Circuit Safety in NZ

[Blackpearl]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8055...aru-race-track

[Blackpearl]

How many deaths in the last few years at levels now?

[smokin'joe]

Originally Posted by Blackpearl

How many deaths in the last few years at levels now?

not counting.
but how many were health related, not racing incidents??

[Southern Man]

Originally Posted by Blackpearl

How many deaths in the last few years at levels now?

In the total history of the circuit and from all activities.

Two race drivers have suffered fatal heart attacks either during their race or in the pits once they had completed their race.

Two motorcycle racers have lost their lives as a result of an accident during a race. I have no knowledge of what happened today but the previous one was many years ago and occured when a rider dropped his bike in a group of riders and was starting to regain his feet when he was hit by a following rider.

A young official lost his life when he lost his footing and fell on the deck of a utility whilst he was picking up marker cones in the pit area.

[smokin'joe]

Originally Posted by Southern Man

In the total history of the circuit and from all activities.

Two race drivers have suffered fatal heart attacks either during their race or in the pits once they had completed their race.

Two motorcycle racers have lost their lives as a result of an accident during a race. I have no knowledge of what happened today but the previous one was many years ago and occured when a rider dropped his bike in a group of riders and was starting to regain his feet when he was hit by a following rider.

A young official lost his life when he lost his footing and fell on the deck of a utility whilst he was picking up marker cones in the pit area.

C'mon now Carl........... don't let the truth get in the way of speculation and conjecture .

[Blackpearl]

How many serious crashes at levels in the last few years?

[smokin'joe]

Originally Posted by Blackpearl

How many serious crashes at levels in the last few years?

unsure, but how many were caused by:
A: mechanical failure
B: driver error

[STEALTHY]

Originally Posted by Southern Man

In the total history of the circuit and from all activities.

Two race drivers have suffered fatal heart attacks either during their race or in the pits once they had completed their race.

Two motorcycle racers have lost their lives as a result of an accident during a race. I have no knowledge of what happened today but the previous one was many years ago and occured when a rider dropped his bike in a group of riders and was starting to regain his feet when he was hit by a following rider.

A young official lost his life when he lost his footing and fell on the deck of a utility whilst he was picking up marker cones in the pit area.

So basically, none of those deaths were as a result of the track. All were outside sources that could happen at any circuit around the world.

[Southern Man]

Originally Posted by Blackpearl

How many serious crashes at levels in the last few years?

During my tenure as Clerk of the Course no driver or official left the property in an ambulance other than the late Ian Munt who who passed away in the pits following his race and if I recall correctly one other who was taken to the hospital for observation and released later that day

[smokin'joe]

Originally Posted by STEALTHY

So basically, none of those deaths were as a result of the track. All were outside sources that could happen at any circuit around the world.

yes. no witch-hunt to be had here.

[Goat Boy]

I thought Bill Brown's later explanation of the goings on at Levels WRT safety was pretty comprehensive and needed nothing more added really.

[Blackpearl]

Originally Posted by Goat Boy

I thought Bill Brown's later explanation of the goings on at Levels WRT safety was pretty comprehensive and needed nothing more added really.

I would love his thoughts on marshalls on the track while under race conditions.

[Armco Bender]

Life is Dangerous,Motor racing is Fairly Dangerous...If you can't handle that fact you should be here.

[Bill Brown]

Originally Posted by Goat Boy

I thought Bill Brown's later explanation of the goings on at Levels WRT safety was pretty comprehensive and needed nothing more added really.

Thanks Goat Boy.

[Bill Brown]

Originally Posted by Blackpearl

I would love his thoughts on marshalls on the track while under race conditions.

Are you talking about the people who spend up to 9 hours in cages in all weather conditions so that the competitors can go out and have fun??

[Bill Brown]

Originally Posted by Armco Bender

Life is Dangerous,Motor racing is Fairly Dangerous...If you can't handle that fact you should be here.

Good one!!!

[KRDG]

Originally Posted by Bill Brown

Are you talking about the people who spend up to 9 hours in cages in all weather conditions so that the competitors can go out and have fun??

No, I dont think so.......... but I smell a story about a past president of MSNZ and his antics on top of tire walls during a race but ony know a bit about it.

Can you help us here with the facts Bill?

[Southern Man]

Originally Posted by KRDG

No, I dont think so.......... but I smell a story about a past president of MSNZ and his antics on top of tire walls during a race but ony know a bit about it.

Can you help us here with the facts Bill?

Perhaps I can help out with the history here as it was about 20 years ago and I was the Clerk of Course.

Steve Kennedy and the late Ian Snellgrove were stationed on top of the centre embankment at the southern end of the circuit where it sloped down to ground height and they were undertaking driver observation duties. They were located at a point that had been used for this role since the circuit opened in December 1967. A car exiting Castrol corner ran wide then started a "Tank slapper" and came back across the circuit and nosed into the embankment behind them and the shockwave sent Steve flying off balance quite successfully. If I recall correctly this was one of the first if not the first meeting that we ran after the trees that used to line the circuit at the end of castrol corner had been removed and this now allowed competitors to run wider off the circuit than previously hence the half spin back across the circuit. Naturally we reviewed what had happened and as a result the observer point was relocated to a position that was more appropriate now that the circuit had been changed and the centre embankment was lenghtened to reduce the possibility of a car now coming back towards turns 1 & 2

When the accident took the life of the late Allan Ramage who was the 1st Motorcyclist fatality at the circuit the review indicated the possibilty that the location of the flag point at Castrol may have obstructed the view of the following bunch of riders entering the corner and that they did not see Allan dropping his bike and as a result the flag point was relocated so as to give a better and clearer view through the corner.

I dont want to bore you with detail but the then Clerk of Course Gerry McKissock had a number of us sitting at various positions on the track surface so that our eyes were at single seater height rather than at standing height or driving around in a saloon car height when we were going though all this process. Once satisfied that good visability and safety was possible this point was relocated. We then undertook the same process with every other flag point on the circuit and gained the appropriate approval from the Circuit Inspector to complete the works.

[Bill Brown]

Originally Posted by KRDG

No, I dont think so.......... but I smell a story about a past president of MSNZ and his antics on top of tire walls during a race but ony know a bit about it.

Can you help us here with the facts Bill?

I have the photo

[Icarus_nz]

Me too.

Yet why did those two merry fellows deny having been there at all when quizzed by a journalist? And change their mind once the photo surfaced?

Never mind. The official story will suffice.

[Armco Bender]

You guys flogging a 20 year old dead horse?....

[Bill Brown]

Originally Posted by Armco Bender

You guys flogging a 20 year old dead horse?....

Not twenty years old, But you're right.

[Southern Man]

[QUOTE=Southern Man;3176455]

Two motorcycle racers have lost their lives as a result of an accident during a race. I have no knowledge of what happened today but the previous one was many years ago and occured when a rider dropped his bike in a group of riders and was starting to regain his feet when he was hit by a following rider.

QUOTE]

A Correction to the above post.
Last evening I was advised of a third rider who lost his life as a result of injuries sustained following an accident on the circuit.

[socram]

To be honest, I am surprised that given the nature and popularity of the various motorsport codes, that there aren't more deaths - particuarly within the two wheeled fraternity.

I believe that annual ACC figures would probably show that equestrian activity is far more dangerous than motorsport.

We all know that there is a risk involved and there will always be accidents as there will always be freak accidents, no matter what we do.

[raymond]

Originally Posted by socram

To be honest, I am surprised that given the nature and popularity of the various motorsport codes, that there aren't more deaths - particuarly within the two wheeled fraternity.

I believe that annual ACC figures would probably show that equestrian activity is far more dangerous than motorsport.

We all know that there is a risk involved and there will always be accidents as there will always be freak accidents, no matter what we do.

The latest figures I saw showed that FISHING was the most dangerous sport in NZ with a number of fatalities