THSCC Forums

Some of y'all may have know that Matthew was racing at the 100 Acre Wood Rally in Missouri this weekend, and those who were following the event may have noticed that Matthew was listed on the Rally America updates at having gone out on Stage 6 (first stage Saturday morning). Well, I got a call from him this afternoon and he gave me the story.

Seems the car was never feeling right for him- whether it was tires or suspension, he didn't know. Certainly it sounds like the roads were slick, since it had been raining heavily, but he didn't mention that as a factor.

Anyway, he said there was a long straight with a couple crests and jumps on it, with a Left 4 at the end. I believe he said the sequence of interest was a Jump 250 Crest 50 Left4. Anyway, it sounds like at 100 mph the crest was more like a BigJump, and he and Jeremy were airborne for the first half of that 50 before the left. At that point it was just a matter of too much speed and not enough room, and although he got the car slowed down a lot and turned in OK, they tagged a tree with the right rear of the car. That snapped the car around and they hit a double tree right in the driver's door. MJ said it was a good thing it was a double tree, to make the penetration less sharp, but still the door came in far enough to hit his left hand on the steering wheel. But aside from that, and bruises to his left knee thigh, it sounds like he fared awfully well.

Jeremy was also basically OK, though he had more of a sore neck since the codriver's seat didn't have the wrap-around head protection that MJ's did. Both were wearing HANS devices, and though I don't think they're nearly as effective in side impacts like this, I'd still think they were better off with them than without.

The car is a write-off, as the tree intruded into the sill panel, the driver's door, and the roof panel above the door, including the cage tubes there. But in typical fashion Matthew is excited about his new car that he'll be running in Oregon in April, though I think at this point a lot of troublesome details, such as where to get the car from and how to pay for it, are yet to be worked out. But I have confidence that he'll get it done!

Thought y'all might be interested in hearing, and I'm sure glad to hear that he and Jeremy are OK!

Some grainy pix here, more to turn up on SpecialStage in the coming days I'm sure:


Carl

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Carl Fisher

Be Cool to the Pizza Dude:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... Id=4651531

I'm sort of surprised that they aren't using NASCAR bars in the doors. Are they considering that for V2.0?

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Has no responsibility whatsoever.

I'm not really up on the state of the latest cage rules, but I do think I recall hearing some discussion along those lines. Matthew's cage was from an FIA-homologated "kit", and therefore couldn't be modified in any way (including improvements) without voiding the certification. Still, it did have a full sill tube, plus an "X" in the door space between the front and main hoops.

Estimates for the speed he hit the tree at range to 45mph, so there was a lot of energy that had to be dissipated somewhere. Just because a cage deforms doesn't mean it was inadequate.

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Carl Fisher

Be Cool to the Pizza Dude:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... Id=4651531

Better pictures up already on SS:

http://www.specialstage.com/forums/show ... stcount=31

I'm just glad to hear that MJ is fine. That could have ended up MUCH worse.

--Kevin H.

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2003 WRX (again!)