[Mister Dave]

Drive Corvettes much Mark?

 

[ClarksonCote]

He’s apparently driven in races a lot. The story I read gave him quite a bit of leeway on this, though of course he feels awful.

http://www.foxnews.com/auto/2018/06...-pace-car-at-indycars-detroit-grand-prix.html

 

[Guest]

It always looks like pace/safety cars are lumbering along as the racers behind struggle to keep up tire temps. In gact they are going flat out, no place for amateur drivers.

 

[Guest]

It always looks like pace/safety cars are lumbering along as the racers behind struggle to keep up tire temps. In gact they are going flat out, no place for amateur drivers.

No pace car paces the field by running 'flat out' . . . . or even at half the speed they could run for that matter

For the Indy 500, the pace car speed is 70 mph. This years pace car was the same Corvette ZR1 which crashed last weekend, and it has a top speed of 212 mph - Only about 14 mph slower than the fastest lap ran by the race cars last year. The ZR1 does have more horsepower than the race cars though, which made it a handful when Mark stomped on it coming out of that corner

Don

 

[Mister Dave]

But Indy 500 champion Will Power told the Indianapolis Star that the turn Reuss crashed in on the Belle Isle street circuit is a tricky one, with a crest in the middle of it that can upset a vehicle.

Will Power knows how to drive it apparently.

"I have driven this course many many many times. I have paced this race in the wet, cold, hot, and calm. On [Corvette] Z06's, Grand Sports, and other things. It is never a casual thing for me, but an honor to be asked. Today I let down my friends, my family, Indycar, our city and my company. Sorry does not describe it........."

I can imagine.

 

[Qinsp]

That's gotta suck.

He must of turned the stability control to ALL OFF, instead of one of the track settings.

But even then...

 

[Guest]

If he was such a great driver he wouldn't have crashed it. In Formula 1 they have professional drivers designated to drive the safety cars (usually top end AGM sports cars) and you can hear the tires squealing in the turns while the drivers are complaining about the slow speeds to race control. While Indy cars drive slower you obviously still need a professional driver and not some "celerity".

 

[Guest]

While Indy cars drive slower you obviously still need a professional driver and not some "celerity".

Yup - I had to Google it. Dictionary,com 'Celerity' - Noun, 'Swiftness or speed'. Sounds pretty much like a requirement for a pace car driver . . . . no?

Don

 

[Qinsp]

If he was such a great driver he wouldn't have crashed it. In Formula 1 they have professional drivers designated to drive the safety cars (usually top end AGM sports cars) and you can hear the tires squealing in the turns while the drivers are complaining about the slow speeds to race control. While Indy cars drive slower you obviously still need a professional driver and not some "celerity".

You can take a Cadillac ATS-V on that track with 1/2 the tire, barely over 1/2 the HP, and it's 200lb heavier, at speeds of over 140mph.

He got oversteer, lifted and froze. Bad combo when you get snap oversteer.