On course collision at Nationals in Topeka

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Tue Sep 16, 2003 11:42 am

There is some discussion on the Evolution Autocross School discussion list about a collision on the North course during Nationals. It sounds like someone ended up following the tire marks from a previous course layout instead of the cones and ended up going off course and into the path of another car. Both cars were Honda S2k. No serious injuries to either driver but both cars were damaged. It sounds anecdotally like maybe one or both air bags deployed and that one car had to be towed off course as it was undrivable.

No discussions on the list at all about attempts (or lack thereof) to red flag the cars. Anyone who went to Nationals know more details about this? Did it happen so quick they couldn’t red flag or is there something inherent about how the course was laid out, placement of stations, etc. that prevented the workers from red flagging the cars?

I expect that this doesn’t happen much (getting lost on course to the point that a collision could happen), but I always think it is something course workers should look out for and be ready to red flag ASAP.

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Tue Sep 16, 2003 1:14 pm

I think Chuck, Donna, and I had the best views of this incident, being that our grid spot for the 5th heat was closest to the scene. There was no way for the course workers to red flag prior to the incident. The driver got lost mid way through, followed the warm up course tire marks, and headed towards the start of the course. The driver, Tasha Goodale, is a former National Champion, with a lot of experience. I don't think she knew the course very well, but it should be intuitive when driving it. I think she did nothing wrong honestly. I walked that course about 15 times, and knew the course well, yet with the rain eliminating the chalk line, combined with a difficult to read section (a.k.a. 'sea of cones') and a massive amount of laid down rubber from the practice course going the opposite direction of the actual course turn, it was a recipe for disaster. On my first run, I got a little confused for a split second. The fortunate thing is that no one was hurt in the incident. - AB

Chuck Frank · **Posted:** Tue Sep 16, 2003 5:11 pm

As many know, Tasha is the head of the Solo2 program for SCCA, and therefore was the most senior person responsible for the event. I suspect she had a lapse of concentration agravated by the weather and made a driver error. The two portions of the course were relatively close together there which made no time to red flag the cars. In fact both drivers were so intensely involved that neither saw the other until the cars hit, and it took some time for the drivers to even comprehend what happened.
In hindsight and just from my own observation my conclusion would be a coincidence of several otherwise minor mistakes all came together in the worse possible combination.
1. A heavy rainstorm washed away the chalk lines and the heavy overcast skies and wet pavement made the course appear different than during the walk thrus. (I DNF'd my first run the following heat even tho I had spent a LOT of time over 3 days walking and memorizing the course.)
2. A driver with much on her mind driving an unfamiliar borrowed car on a course crisscrossed with rubber marks from prior events.
3. A starter who was not paying close enough attention to the position of cars on course before releasing the next car. I'd say the starter was the person most at fault.

It was very fortunate that there were no serious injuries given the speed of the cars at impact. Ann received superficial burns on her arms from the airbag charge, but drove the next day and Tasha whacked the A pilar with her face stunning her for a few minutes. The damage to the cars was more extensive, with only one being drivable after.

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On course collision at Nationals in Topeka

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