Death at Bubba Raceway Park
 

I read today of the tragic death of a 15 year old girl who slammed into a concrete barrier while qualifying her street stock or similiar class of car last Sat. night. It was her first time at the track. I can't help wondering how much experience she had before hitting a track of that size. I know accidents can happen on any size track but that is a monster place for newcomers. Of course, it was said she died "doing what she loved to do" and that she was "hard headed" but am I wrong to think that bad judgement came into play here somewhere? How young is too young to be on a big track when limited experience was probably the case? It's like when I read of skiers getting caught up in an avalanche in an area known to be dangerous but they ski anyway, I guess, figuring it will never happen to them. My heart goes out to her family but I just can't figure out why she was on a track that big.

Re: Death at Bubba Raceway Park
 

Correct me if I am wrong, but this is the same place where the owner, has an 11 year old son running a full size sprint car also?

Re: Death at Bubba Raceway Park
 

A girl passes away and now track size is to blame? Young kids used to run winged mini's down here at Cowtown Speedway in the DFW area and the lap times were quicker than the Poweri midgets. Small 1/4 mile track so I don't know if track size is to blame.

And most on this forum have praised the virtues of young drivers like Kyle Larson, who were behind the wheel of something that could kill them way before they were 15.

Guess my point is should you wear a cup while riding the fence? Can't praise one situation and critique the next.

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When I first started going to the race track with my father in the late 1980's you had to be 16 to get in the pits. There were no parental waivers and that was it. I don't know if its because tracks rely on the back gate for making money or what but if you can't legally drive a car on the roads around town, why should you be able to race a powerful car aggressively against others on a race track?

Re: Death at Bubba Raceway Park
 

Mr. Porter, all I'm asking is should a fifteen year old with limited experience be on a big three-eights mile track? Yes, I'd rather see her on a fifth-mile track and work her way up to bigger tracks with greater speed once she had plenty of experience under her belt. If she had the experience then so be it but the article said she was a rookie.

Re: Death at Bubba Raceway Park
 

Driving on the road has absolutely ZERO impact on how you drive the track so that argument is totally invalid.

I don't think track size or age is the issue here. I think safety equipment and knowledge of installation and proper use of the safety equipment is the issue in this case.

Re: Death at Bubba Raceway Park
 

Re: Death at Bubba Raceway Park
 

Sweet looking girl. If that, indeed, was her first race then some elder of hers should have their rear-end kicked for letting her out on a three-eights. She lost control during qualifying so she never even got to race. Just a sad story all the way around.

Re: Death at Bubba Raceway Park
 

Actually she DID have a race seat. If you look at the larger images (http://www.mynews13.com/content/news...rack_cras.html) and she did NOT have a HANS. The same thing that killed her was the exact same thing that killed Earnhardt.

Re: Death at Bubba Raceway Park
 

Most people get started on 3/8ths. Hell, my first race was on a 5/8th mile in a street stock. Most tracks are 3/8ths and the size of the track has absolutely nothing to with it. If she lost control then chances are she was down to 1/5th mile track speed at the point of impact anyway.

I think safety devices should be the main focus here. No Racing seat as you can see but you can argue that in a head on collision as this appears that would not help. So 5pt restraint system? The big one was it installed properly? A Hans device is irrelevant if the belts are not installed properly. One thing I always notice with that type of car is lack of safety equipment and the non fire proof suits the drivers wear. Places like the burg where speeds can get pretty fast makes me wonder how long until something happens. I know it can happen in any car and speeds are slower in that type of car but whether going 60 or 150 safety equipment needs to be utilized properly.

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Spi-nex, I'm so dumb I haven't even learned how to paste but the last sentence of your last post sounds like the opinion of a man who just got through drinking eight warm beers under a hot sun. It just doesn't make any sense.

Re: Death at Bubba Raceway Park
 

Doesn't make any sense huh? Ok.. well, sir, allow me to walk you through my line of thinking one baby step at a time so even a low brow like yourself can understand.

The types of cars that this young women lost her life in, are "stock." Throw a cage in em and race, STOCK. That means they have a top speed of about 50-60mph on your average 3/8ths mile track even with the BEST of compact drivers. These are not sprint cars, they do not travel in excess of 100+ mph.

Now, factor in this is her first time ever on track. The accident happened on her 2nd lap. It is more than likely she was nervous (just like ANYONE the first time they are in a racecar) and was no where near that top speed mark.

If you get sideways and have a lack of experience, and as first hand accounts have stated, she hit the wall due to an over-correction, then you again, are going to be much slower than the drivers with more experience.

With all that factored in, there was no way she was anywhere near the potential top speed of a 3/8ths mile track and was more than likely in the area of a slow car at a 1/5th mile track, thus making the size of the track completely irrelevant.

Clear enough? :6:

Re: Death at Bubba Raceway Park
 

As the popularity of the hornets grow, they are slowly replacing the sprint car as the most dangerous thing on the track. As unfortunate as this case is, all to many times we go to the track and they are rolling them over nightly. The short-narrow wheel base make this inevitable. The entry level price to these cars are part of what makes them appealing but the entry level workmanship and safety equipment eventually shows its self.

Im going out on a limb but think a good idea would be a beginners safety deal to where the racers could come talk to the track officials. This could be focused on any class but the hornets is where its at. 95% of the people don't make that first lap in a USAC ready sprinter...

If learning the finer points on how to fabricate a car, maintain that car, and the proper safety equipment could only save one racer from serious injury or worse it would be more than worth it.

It starts with one...

https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/...39563241_n.jpg

Re: Death at Bubba Raceway Park
 

I was at a racers funeral here in Indy back in the early 80's. A driver I was with in the waiting line said this to me," We put our helmets , gloves, firesuit on and strap in,I'm indestructible". When we got to the casket , the driver was wearing his driving suit. The driver who was with me said this," This is an unfortunate aspect of the game we choose to play."

With all the safety improvements the last few years we tend to forget that this is still a dangerous sport. It is.

Also , a lesson here for low buck guys. You can run a wheezer motor, used tires, and second hand parts. When it comes to safety gear though, spend your money and buy the best. The butt your trying to save is your own.

Re: Death at Bubba Raceway Park
 

Several will hate me for saying this, but you have to have entry level classes. Heck there are several nights those entry level classes pay the purse for the sprint cars we love. To get people involved there will always be a need for a cheep class. Many of these people will have never done anything more than set in the bleachers at the track. Our sport needs these guys and gals to get involved. These guys will never get involved if there racecar costs $1000 but they have to have $5000 worth of saftey gear. Right wrong or indfifferent it is just not going to happen. 1 thing people on this board forget about, many of this lower class drivers are struggeling just to get to the track. Before you throw them under the bus and complain about this or that, think about my 2nd sentence. The drivers pay the exact same pit price but run for $200 or less at most tracks.

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Seems we have gotten a bit off track. My prayers to the young lady and for her family and friends. We do forget the sport we love is dangerous, and when things happen like this it takes my attention to the people impacted by the tragedy.

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Sorry, but if you can't afford to do the sport with the proper safety gear then you should maybe not be out there. I had to wait till I was in my 30's to race, but I did it with the best safety gear I could buy. It's not worth the risk to yourself or the sport to not be as safe as you possible can. Insurance is a big expense for tracks, driver deaths and injury put stress on the system.

Can we please stop with the "dying doing what she loved". This is one of the dumbest things race fans/drivers say. No one wants to die in a race car. No one wants to die all alone. No now wants to die in front on hundreds/thousands of strangers. No one wants there last thoughts to be pure panic and fear. No one wants to be in pain when they die. No one wants to realize that their life may be ending.

Several years ago a driver was caught in a fire and could not get out. Third degree burns over 95 percent of his body. This is the first time someone pointed out how dumb this saying is. It has stuck with me to this day. No one wants to be in a car on fire knowing that your death is near. Dying in a car is not what anyone loves.

Exactly right sir. I know a guy who bought a hornet for $500. It had a good cage. He put a decent seat in it with good belts. He borrowed a suit, helmet and gloves. He didn't have the money to buy new stuff, but he borrowed the best stuff he could. Some people can't afford to go buy a $600 full containment seat. $1200 custom fitted suit. $200 gloves. $200 shoes. $600 head and neck restraint. And everything else they make now. I agree, and I'm sure he does too, that if a person can afford all the safety stuff then they should get it. But the simple fact is the lower level racers normally struggle to buy enough fuel to get to the track and still have enough for a pit pass.

The saying is "died doing what he/she loved". It means they were killed doing something they enjoyed (I.e. Racing). It does not mean the person wanted to die doing it. Or at least that's how I take it.

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It's a hard thing to accept when any young full of life person is killed no matter where or how it happens. It can and does happen every day from walking to school to driving a race car all anyone can do after the fact is pray for all those involved and give the family a lot of support they are going to need it

Re: Death at Bubba Raceway Park
 

It's not hard to accept. Death is a somewhat well known side effect of life. Rather young old fat or slim in a racecar or in bed spoiler alert. you die.

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Maybe for you but I know and heard of people that never get over the death of a loved one. Try your theory out on the families of the people on the missing jetliner for instance. From TV alone I can tell many are not handling this situation calmly especially since there may never be closure. Life goes on but it's never the same and many times not as happy or fulfilling. I sat next to a lady flying home from Florida after Speedweek and she started crying telling me about her husband who had died two years ago. She said she'll always miss him and that the joy had gone out of her life for the most part. Some may say she's not strong but she was in her 70's, felt very alone and had some fear of growing older by herself. You're painting with way too wide a brush, my friend.

Re: Death at Bubba Raceway Park
 

only two things fall out of the sky---- birdsh!t and fools.

Re: Death at Bubba Raceway Park
 

As usual monkeyboy you show no tact whatsoever. I lost a wife WAY before her time, its a hell I wouldnt even wish on you after that comment. Next time you get the urge to say something stupid like that please check yourself.....that is if you have enough brains to figure out that what you are thinking is stupid.

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also look you can have a 13 year old run a mini sprint at waynesfield and a lot of times they will beat the older guys but like you said driving on road has absolutely zero impact on race cars.

The lady you are speaking of is my mom. I could be wrong but when she got home she said something about talking to someone on the plane and from what you said is the exact truth

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It may have nothing to do with ability, but it has a lot to do with maturity, experience, and what we as a society agree is acceptable risk for a particular age. Where does the lowering of age requirements stop entirely. Is a 12 year old too young? 10? 9? 8? If you say yes, then why? We don't send our 13 year old children to fight our wars even though they may be quite good at playing call of duty, but parents of children who are great at Iracing seem to have a terribly difficult time saying you have to wait to race a real car until you are older. It used to be that if you weren't old enough, you were a spectator until you grew up and I never saw a problem with that.