectator got cleaned up.

Oh well. It looks like the "family event" will be even more expensive next year, it was already $45 to get in on Saturday, id say that will top $50 next year. It looks like the only family that will be able to attend next year is Bill Gates'.