Rumble Strips Probable Cause in Loss of Life to Young Racer

12/10/08, 11:49 AM

I was told years ago that it was believed that the throttle had stuck open in Kara's accident. Story had it that there was some contact with another car, possibly inflicting damage to the injectors sticking out of the left side of the cowl on her car, which may have in turn caused the throttle issue.
I wasn't there, didn't witness it, only repeating what a Western States car owner had told my late car-owning brother.

6157 · 12/10/08, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pat O'Connor Fan

When an obviously intelligent, thoughtful, articulate racer posts his concerns about certain features present at some racing venues, how can you possibly respond in such a negative manner?

Be thankful thats all I posted. There's a lot more I feel like saying to Paul Gray for this irrelevant, pointless, 100% uninformed post.

She's gone. We don't need some Don Moore-light stirring up the internet with his opinion on an accident he never saw and a track he'd never been to.

Kirk Spridgeon · 12/10/08, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cecil98

Spridge and 6157, now that i think about it, you guys are right. Why worry about the facilities? I mean if a track has spikes sticking out of the top of the wall and a dumb driver can't control his/her car well enough to keep from getting impaled by them, WELL, whose fault is that???!!! Hazards make openwheel racing more more interesting for the fans!! leave'em there!!! :doh:

on a more serious note, the way pgray describes the "rumble strips", it sounds like a very unusual design situation that needed to be corrected with a back hoe and a dump truck before allowing openwheelers on the track. Just going by what Paul described. I've never actually been to Cajon.

Did you even read my post?

Quote:

I've seen bad things happen when cars go into the grass at IRP. Or trip over the berm at Knoxville. Or hit an infield tire at Bloomington. There are things at every track that can cause someone to crash - the point is to make the objects that can be hit during a crash less lethal.

I'm not a fan of the Bloomington tires, or really most of the tires that mark the inside of a track, but how is that any different than the rumble strips? You do run at Lawrenceburg, right? If you hit an infield tire, does it not often result in crashes?

Hubie · 12/10/08, 12:13 PM

This topic will do nothing but promote mud slinging. Therefore, I have no comment

:checkered:

12/10/08, 12:15 PM

Jay Drake here, (using my wifes login.)

I want to interject here as this topic hits close to me. Kara was one of my very best freinds. She was also a fierce competitior of mine while we raced TQ midgets on the west coast. A very talented driver. I was at the race that day, in fact I had just won the TQ feature. I sat on Kara's LR tire as she got ready to push off for the main and she congratulated me for the victory and told me that after her race she would be my trophy girl, and that if she won, I would be hers. These were the last words we ever spoke.
I stood at the fence and watched the race. As I remember it, Kara had made contact with another car a lap prior to her accident. She had an old style Fontana engine, which had the injectors sticking out the left side of the car quite far. When hers and the other car bumped side to side in the corner the injectors got askewed, subsequently when Kara mashed the throttle (she was a "masher") coming out of turn two, the throttle linkage flipped over center and hung wide open. As she approched the turn and lifting point, the car would not decelerate and her only option was to turn early onto the rumble strips which did then launch her car across the track into another and eventually up and into the crash wall.
It was a very hard thing to see, and still is a very sad memory.
Had the rumble strips not been there, perhaps the accident would not been as severe, but they were not the sole cause of it.
The following year, the race was called the Kara Hendrick memorial, and I was fortunate enough to win it as well. The two trophies are a part of my collection that I will keep forever.
It's good that Kara is remembered. I got to visit with her brothers Kenny and Danny (also former west coast TQ racers) recently in CA. as they remain good freinds.

Jay Drake

Seadog · 12/10/08, 12:35 PM

I still have my Kara Hendrick T-shirt. I treasure it.

BTW, I think Jay said it better than anybody could. He should know.:respect:

Kirk Spridgeon · 12/10/08, 12:47 PM

Thanks, Jay...
We always followed Kara's results very closely - being that my sister shared the same first name, we always had an interest in how she did! It would have been interesting to see how her career progressed....very sad indeed!

Wallsracing · 12/10/08, 1:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heidi Drake

Jay Drake here, (using my wifes login.)

I want to interject here as this topic hits close to me. Kara was one of my very best freinds. She was also a fierce competitior of mine while we raced TQ midgets on the west coast. A very talented driver. I was at the race that day, in fact I had just won the TQ feature. I sat on Kara's LR tire as she got ready to push off for the main and she congratulated me for the victory and told me that after her race she would be my trophy girl, and that if she won, I would be hers. These were the last words we ever spoke.
I stood at the fence and watched the race. As I remember it, Kara had made contact with another car a lap prior to her accident. She had an old style Fontana engine, which had the injectors sticking out the left side of the car quite far. When hers and the other car bumped side to side in the corner the injectors got askewed, subsequently when Kara mashed the throttle (she was a "masher") coming out of turn two, the throttle linkage flipped over center and hung wide open. As she approched the turn and lifting point, the car would not decelerate and her only option was to turn early onto the rumble strips which did then launch her car across the track into another and eventually up and into the crash wall.
It was a very hard thing to see, and still is a very sad memory.
Had the rumble strips not been there, perhaps the accident would not been as severe, but they were not the sole cause of it.
The following year, the race was called the Kara Hendrick memorial, and I was fortunate enough to win it as well. The two trophies are a part of my collection that I will keep forever.
It's good that Kara is remembered. I got to visit with her brothers Kenny and Danny (also former west coast TQ racers) recently in CA. as they remain good freinds.

Jay Drake

VERY NICE POST:thumb

buck2 · 12/10/08, 1:45 PM

Jay, Thank you for bringing intelligent, informed information to this topic. So many topics degenerate into the abyss of mud slinging and half informed opinion. It is refreshing to see this board function in a manner that educates. The personal side is interesting as well and I applaud you for having the fortitude to speak of such a great personal loss.

dirtshirt · 12/10/08, 4:16 PM

I have attended races at Cajon Speedway. A couple of sprint pavement shows .The Piper rear engine car.Wally was a terrior in that car on west coast.At the time it was dirt they ran Super Modfieds.Anyone on here remember the all black CRA team in the 60s ?Mr Drake will you be racing in 09?Hope see you at Chili Bowl!!!

12/10/08, 1:45 PM	#19 Re: Rumble Strips Probable Cause in Loss of Life to Young Racer
buck2 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 294	Jay, Thank you for bringing intelligent, informed information to this topic. So many topics degenerate into the abyss of mud slinging and half informed opinion. It is refreshing to see this board function in a manner that educates. The personal side is interesting as well and I applaud you for having the fortitude to speak of such a great personal loss. _________________________________________________ Last edited by buck2; 12/10/08 at 7:41 PM.

12/10/08, 11:49 AM	#11 Re: Rumble Strips Probable Cause in Loss of Life to Young Racer
mortboyz Posts: n/a	I was told years ago that it was believed that the throttle had stuck open in Kara's accident. Story had it that there was some contact with another car, possibly inflicting damage to the injectors sticking out of the left side of the cowl on her car, which may have in turn caused the throttle issue. I wasn't there, didn't witness it, only repeating what a Western States car owner had told my late car-owning brother.

12/10/08, 12:13 PM	#14 Re: Rumble Strips Probable Cause in Loss of Life to Young Racer
Hubie Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 541	This topic will do nothing but promote mud slinging. Therefore, I have no comment :checkered:

12/10/08, 12:15 PM	#15 Re: Rumble Strips Probable Cause in Loss of Life to Young Racer
Heidi Drake Posts: n/a	Jay Drake here, (using my wifes login.) I want to interject here as this topic hits close to me. Kara was one of my very best freinds. She was also a fierce competitior of mine while we raced TQ midgets on the west coast. A very talented driver. I was at the race that day, in fact I had just won the TQ feature. I sat on Kara's LR tire as she got ready to push off for the main and she congratulated me for the victory and told me that after her race she would be my trophy girl, and that if she won, I would be hers. These were the last words we ever spoke. I stood at the fence and watched the race. As I remember it, Kara had made contact with another car a lap prior to her accident. She had an old style Fontana engine, which had the injectors sticking out the left side of the car quite far. When hers and the other car bumped side to side in the corner the injectors got askewed, subsequently when Kara mashed the throttle (she was a "masher") coming out of turn two, the throttle linkage flipped over center and hung wide open. As she approched the turn and lifting point, the car would not decelerate and her only option was to turn early onto the rumble strips which did then launch her car across the track into another and eventually up and into the crash wall. It was a very hard thing to see, and still is a very sad memory. Had the rumble strips not been there, perhaps the accident would not been as severe, but they were not the sole cause of it. The following year, the race was called the Kara Hendrick memorial, and I was fortunate enough to win it as well. The two trophies are a part of my collection that I will keep forever. It's good that Kara is remembered. I got to visit with her brothers Kenny and Danny (also former west coast TQ racers) recently in CA. as they remain good freinds. Jay Drake

12/10/08, 12:35 PM	#16 Re: Rumble Strips Probable Cause in Loss of Life to Young Racer
Seadog Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 2,136	I still have my Kara Hendrick T-shirt. I treasure it. BTW, I think Jay said it better than anybody could. He should know.:respect:

12/10/08, 12:47 PM	#17 Re: Rumble Strips Probable Cause in Loss of Life to Young Racer
Kirk Spridgeon Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 802	Thanks, Jay... We always followed Kara's results very closely - being that my sister shared the same first name, we always had an interest in how she did! It would have been interesting to see how her career progressed....very sad indeed!

12/10/08, 4:16 PM	#20 Re: Rumble Strips Probable Cause in Loss of Life to Young Racer
dirtshirt Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 131	I have attended races at Cajon Speedway. A couple of sprint pavement shows .The Piper rear engine car.Wally was a terrior in that car on west coast.At the time it was dirt they ran Super Modfieds.Anyone on here remember the all black CRA team in the 60s ?Mr Drake will you be racing in 09?Hope see you at Chili Bowl!!!