Cones won't permanently hurt your car...

[optronix]

But as I found out, fire extinguishers will!

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[SeanIsElsewhere]

But as I found out, fire extinguishers will!

Play hard

 

[optronix]

 

[bpebler]

Ahhh shiiiiiiit. Sorry man. That really sucks.

 

[StingertimeNC]

Where/how did this incident occur?

 

[optronix]

Yeah some context might help. Just didn't feel like getting into details last night, was tired and still shaking off the irritation.

But this was during SCCA Level 2 autocross school. I feel like I got a lot out of the school, in at least one way I didn't expect- an expensive lesson but possibly in the long run a tremendously valuable one because, as with virtually all incidents, this was 100% avoidable and I'm very confident I won't make the same mistake twice. Fortunately for me this "worst case" autocross scenario will cost me what I'm guessing ~$1000 tops out of pocket and a bit of hurt pride and feelings. But if this same sort of incident were to happen during an HPDE or open track event, could have been far, far worse.

We're all different, and I know some folks' philosophies on instructors are going to be completely different from mine. And I actually really liked my instructor and he did legitimately help me refine my technique that will for sure carry over into competitive events. But that said, I also have always felt like having an instructor in the car is extremely distracting. Maybe it isn't for others, but it absolutely is for me. Combine this distraction with a heightened sense of competition, and things that normally would never occur suddenly become more likely.

In this instance, I've never even spun out in autocross before. Part of the reason is that I do feel like I've always held back, to avoid stuff like this- and my times were also held back as a result. Well, as part of the "instructive experience", I dropped those inhibitions for this particular run, feeling like the consequences wouldn't be very significant if I were to have an off or spin.

Also other factors contributed- I had already secured a pretty great time and had a near flawless run for my skill level, and the fact my car is completely stock on non-200TW tires. To put it in perspective, I had watched a C8 Z06 come in at ~34 seconds on this course, driven by a guy who I thought had tons of autocross experience. I made the same run in ~32 seconds, and felt there was room to improve. To top it off, my instructor had just set a sub 32 second run in my car so I knew there was time there to scrape off so my mindset was locked at that "full send" mentality that I typically never really go to.

Well.. at the end of a particularly long slalom (probably "artificially" long because it was intended to be practice, this one was 6 cones...), I had a tank slapper and went off the pad into the grass. No big deal 9.5/10 times, right? Well... except there was a fire extinguisher on the ground exactly in the path of where I was headed off.

That really should fulfill the explanation component. End of the day, people hit timing boxes and drink buckets and the sort, and similar fallout occurs. As I said this repair won't cost much but it is still aggravating as one would expect- I just didn't expect to have a significant aesthetic injury to my car from an autocross, but as luck would have it, it was my destiny to tragically end the life of a fire extinguisher before it could fulfill its rightful duty.

BUT, I do think I took away a very valuable lesson. If I were to have an instructor in the car again, I know now to set a much harder limit on my own idiocy and listen to my instincts better.

Also, I can't really call this a lesson because I've known this already for quite some time. The concept of going "all out" to grab those last couple fractions of a second is absolutely best left to people who get paid a lot of money to do this. I thought I was done with that mindset, I found that even I, the great fount of wisdom that I am, am susceptible to raw stupidity. Or whatever you choose to call it.

"If I claim to be a wise man, well... it surely means that I don't know"

 

[Brittania]

You got the inevitable first ding on the car over with, it wasn't too bad, and you were having fun while it happened.

 

[ChromaPop]

Yeah some context might help. Just didn't feel like getting into details last night, was tired and still shaking off the irritation.

But this was during SCCA Level 2 autocross school. I feel like I got a lot out of the school, in at least one way I didn't expect- an expensive lesson but possibly in the long run a tremendously valuable one because, as with virtually all incidents, this was 100% avoidable and I'm very confident I won't make the same mistake twice. Fortunately for me this "worst case" autocross scenario will cost me what I'm guessing ~$1000 tops out of pocket and a bit of hurt pride and feelings. But if this same sort of incident were to happen during an HPDE or open track event, could have been far, far worse.

We're all different, and I know some folks' philosophies on instructors are going to be completely different from mine. And I actually really liked my instructor and he did legitimately help me refine my technique that will for sure carry over into competitive events. But that said, I also have always felt like having an instructor in the car is extremely distracting. Maybe it isn't for others, but it absolutely is for me. Combine this distraction with a heightened sense of competition, and things that normally would never occur suddenly become more likely.

In this instance, I've never even spun out in autocross before. Part of the reason is that I do feel like I've always held back, to avoid stuff like this- and my times were also held back as a result. Well, as part of the "instructive experience", I dropped those inhibitions for this particular run, feeling like the consequences wouldn't be very significant if I were to have an off or spin.

Also other factors contributed- I had already secured a pretty great time and had a near flawless run for my skill level, and the fact my car is completely stock on non-200TW tires. To put it in perspective, I had watched a C8 Z06 come in at ~34 seconds on this course, driven by a guy who I thought had tons of autocross experience. I made the same run in ~32 seconds, and felt there was room to improve. To top it off, my instructor had just set a sub 32 second run in my car so I knew there was time there to scrape off so my mindset was locked at that "full send" mentality that I typically never really go to.

Well.. at the end of a particularly long slalom (probably "artificially" long because it was intended to be practice, this one was 6 cones...), I had a tank slapper and went off the pad into the grass. No big deal 9.5/10 times, right? Well... except there was a fire extinguisher on the ground exactly in the path of where I was headed off.

That really should fulfill the explanation component. End of the day, people hit timing boxes and drink buckets and the sort, and similar fallout occurs. As I said this repair won't cost much but it is still aggravating as one would expect- I just didn't expect to have a significant aesthetic injury to my car from an autocross, but as luck would have it, it was my destiny to tragically end the life of a fire extinguisher before it could fulfill its rightful duty.

BUT, I do think I took away a very valuable lesson. If I were to have an instructor in the car again, I know now to set a much harder limit on my own idiocy and listen to my instincts better.

Also, I can't really call this a lesson because I've known this already for quite some time. The concept of going "all out" to grab those last couple fractions of a second is absolutely best left to people who get paid a lot of money to do this. I thought I was done with that mindset, I found that even I, the great fount of wisdom that I am, am susceptible to raw stupidity. Or whatever you choose to call it.

"If I claim to be a wise man, well... it surely means that I don't know"

So sorry to hear all this from a fellow owner that also plans on keeping their car "forever ". I incurred a door ding in month 3 of ownership along with a windshield rock chip which although filled still shows like a dead bug in my forward view. Both of these things albeit small bugged me every day for months as I had this mentality this was my perfect car. Since, I have accepted the imperfections and moved on, and it has actually made me less paranoid of any other potential incidents, and it reminds me it's just a car, and all the driving joy is still there. I am sure you will get it fixed and feel much better about your car again soon.

 

[RUNN1N]

This is why we can't have nice things.

(But in all seriousness, you have my condolences.)

 

[StingertimeNC]

Sorry man! Hope the repair turns out well.

I get the hesitation to go full send. I do it at the track as well. Had an instructor in the car telling me to give it wide open throttle all over the place and I just couldn't do it. Follow your gut and you may not get the best time but you'll bring your trophy home right?

 

[Padre Dave]

I did a couple of track days in my old Mazdaspeed 3, but my lack of depth perception (I didn’t get id diagnosed until years later when I was getting commissioned in the Air Force Reserve. I ran my last auto cross back in 1976 in my Ford Capri II-S. I got lost out in the course, which was not a problem in the track when I was out there with 10 or so other cars. I found that exhausting, but I am old so am not surprised. Sorry about your dings and scrapes. Mine is getting rock chips in the front and I am on my 3rd windshield….only in Arizona do they landscape our highways with gravel…..what could go wrong?

I have a feeling you are gonna get these injuries to your car treated sooner than later….it’s just hard looking at those things and makes us guys crazy. God bless you and your day!

 

[Car00071]

Sorry to see this man!! Yes, our cars completely stock will want to 360 on you, crazy for a FWD car. Noticed that at AutoX on cold tires. Glad the damage is not too bad as it could have been something much worse but it still sucks to see. Thanks for being someone actually driving our cars!!

 

[bdisco]

 

[Frenzal]

Lol, I have that Blipshift shirt!!

By the way, it's really cool to receive their email once a day as they have sometimes super nice shirts and other merch. You only have 2 days to order a shirt when they go out, so must be quick!

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