I have driven Lime Rock twice, once in a Spec Miata and once in World Challenge protege…..there is a lot going on in the downhill turn, even without traffic or slower cars. I have watched the video several times and my eyes are immediately drawn to the clusterfuck entering pit lane. In that momemt of distraction the last thing I would expect on a hot track is for an almost stopped racecar, on the straight, on line. In the mind of a driver, even on the highway you just know there are places you do not stop. Stopping on line on a hot track is suicide.
No matter the flags. The track is OPEN! Cars are on track at speed. Until you exit the track, your focus is where are cars around you. Focus forward through the turn up the track where you are going If your going to slow down or need to stop, GET To The SIDE Of THE TRACK!!!! Cars are at Speed and assume what if they don't see you slowing???! The Jaguar driver stopped in the racing line I hope is not racing any more. Lucky they are not dead. The Z camera car also failed to LOOK UP TRACK. Failed to recognize caution and failed to ease up and prepare for a car doing exactly what he encountered. He's also lucky to be alive. I'm sure both drivers loose sleep replaying these moments and both have only them selves to blame for not being track smart. ⚠️Fortunate to be alive ⚠️ I'm 72 with 42 years of on track experience. Always anticipate situations until you remove your helmet, even in the pits/paddock.
Even if there had been a red flag (which I certainly did not see) you pull off the racing line and preferably off the racing surface before stopping. Jag 100% at fault here.
I was not there, but from the video I can see: 1. Yellow flag at West Bend )Old station 9) for a car off Driver's Left. 2. Black Flag was displayed and then pulled in at The Bridge (Old station 10). I would not call that a "displayed Black for the Z driver. I didn't see a # board. (I recall the official Black Flag station was moved to before the uphill years ago.) 3. I do not see a flag at The Downhill, driver's left (old station 11). Incident is before the flag station at Pit In (old 12) which is not seen. I see no flag motion at Start/Finish. To me, the course is GREEN. The Jag's brake lights are ON. The Jag driver's arm is not UP or waving, signaling driver's behind of sudden slowing. You can't fully blame the Z driver. Things at Lime Rock happen very quickly.
I always say that every driver's meeting should have a corner flag refresher every single time. It was clear a bunch of folks had no idea what one should do when shown a black flag all, time for Vintage racing to catch to the SCCA, which kicks their ass in this. The Datsun driver is NOT at fault here, the ones that stopped on the track due to their ignorance of the corner flags are the culprit.
Not just, which flag for what occasion, but HOW to display it so the drivers can actually see it. Anticipating events instead of waiting for them to happen and Then start thinking. The biggest problem with flagging is the leaders who don't train the workers correctly on how to Think.
@@JB91710 This I think is what led to this as well. OP mentions a black flag all but I checked the two marshal posts I could see, and only at one of them did I see a marshal standing with a black flag, that was half furled up, definitely not being waved. The other one I didn't even see anything. So if I had to pause the video to see that, there's no way they could have expected somebody at speed flying past to have noticed it either.
I was in this race 1 car length and on the inside of mark coming down the hill Mark and I were shown NO FLAGS, we were still racing... this whole group in front of us was racing very tightly, THEY were shown black flags, there was a car that dove for the pit lane after coming off the hill which partially obstructed our view, also please take into account coming off the hill there are a few things happening... you are coming down off a steep hill turning right, the perspective of how fast the cars to your right and below you gets skewed and assessing the sudden traffic directly IN front of you! my initial and immediate reaction was that there had been an accident, I assumed the Jag had spun and happened to be pointing down the track and unfortunately still on the racing line there were 3 or 4 cars trying to get to pit in. Cluster fuck is appropriate term for this situation. The flagging this particular weekend was not good to put it mildly, I have been black flagged once in my 14 years of racing, the flagger held the black flag with one hand leaned way out of the flagging station and pointed at ME with the other hand as I drove by it was quite obvious that it was ME that had gone afoul of the rules... That is how you black flag one car in a group. I love this sport, we have all been through rigorous training to do what we do, and to the credit of the sanctioning bodies that run these events we are very rarely physically hurt and we ALWAYS HAVE FUN!!! the apparent lack of flagger training was a topic of discussion amongst the drivers this weekend.
Flagging worldwide is atrocious. These people are not brain surgeons or CEOs. When shit happens, that is not the time to ask yourself, "What should I do?" You have to Think and Plan for every type of situation, so your response is instant. Your primary job is communication with the drivers. You have to display the flag so drivers can actually See it. Just jerking it around or trying to look cool doing it, does not get that job done correctly. Most have no idea how an extinguisher works let alone how to Effectively use it.
What organization is this? NASA and SCCA both treat black as "complete current lap and report to pits immediately" Only red would ask drivers to stop in these popular organizations, and even then, the rule is safely stop on side of road
@@JB91710I've been a racer for 52 years and a flagger for 37 and have learned a great deal of both from both.Theres a kinds of folks on corners. The best friends I ever had and I take issue with your comments. There are in fact physicians and other well educated volunteers who spend their valuable time and money to make the weekend happen. If Indycar, imsa and Formula 1 think we are essential maybe you should try it once in awhile
The flagger black flagged a few of the people that jumped the start. They did it in the middle of the pack and caused confusion. The Jag and the Z had no flag. Jag saw the other cars go into pit and stopped on track since she thought she had to pit. But even if it was for her, she was already passing pit entry and should have done another lap and came in. You never stop on a racing line, unless you were on fire. Even then, people always manage to pull off track. Crappy idea to flag a small group like that and even worse idea to stop on track.
Same thing happened to Walter Payton years ago between 3 and 5 at Road America. Bob Patchs car completely locked up and came to an immediate stop and Walter ran over the top of his cqr
Bonehead move on the part of the Jag driver to stop on line in the middle of the straight. While that undoubtedly left the camera car in a bad situation, there were also opportunities to avoid the contact.
I don't have racing experience at all. Would you mind clarifying something for me? From my perspective, it looks like the car could be avoided on the right side. Seems like there's enough room for that. And it appears you started this maneuver but didn't commit to it. Is it difficult to make that maneuver at this speed, or did your brakes lock, so you couldn't turn?
The Z driver definitely locked the brakes and couldn't tur, then right before the hit panicked and countersteered. Seems like lack of experience indeed, at least with this kind of cars.
The camera location is higher than the drivers line of sight. the silver Jag was not visible until the other car cleared. He glanced over to see what was going on and you are well over 100mph at this point on track. He tried to go on the grass and pass on the right. There was a car and one of his best friends behind him and on the right located in the blind spot. When he hit the brakes, the tires locked and steering locked and he went directly into the back of the jag. At speeds like this, a very abrupt input can put you sideways also, which if he had done at this point, could have put the driver door into the back of the car, which he probably would not have come out of. If he saw it sooner, yes, he could have moved right and passed. All that being said, you NEVER stop a car on the racing line! The driver in the Jag thought there was a black flag, which there wasn't. They flagged a small group of cars in the middle of the pack, which was a horrible idea. If there was a black flag, that means you need to go into the pits. But if you had passed pit in, you would go around the track again and then pit. She saw cars going into pit in and stopped on track to try and go across to pit in, like she missed an exit on the highway. Even a red flag, which is an emergency and means all driving needs to stop- you check your mirrors to make sure nobody is on your bumper, lift of the throttle and come to a controlled stop, off the racing line and preferably in view of a flagger so you can stay updated on the situation.
Good to see you're fine. Not the car though... I hope it's reparable. And this guy in the Jag should loose his driving license. Never ever stop in the middle of the track.
Thank God everyone is safe! Lessons learned… Everybody, take note and let’s get back to that exhilarating high speed and dangerous fun we all enjoy!!! Hopefully in a better and safer way!!! Best of luck to all.
@@Cain88M it did. It is actually still at the body shop. Mainly all fixed up. It will look as good as new. Then being sold actually, along with his other racecars.
That sucks. Best I can tell flags went 1) standing yellow(car off) 2) black flag for someone in group before (was pointing to a car not standing display). 3) no flag (=green flag). Jag should not have stopped and certainly shouldn't have stopped online. Track was essentially blocked for Datsun
My guess is that their was confusion in group ahead for who got black. With them all stacking up at pit entrance Jag probably panicked and thought he missed black. Hence why you don't stop online
The flagger black flagged a few of the people that jumped the start. They did it in the middle of the pack and caused confusion. The Jag and the Z had no flag. Jag saw the other cars go into pit and stopped on track since she thought she had to pit. But even if it was for her, she was already passing pit entry and should have done another lap and came in. You never stop on a racing line, unless you were on fire. Even then, people always manage to pull off track. Crappy idea to flag a small group like that and even worse idea to stop on track.
I think the Jaguar is to blame for coming to a dead stop in the racing line but the driver in the Z should have slowed up sooner too. Unfortunate situation, glad all are ok!
Black flag held visibly applies to everyone. General rule is slow down pit in first available opportunity. Black flag pointed at YOU, means come in next pit, because you're the infraction. Red flag means bring car to a controlled but immediate stop, preferably near a flag station off line and await further communication.
Verified with officials, there was never a black flag all. It was only for the few leaders that started the race and nobody else. They didn't get the flag completely pulled back in in time. Really crappy idea. If there was an issue with the start, they should have done a BFA and just done a race restart or given a penalty to those that jumped the start. The group that the black flag was for pitted. The Jag saw people putting and didn't know what was going on, as she did not get the black flag, and neither did the Z. But as mentioned, even if it were a red flag, that is just check your mirrors, stop in a controlled manner, offline and within view of a flag station. Never on the racing line and an abrupt stop.
But there was a hole to the right and a slippery one to the left. It looked like he though about it then went back to his original line. Which wasn't the best of the three options to me...
The camera is higher than his line of site. The other car blocked his view until it was too late. Happened quick, but a stopped car on track would always be a cause. My automatic reaction is to always find a hole and go around. But that has also bit me twice with spun cars and drivers not going 2 feet in, and then they rolled back into me while passing.
Oh my goodness! Glad all are okay, but, if I’m understanding some of the other comments correctly, the driver you hit had stopped on the racing line *on purpose?* Holy... 😳
Z driver goosed throttle a full second after cars began stopping on track. Then locked all four wheels and slid in to Jag. Not steering wheel cocked to the left. Jag should not have stopped but Z had plenty of time to decelerate and also swerve to either side of Jag. If Z driver had released brake the car could have easily driven to right of Jag. I'd call that 50/50 responsibility in the w2w series I wrote the rules for. Yellow flag means have your car under control because you might have to stop or swerve. Z driver was not in control and ignored every single car on track in front slowing down or stopping. Jag driver got an unexpected refresher course in flags that day. Glad no one was seriously hurt. Good teaching moment, thanks for sharing.
Maybe he should have slowed a little in hind sight, but he had no flags and all seemed green. He lifted at the downhill to which is normal and then get back into throttle which is normal. Until the orange Z darted right, the field was blind to him. This camera was also a few inches above his eye line. Couldn't go right, as one of his best friends had been on his right and didn't want to take him out also.
@@BallerRacingTeam Not correct. Previous flag stations displayed standing yellow and standing black. That means slow to a speed where you are in complete control because the track could be blocked. That is the primary purpose of a yellow, to slow drivers so they can stop or avoid on track emergencies and avoid rear ending cars ahead. Z driver failed to do that and actually gave a burst of acceleration the moment before being surprised by the slow moving car on track on the racing line.
@@949RacingSuperMiata , the standing yellow was only for the car off on West bend. The black was coming in and not for him. This was confirmed by officials. He had no flag after the local yellow and got to the bridge.
@@donaldstiles851 not sure if you have driven Lime Rock, but you are coming out of the downhill track out at full speed. The car in front was blocking his view, his buddy was behind him on his right, and the camera view is higher than the drivers eye line. But, even aside from all of that, you don't ever stop online on a race track! Not even for a red flag, which there was not one. She stopped in the middle of the track trying to see why some cars pitted, like she missed her exit on the highway. And got rear-ended at 80+mph while locked up into the back of her.
And to make matters worse, it wasn't even a BFA. It was to a group of drivers that jumped the start. Extremely bad decision to try and do that, but no matter what- you never stop on track. Even a red flag, you stop off line and in sight of a flagger.
When i started to watch this vid, knowing it was Lime Rock, i was sure it happened at uphill blind corner (knowing that cars are losing some grip there), but stopping on the track middle of main straight? it is enough to deserve ban from online race...
WOW! That was scary. Time to give written flag tests before issuing comp licenses. People that dumb and dangerous have no business being on a race track
Doing this in a video game would get you yelled at why are these people doing it in real life where there are peoples lives, safety, and fat stacks of cash at risk.
Who the heck intentionally stops "on line" (hot track) ?!! Racing 101 states emphatically that when you're on track -- it is ALWAYS active. Even under a yellow it's still active. That said, even IF it were a black flag situation, you move offline and decrease speed gradually. And you stop off track unless otherwise instructed by track officials. Glad all were ok but that is definitely an outrageous move by a novice.
That's the thing. It wasn't FCY or black. They had 1 local yellow, and really that was it. But the black at the bridge for the group before him must have gotten it waved, which was only for one driver. That pack was unsure of what was going on and pitted. Which then some other cars saw them pit and darted right also.
@@BallerRacingTeam. Ah so, I understand now. The 5th time, watching the vid, I was able to make out the standing Yellow and waving black. So a group of drivers decided to pit because of a waving black? Dang, back to comp school for them. No number boards at the black flag station? One of the things we teach in NASA-SE comp school is to be aware of the sight line behind you when you have to come to an unexpected stop, like a Red or you suddenly catch up to a stationary pack slowly making it thru a tight turn under FCY. Jag wasn't thinking of that. Sorry for your loss man. I'll incorporate this vid into our comp school, so some good will come of it.
I always try to do the same. It is just etched in my brain. Got tagged once or twice by people not going 2 feet in and rolling back into me when I passed them after they spun. But passed a lot more than that with no issue.
Wow. What a bad situation. I wonder though, after reading all the comments why people are blaming the Jag. While stopping on track is not responsible and it seems there was a lot of confusion, the on board clearly shows a yellow and a black that confused everyone but apparently the on board driver. You can say that the yellow was for someone else, you can also say the black was for someone else - however, that driver wouldn't and shouldn't have known that until AFTER the fact yet they kept wide open throttle even when you can see chaos happening ahead. That was definitely avoidable contact. Typically of you see a yellow, then a black displayed the very next station, it could be black flag all, but regardless the driver could have made a better decision to be more cautious given the flags, slowing cars, confusion and the stakes (amateur for fun racing). Such a shame for everyone, but everyone blaming the Jag is for reasons that aren't important until after the fact (stopped on line, black flag was for someone else, caution was local only) but the real fact was that the Z driver didn't know any of that until after they rear ended the Jag. The jag could have had a failure. There could have been oil on track, the back flag could have been for all, yet the driver stayed wide open throttle anyway. All could have been avoided by taking some responsibility in being safer and more aware. If this would have been a pile up in the last corner, they would have plowed through them too. Mistakes happen and this seems like a perfect storm of confusion, but this was 100% avoidable. Hope everyone is safe as that is what is most important.
If this whole thing was caused because they wanted to "black flag" "few" drivers that were bunched up with other none "black flag" drivers, than I have no reason to race again. Clearly caused by marshals and then the drivers who wanted to pit even though they missed the pit. Wild.
@@AW33COM definitely the worst decision making I have ever seen. Either do a black flag all and restart or just give them a penalty at the end. Who in their right mind would try to black flag a small group of people in the middle of pack. And then of course stopping on the racing line, no matter what the circumstances or flag color is just brain dead.
I was not there .... Was a RED flag shown ???? that is the only flag that tells the driver to pull over and come to a stop. Before I moved to Los Angeles I would run about 6 VSCCA events a year .... The VSCCA is a top notch club and so are most of VSCCA driver, but this was a Lime Rock event. A Datsun on the track with an E Type ???? Come on get real. I only fault Lime Rock
There was only the local yellow for the car in the grass at West bend. There was no FCY, no BFA, and a black flag had only been shown for the 1st pack of cars, as someone had jumped the start. Them everyone else was coming in for some reason. But the Jag stopped trying to get to the pits. Never should have happened.
And this is why racing at this level sucks .. people do all kinds of shit they shouldn’t because they don’t know any better and you suffer the consequences
Not sure where your eyes were, you were focused on the right side with all of the cars pitting (waving black- which was confusing). But you had so much time to react- it shows in your surprise of hitting the Jag. Automatically your fault. Eyes up.
@@BallerRacingTeam again Baller race team. If a car had a crash or mechanical- you just drive full throttle thru it!? Again- you aren’t addressing the situation on the exit of downhill. Just drive full throttle thru it. And again, how many times did that car go off throughout wknd?
@@jasonrabe835 , he did go off on Friday. He had something lockup on his suspension. It is still a relatively new build and learning the car. Very light and very fast. The camera is actually a few inches above his eye line. Watch it without knowing something is going on. Local yellow at west bend for the car on the grass. No flag at the bridge, cars ahead were not braking and his line of sight was blocked until the orange Z darted right. He then saw the Jag, which also didn't have their brakes lit up, but was stopped. There was another Z, one of his best friends, coming on his right. He tried to brake to slow down and go left. Locked the brakes and wheel and skidded into the Jag. Could he have done things a little different, in hind sight, maybe slowed up, but he was still green racing. The bottom line is, the crash is solely on the Jag and the inexperienced driver in it.
doesn’t matter. You guys are all answering our questions. Again. It’s your job to react- onboard is hilarious with how far behind he is- why would you post it!?!? Idiots.
EZ enough to critique a video after the fact...I was there but not right there...Racers need to be constantly vigilant and can't be casual about driving at speed. Too much reliance on flags and corner workers... But need to always check corner stations! Z missed black flag at top of downhill, Jag stopped suddenly ON TRACK/Race line without checking behind, Z driver should have seen cars were slowing / not racing regardless of flags... Situational Awareness! Both drivers made rookie mistakes resulting in damage...thankfully only cars were damaged... (this from an intermediate level HPDE student who recently failed race school due to missing a flag, amongst other things)
The black flag was not for him. It should not have been out and was being brought back in. He was under green racing and did not have a line of sight to the track ahead, until the orange car darted right. He was doing about 100 when the field of view opened up. You never stop in track, period! Even red flag, lift, check your mirrors and pull off line safely.
Glad all are ok. That said, this 100% on the Z Driver regardless of the confusion of others. He had tunnel vision and had a lack of situational awareness around him. Sorry, but if you hit someone from behind it is your fault.
You don't stop on track, on the racing line, EVER. Even if you are on fire, or someone else is. A red flag is the only time you ever stop and don't head to the pits. And even then, you lift, check your mirrors and come to a safe controlled stop off the racing line. Not saying Z has zero fault, but 90% Jag. Partially flagger and a tiny part Z.
How can one have tunnel vision on something that's not even visible. Also as soon as that jag was visible the Z driver cut the wheel to the right in an effort to dodge but because he was also on the brakes the front end locked up and it was game over. I'm sorry but that's an impossible position to put someone in on track
@@BallerRacingTeam While I agree with you to never stop on the racing line, after the Z driver crashed into the back of the Jag, he briefly went onto the grass and then brought his damaged car back onto the racing line. Also every car infront of the Z recognized there was a situation and managed to slow down without issue. I think jimmiwho1 is correct about the Z driver having tunnel vision or lacking the situational awareness. I'm not putting the blame all on the Z driver, as Jag driver obviously made a terrible decision that created the situation. I'm just saying the Z driver is responsible for his own driving, and that could have been done a lot better. Sometimes easier said that done, but that's how it is.
I feel like this is the same argument as the Hamilton Verstappen crash at Silverstone, if you know who Randy Probst is he would tell you its the drivers responsibility to not hit anyone. Regardless of stopping on a race line shit happens on track and if that Jag had a mechanical problem and couldn't get over to the right because of the traffic would it still be the Z's fault? Z- Driver should not be on throttle after the orange z jumped to the right of the track. Also if you lock your brakes up you can't steer and if you can't evade because of your own inputs then you must share blame
What is everybody doing? That also goes mr Datsun! I could not tell in the video nor do I know if you flag fia or nascar. But in FIA a black flag always has a car# I think in some American events, in practice or qualification it means end of session. Anyhow it never means stop on the race line!!!! That is beyond me. Great example btw why you steer before you brake! But that’s always easy sitting at a keyboard and not speeding to a stationary object in your car.
@@JennLy1 Time enough for avoiding contact. I can say that from experiance. what i said a few remarks below; If i had to rule i would say the Jag caused a a dangerous situation and the Datsun conducted an avoidable contact. In the end i think it is safe to state that none of these man wanted this outcome when they went out to practice their hobby. But i think its easy to blame it all on the JAG. Sadly this sort of stuff happens. I/m happy that apart from some bruised egos there is no personal damage. Though rebuilding your car is not funny.
@@BallerRacingTeam do research and then respond please. If you hit a car from behind on the road or a racetrack it is YOUR fault. Facts. Again if a car bounced off the wall of the downhill back on to track- you drive full throttle thru them?
@@jasonrabe835 , you are clueless. I have a TON of track time in W2W endurance racing under my belt. This is not the street and has nothing to do with the street. I am inches off a bumper racing and draft.
@@jasonrabe835 , oh you drive for Donovan! LMAO!!! No wonder. What a clown!! Put drivers in your cars that know how to drive and know how to obey flags. Hundreds of people on multiple pages disagree with you. That is why there are already over 4k views on this.
@@BallerRacingTeam I will talk to Mark Martin on how bad of a driver you are- again thanks for posting your incompetence as a driver. WRL- is still AM racing. Don’t know where you’re going with that. Look me up. Again “Baller Race Team” is that from the HBO show or y’all think you’re Ballers…?? Says a lot about your “crew “. Or you!?! You balled out of control on the downhill bro- awesome job!!! 👎🏻
Who stops on the racing line in the middle of the track!?!
Bugged ai
Wtf bro.....
@@supertoastboi3231 XD
I don’t think the middle of the track is the racing line, at that point. If it had stopped in the middle, the camera car would’ve avoided it easily.
The dude in that Jag apparently.
I have driven Lime Rock twice, once in a Spec Miata and once in World Challenge protege…..there is a lot going on in the downhill turn, even without traffic or slower cars. I have watched the video several times and my eyes are immediately drawn to the clusterfuck entering pit lane. In that momemt of distraction the last thing I would expect on a hot track is for an almost stopped racecar, on the straight, on line. In the mind of a driver, even on the highway you just know there are places you do not stop. Stopping on line on a hot track is suicide.
Uh? He had spun?
Glad you're okay. That was a really tough break.
No matter the flags.
The track is OPEN!
Cars are on track at speed.
Until you exit the track, your focus is where are cars around you. Focus forward through the turn up the track where you are going
If your going to slow down or need to stop, GET To The SIDE Of THE TRACK!!!! Cars are at Speed and assume what if they don't see you slowing???!
The Jaguar driver stopped in the racing line I hope is not racing any more. Lucky they are not dead.
The Z camera car also failed to LOOK UP TRACK. Failed to recognize caution and failed to
ease up and prepare for a car doing exactly what he encountered. He's also lucky to be alive. I'm sure both drivers loose sleep replaying these moments and both have only them selves to blame for not being track smart.
⚠️Fortunate to be alive ⚠️
I'm 72 with 42 years of on track experience. Always anticipate situations until you remove your helmet, even in the pits/paddock.
Even if there had been a red flag (which I certainly did not see) you pull off the racing line and preferably off the racing surface before stopping. Jag 100% at fault here.
Absolutely! No matter what flag is displayed, you never slam on your brakes and stop in the racing line.
Thank you for posting your video.
Yikes! I remember being there and seeing quite a few people running to see what happened after only 1/2 the cars came around the track the next lap.
I was not there, but from the video I can see: 1. Yellow flag at West Bend )Old station 9) for a car off Driver's Left. 2. Black Flag was displayed and then pulled in at The Bridge (Old station 10). I would not call that a "displayed Black for the Z driver. I didn't see a # board. (I recall the official Black Flag station was moved to before the uphill years ago.) 3. I do not see a flag at The Downhill, driver's left (old station 11). Incident is before the flag station at Pit In (old 12) which is not seen. I see no flag motion at Start/Finish. To me, the course is GREEN. The Jag's brake lights are ON. The Jag driver's arm is not UP or waving, signaling driver's behind of sudden slowing. You can't fully blame the Z driver. Things at Lime Rock happen very quickly.
I always say that every driver's meeting should have a corner flag refresher every single time. It was clear a bunch of folks had no idea what one should do when shown a black flag all, time for Vintage racing to catch to the SCCA, which kicks their ass in this. The Datsun driver is NOT at fault here, the ones that stopped on the track due to their ignorance of the corner flags are the culprit.
Not just, which flag for what occasion, but HOW to display it so the drivers can actually see it. Anticipating events instead of waiting for them to happen and Then start thinking. The biggest problem with flagging is the leaders who don't train the workers correctly on how to Think.
@@JB91710 This I think is what led to this as well. OP mentions a black flag all but I checked the two marshal posts I could see, and only at one of them did I see a marshal standing with a black flag, that was half furled up, definitely not being waved. The other one I didn't even see anything. So if I had to pause the video to see that, there's no way they could have expected somebody at speed flying past to have noticed it either.
was that jag parked ? Tell the jag driver the gas pedal is on the right.
Stopped for what they thought was a black flag, and stopped on track to try and get across to pit out, rather than going around the track again.
@@BallerRacingTeam clearly not what to do with a black flag....
@@lfod ...or any flag ever
@@iam8up true, even red flag is pull to track side offline and creep to flag station if needed to get further instructions.
For real!! 😂🙌
I was in this race 1 car length and on the inside of mark coming down the hill Mark and I were shown NO FLAGS, we were still racing... this whole group in front of us was racing very tightly, THEY were shown black flags, there was a car that dove for the pit lane after coming off the hill which partially obstructed our view, also please take into account coming off the hill there are a few things happening... you are coming down off a steep hill turning right, the perspective of how fast the cars to your right and below you gets skewed and assessing the sudden traffic directly IN front of you! my initial and immediate reaction was that there had been an accident, I assumed the Jag had spun and happened to be pointing down the track and unfortunately still on the racing line there were 3 or 4 cars trying to get to pit in. Cluster fuck is appropriate term for this situation.
The flagging this particular weekend was not good to put it mildly, I have been black flagged once in my 14 years of racing, the flagger held the black flag with one hand leaned way out of the flagging station and pointed at ME with the other hand as I drove by it was quite obvious that it was ME that had gone afoul of the rules... That is how you black flag one car in a group. I love this sport, we have all been through rigorous training to do what we do, and to the credit of the sanctioning bodies that run these events we are very rarely physically hurt and we ALWAYS HAVE FUN!!! the apparent lack of flagger training was a topic of discussion amongst the drivers this weekend.
I agree the flag was for one car that means the others are racing ,sorry for lydell have agood winter jake see you in the spring
Flagging worldwide is atrocious. These people are not brain surgeons or CEOs. When shit happens, that is not the time to ask yourself, "What should I do?" You have to Think and Plan for every type of situation, so your response is instant. Your primary job is communication with the drivers. You have to display the flag so drivers can actually See it. Just jerking it around or trying to look cool doing it, does not get that job done correctly. Most have no idea how an extinguisher works let alone how to Effectively use it.
Correct me if I'm wrong, black flag still doesn't mean you stop on track... I'm not understanding why this car stopped.
What organization is this? NASA and SCCA both treat black as "complete current lap and report to pits immediately"
Only red would ask drivers to stop in these popular organizations, and even then, the rule is safely stop on side of road
@@JB91710I've been a racer for 52 years and a flagger for 37 and have learned a great deal of both from both.Theres a kinds of folks on corners. The best friends I ever had and I take issue with your comments. There are in fact physicians and other well educated volunteers who spend their valuable time and money to make the weekend happen. If Indycar, imsa and Formula 1 think we are essential maybe you should try it once in awhile
How comes they all practically come to a stop on one of the fastest sections of the track?
The flagger black flagged a few of the people that jumped the start. They did it in the middle of the pack and caused confusion. The Jag and the Z had no flag. Jag saw the other cars go into pit and stopped on track since she thought she had to pit. But even if it was for her, she was already passing pit entry and should have done another lap and came in. You never stop on a racing line, unless you were on fire. Even then, people always manage to pull off track. Crappy idea to flag a small group like that and even worse idea to stop on track.
Yep, what a mess.@@BallerRacingTeam
Who was the driver of the Jaguar in question? Crone, Busch, or Rabe? I can't find any other information online about this incident.
Crone was the driver.
@@BallerRacingTeam - Thank you
zero surprises there right?@@MessedUp_AI
Main thing is, everyone lived to tell the tale👍🏼
Same thing happened to Walter Payton years ago between 3 and 5 at Road America. Bob Patchs car completely locked up and came to an immediate stop and Walter ran over the top of his cqr
Bonehead move on the part of the Jag driver to stop on line in the middle of the straight. While that undoubtedly left the camera car in a bad situation, there were also opportunities to avoid the contact.
Poor marshalling. It gives a lack of confidence for future racing there.
I don't have racing experience at all. Would you mind clarifying something for me? From my perspective, it looks like the car could be avoided on the right side. Seems like there's enough room for that. And it appears you started this maneuver but didn't commit to it. Is it difficult to make that maneuver at this speed, or did your brakes lock, so you couldn't turn?
The Z driver definitely locked the brakes and couldn't tur, then right before the hit panicked and countersteered. Seems like lack of experience indeed, at least with this kind of cars.
The camera location is higher than the drivers line of sight. the silver Jag was not visible until the other car cleared. He glanced over to see what was going on and you are well over 100mph at this point on track. He tried to go on the grass and pass on the right. There was a car and one of his best friends behind him and on the right located in the blind spot. When he hit the brakes, the tires locked and steering locked and he went directly into the back of the jag. At speeds like this, a very abrupt input can put you sideways also, which if he had done at this point, could have put the driver door into the back of the car, which he probably would not have come out of. If he saw it sooner, yes, he could have moved right and passed. All that being said, you NEVER stop a car on the racing line! The driver in the Jag thought there was a black flag, which there wasn't. They flagged a small group of cars in the middle of the pack, which was a horrible idea. If there was a black flag, that means you need to go into the pits. But if you had passed pit in, you would go around the track again and then pit. She saw cars going into pit in and stopped on track to try and go across to pit in, like she missed an exit on the highway. Even a red flag, which is an emergency and means all driving needs to stop- you check your mirrors to make sure nobody is on your bumper, lift of the throttle and come to a controlled stop, off the racing line and preferably in view of a flagger so you can stay updated on the situation.
@@BallerRacingTeam I see. Thank you for your detailed response!
Good to see you're fine. Not the car though... I hope it's reparable.
And this guy in the Jag should loose his driving license. Never ever stop in the middle of the track.
Thanks. Yeah, car is definitely repairable. Has an awesome cage which protected the driver and the car.
Thank God everyone is safe! Lessons learned… Everybody, take note and let’s get back to that exhilarating high speed and dangerous fun we all enjoy!!! Hopefully in a better and safer way!!! Best of luck to all.
That made me gasp! Please pray they saved that Z from being totalled.
@@Cain88M it did. It is actually still at the body shop. Mainly all fixed up. It will look as good as new. Then being sold actually, along with his other racecars.
@BallerRacingTeam well from one racer to another, my hat goes off too you and your team. Never give up on what you love.
Why did you not go for the gap on the right side of the other car? There was plenty of room to avoid the incident.
Not me, my buddy. But the camera is higher than his line of site and his buddy was on his right in the blind spot.
That sucks. Best I can tell flags went 1) standing yellow(car off) 2) black flag for someone in group before (was pointing to a car not standing display). 3) no flag (=green flag).
Jag should not have stopped and certainly shouldn't have stopped online. Track was essentially blocked for Datsun
My guess is that their was confusion in group ahead for who got black. With them all stacking up at pit entrance Jag probably panicked and thought he missed black. Hence why you don't stop online
He had a clear gap to the right??
The camera view is higher than his line of sight. Also, one of his best friends is coming on his right.
Why the hell did everyone stop?
The flagger black flagged a few of the people that jumped the start. They did it in the middle of the pack and caused confusion. The Jag and the Z had no flag. Jag saw the other cars go into pit and stopped on track since she thought she had to pit. But even if it was for her, she was already passing pit entry and should have done another lap and came in. You never stop on a racing line, unless you were on fire. Even then, people always manage to pull off track. Crappy idea to flag a small group like that and even worse idea to stop on track.
ofcourse it would be a she. smfh. ofcourse. nuffsaid. @@BallerRacingTeam
@@KuostAand she is a "pro" driver.
smfh what a disgrace.@@BallerRacingTeam
What was that jag driver doing exactly?
I guess she thought there was a black flag, or didn't know, and stopped on track, to try and get over to the pit!
@@BallerRacingTeam stopping on the racing line for anything other than a maybe a red flag is just plain stupid
Exactly! And even red flag, you should lift, check your mirrors and pull off the racing line. Preferably in sight of a flagging station.
"I guess she" AHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA found the reason you crashed mate@@BallerRacingTeam
Like they say, it's not the impact, it's the sudden deceleration!
I think the Jaguar is to blame for coming to a dead stop in the racing line but the driver in the Z should have slowed up sooner too. Unfortunate situation, glad all are ok!
Did the Jag driver get a Rubber Necking infraction for that insane move?
She's a "pro" driver! LOL
Black flag held visibly applies to everyone. General rule is slow down pit in first available opportunity. Black flag pointed at YOU, means come in next pit, because you're the infraction. Red flag means bring car to a controlled but immediate stop, preferably near a flag station off line and await further communication.
Verified with officials, there was never a black flag all. It was only for the few leaders that started the race and nobody else. They didn't get the flag completely pulled back in in time. Really crappy idea. If there was an issue with the start, they should have done a BFA and just done a race restart or given a penalty to those that jumped the start. The group that the black flag was for pitted. The Jag saw people putting and didn't know what was going on, as she did not get the black flag, and neither did the Z. But as mentioned, even if it were a red flag, that is just check your mirrors, stop in a controlled manner, offline and within view of a flag station. Never on the racing line and an abrupt stop.
But there was a hole to the right and a slippery one to the left. It looked like he though about it then went back to his original line. Which wasn't the best of the three options to me...
The camera is higher than his line of site. The other car blocked his view until it was too late. Happened quick, but a stopped car on track would always be a cause. My automatic reaction is to always find a hole and go around. But that has also bit me twice with spun cars and drivers not going 2 feet in, and then they rolled back into me while passing.
Oh my goodness! Glad all are okay, but, if I’m understanding some of the other comments correctly, the driver you hit had stopped on the racing line *on purpose?*
Holy... 😳
Thanks. Correct. Really bone headed move. My friend was racing his car, so I put my camera in for him while I was crewing that day.
I'm going with the Jag being at fault for stopping for no reason since he had a clear track in front of him.
That was nasty. Glad everyone was okay.
Thanks! And the car, although it took a while, is just about all back to normal and ready to race again.
@@BallerRacingTeam Wohoo! Drive safe :)
Z driver goosed throttle a full second after cars began stopping on track. Then locked all four wheels and slid in to Jag. Not steering wheel cocked to the left. Jag should not have stopped but Z had plenty of time to decelerate and also swerve to either side of Jag. If Z driver had released brake the car could have easily driven to right of Jag. I'd call that 50/50 responsibility in the w2w series I wrote the rules for. Yellow flag means have your car under control because you might have to stop or swerve. Z driver was not in control and ignored every single car on track in front slowing down or stopping. Jag driver got an unexpected refresher course in flags that day. Glad no one was seriously hurt. Good teaching moment, thanks for sharing.
Maybe he should have slowed a little in hind sight, but he had no flags and all seemed green. He lifted at the downhill to which is normal and then get back into throttle which is normal. Until the orange Z darted right, the field was blind to him. This camera was also a few inches above his eye line. Couldn't go right, as one of his best friends had been on his right and didn't want to take him out also.
@@BallerRacingTeam Not correct. Previous flag stations displayed standing yellow and standing black. That means slow to a speed where you are in complete control because the track could be blocked. That is the primary purpose of a yellow, to slow drivers so they can stop or avoid on track emergencies and avoid rear ending cars ahead. Z driver failed to do that and actually gave a burst of acceleration the moment before being surprised by the slow moving car on track on the racing line.
@@949RacingSuperMiata , the standing yellow was only for the car off on West bend. The black was coming in and not for him. This was confirmed by officials. He had no flag after the local yellow and got to the bridge.
What the heck was that?
I think someone was doing one of those spinning signs for a sale! Couldn't resist stopping to see what was going on.
Eye's not looking far enough down the track!! Unfortunate incident!
@@donaldstiles851 not sure if you have driven Lime Rock, but you are coming out of the downhill track out at full speed. The car in front was blocking his view, his buddy was behind him on his right, and the camera view is higher than the drivers eye line. But, even aside from all of that, you don't ever stop online on a race track! Not even for a red flag, which there was not one. She stopped in the middle of the track trying to see why some cars pitted, like she missed her exit on the highway. And got rear-ended at 80+mph while locked up into the back of her.
Why would anyone stop on the racing line for a BLACK flag???
And to make matters worse, it wasn't even a BFA. It was to a group of drivers that jumped the start. Extremely bad decision to try and do that, but no matter what- you never stop on track. Even a red flag, you stop off line and in sight of a flagger.
Welp….that sucks…😢😢.
When i started to watch this vid, knowing it was Lime Rock, i was sure it happened at uphill blind corner (knowing that cars are losing some grip there), but stopping on the track middle of main straight? it is enough to deserve ban from online race...
And she is a "pro driver"!
Yeah, maybe tunnel vision but no one should ever stop on the racing line! For what? To jump into the pits?
If the Jag thought it was their black, they were not in a position to get to pit in. Should have gone another lap and pitted.
@@BallerRacingTeam agree 100%
jaguar is a m o r o n
@@festungkurland9804 100%! And, that moron is now in the Haas F1 Academy. Just goes to show, you don't need talent, just money!
Its up to the car behind to avoid that.
Just read about this. yikes! Hope you're ok.
Thanks! It was my friend. He is ok, just a little sore.
@@BallerRacingTeam thats good to hear. Mark is one of those great people within this community that makes it as good as it is.
WOW! That was scary. Time to give written flag tests before issuing comp licenses. People that dumb and dangerous have no business being on a race track
Doing this in a video game would get you yelled at why are these people doing it in real life where there are peoples lives, safety, and fat stacks of cash at risk.
Bad day at the track. It can happen to the best.
Damn
Who the heck intentionally stops "on line" (hot track) ?!! Racing 101 states emphatically that when you're on track -- it is ALWAYS active. Even under a yellow it's still active. That said, even IF it were a black flag situation, you move offline and decrease speed gradually. And you stop off track unless otherwise instructed by track officials. Glad all were ok but that is definitely an outrageous move by a novice.
@@rdgSWwot what is worse. She is a "pro driver"!
The track went from green to black? That's ah, not ideal.. Have to slow people down with FCY before going to black.
That's the thing. It wasn't FCY or black. They had 1 local yellow, and really that was it. But the black at the bridge for the group before him must have gotten it waved, which was only for one driver. That pack was unsure of what was going on and pitted. Which then some other cars saw them pit and darted right also.
@@BallerRacingTeam. Ah so, I understand now. The 5th time, watching the vid, I was able to make out the standing Yellow and waving black. So a group of drivers decided to pit because of a waving black? Dang, back to comp school for them. No number boards at the black flag station?
One of the things we teach in NASA-SE comp school is to be aware of the sight line behind you when you have to come to an unexpected stop, like a Red or you suddenly catch up to a stationary pack slowly making it thru a tight turn under FCY. Jag wasn't thinking of that. Sorry for your loss man. I'll incorporate this vid into our comp school, so some good will come of it.
always dodge, never stop
that's my moto, so far working out pretty good for 20 years
I always try to do the same. It is just etched in my brain. Got tagged once or twice by people not going 2 feet in and rolling back into me when I passed them after they spun. But passed a lot more than that with no issue.
Wow. What a bad situation. I wonder though, after reading all the comments why people are blaming the Jag. While stopping on track is not responsible and it seems there was a lot of confusion, the on board clearly shows a yellow and a black that confused everyone but apparently the on board driver. You can say that the yellow was for someone else, you can also say the black was for someone else - however, that driver wouldn't and shouldn't have known that until AFTER the fact yet they kept wide open throttle even when you can see chaos happening ahead. That was definitely avoidable contact. Typically of you see a yellow, then a black displayed the very next station, it could be black flag all, but regardless the driver could have made a better decision to be more cautious given the flags, slowing cars, confusion and the stakes (amateur for fun racing). Such a shame for everyone, but everyone blaming the Jag is for reasons that aren't important until after the fact (stopped on line, black flag was for someone else, caution was local only) but the real fact was that the Z driver didn't know any of that until after they rear ended the Jag. The jag could have had a failure. There could have been oil on track, the back flag could have been for all, yet the driver stayed wide open throttle anyway. All could have been avoided by taking some responsibility in being safer and more aware. If this would have been a pile up in the last corner, they would have plowed through them too. Mistakes happen and this seems like a perfect storm of confusion, but this was 100% avoidable. Hope everyone is safe as that is what is most important.
I was there, rotten luck
Thanks. Yeah, definitely was.
Awful
If this whole thing was caused because they wanted to "black flag" "few" drivers that were bunched up with other none "black flag" drivers, than I have no reason to race again. Clearly caused by marshals and then the drivers who wanted to pit even though they missed the pit. Wild.
@@AW33COM definitely the worst decision making I have ever seen. Either do a black flag all and restart or just give them a penalty at the end. Who in their right mind would try to black flag a small group of people in the middle of pack. And then of course stopping on the racing line, no matter what the circumstances or flag color is just brain dead.
I was not there .... Was a RED flag shown ???? that is the only flag that tells the driver to pull over and come to a stop. Before I moved to Los Angeles I would run about 6 VSCCA events a year .... The VSCCA is a top notch club and so are most of VSCCA driver, but this was a Lime Rock event. A Datsun on the track with an E Type ???? Come on get real. I only fault Lime Rock
There was only the local yellow for the car in the grass at West bend. There was no FCY, no BFA, and a black flag had only been shown for the 1st pack of cars, as someone had jumped the start. Them everyone else was coming in for some reason. But the Jag stopped trying to get to the pits. Never should have happened.
And this is why racing at this level sucks .. people do all kinds of shit they shouldn’t because they don’t know any better and you suffer the consequences
The sad part is, she is a "pro driver" in the Jag.
Situational awareness lacking by both drivers
Why did he not go in between?????????????????????????????????????????????????
He tried to go to the grass. His brakes and steering locked up. Camera is higher than his sight line, so he saw less than we can.
OUCH$$$$$
Not sure where your eyes were, you were focused on the right side with all of the cars pitting (waving black- which was confusing). But you had so much time to react- it shows in your surprise of hitting the Jag. Automatically your fault. Eyes up.
LMAO. Clearly never races or have no experience. You never stop on track. Period.
@@BallerRacingTeam again Baller race team. If a car had a crash or mechanical- you just drive full throttle thru it!? Again- you aren’t addressing the situation on the exit of downhill. Just drive full throttle thru it. And again, how many times did that car go off throughout wknd?
@@jasonrabe835 , he did go off on Friday. He had something lockup on his suspension. It is still a relatively new build and learning the car. Very light and very fast. The camera is actually a few inches above his eye line. Watch it without knowing something is going on. Local yellow at west bend for the car on the grass. No flag at the bridge, cars ahead were not braking and his line of sight was blocked until the orange Z darted right. He then saw the Jag, which also didn't have their brakes lit up, but was stopped. There was another Z, one of his best friends, coming on his right. He tried to brake to slow down and go left. Locked the brakes and wheel and skidded into the Jag. Could he have done things a little different, in hind sight, maybe slowed up, but he was still green racing. The bottom line is, the crash is solely on the Jag and the inexperienced driver in it.
doesn’t matter. You guys are all answering our questions. Again. It’s your job to react- onboard is hilarious with how far behind he is- why would you post it!?!? Idiots.
@@scottc5619 he is apparently a Pro instructor! Good luck to his students! 🤣 Nevermind, former! His student must have stopped on track, as instructed.
EZ enough to critique a video after the fact...I was there but not right there...Racers need to be constantly vigilant and can't be casual about driving at speed. Too much reliance on flags and corner workers... But need to always check corner stations! Z missed black flag at top of downhill, Jag stopped suddenly ON TRACK/Race line without checking behind, Z driver should have seen cars were slowing / not racing regardless of flags... Situational Awareness! Both drivers made rookie mistakes resulting in damage...thankfully only cars were damaged... (this from an intermediate level HPDE student who recently failed race school due to missing a flag, amongst other things)
The black flag was not for him. It should not have been out and was being brought back in. He was under green racing and did not have a line of sight to the track ahead, until the orange car darted right. He was doing about 100 when the field of view opened up. You never stop in track, period! Even red flag, lift, check your mirrors and pull off line safely.
Glad all are ok. That said, this 100% on the Z Driver regardless of the confusion of others. He had tunnel vision and had a lack of situational awareness around him. Sorry, but if you hit someone from behind it is your fault.
You don't stop on track, on the racing line, EVER. Even if you are on fire, or someone else is. A red flag is the only time you ever stop and don't head to the pits. And even then, you lift, check your mirrors and come to a safe controlled stop off the racing line. Not saying Z has zero fault, but 90% Jag. Partially flagger and a tiny part Z.
How can one have tunnel vision on something that's not even visible. Also as soon as that jag was visible the Z driver cut the wheel to the right in an effort to dodge but because he was also on the brakes the front end locked up and it was game over. I'm sorry but that's an impossible position to put someone in on track
@@tylermerritt4867 Are the others also stopping? or are they going into pits. Driver suddenly catches all of them
@@BallerRacingTeam While I agree with you to never stop on the racing line, after the Z driver crashed into the back of the Jag, he briefly went onto the grass and then brought his damaged car back onto the racing line. Also every car infront of the Z recognized there was a situation and managed to slow down without issue. I think jimmiwho1 is correct about the Z driver having tunnel vision or lacking the situational awareness. I'm not putting the blame all on the Z driver, as Jag driver obviously made a terrible decision that created the situation. I'm just saying the Z driver is responsible for his own driving, and that could have been done a lot better. Sometimes easier said that done, but that's how it is.
I feel like this is the same argument as the Hamilton Verstappen crash at Silverstone, if you know who Randy Probst is he would tell you its the drivers responsibility to not hit anyone. Regardless of stopping on a race line shit happens on track and if that Jag had a mechanical problem and couldn't get over to the right because of the traffic would it still be the Z's fault? Z- Driver should not be on throttle after the orange z jumped to the right of the track. Also if you lock your brakes up you can't steer and if you can't evade because of your own inputs then you must share blame
everyone was parked
What is everybody doing? That also goes mr Datsun! I could not tell in the video nor do I know if you flag fia or nascar. But in FIA a black flag always has a car#
I think in some American events, in practice or qualification it means end of session. Anyhow it never means stop on the race line!!!! That is beyond me.
Great example btw why you steer before you brake! But that’s always easy sitting at a keyboard and not speeding to a stationary object in your car.
Datsun was 84 mph and Jag was dead stop. Yeah, no time
@@JennLy1 Time enough for avoiding contact. I can say that from experiance. what i said a few remarks below;
If i had to rule i would say the Jag caused a a dangerous situation and the Datsun conducted an avoidable contact.
In the end i think it is safe to state that none of these man wanted this outcome when they went out to practice their hobby. But i think its easy to blame it all on the JAG. Sadly this sort of stuff happens. I/m happy that apart from some bruised egos there is no personal damage. Though rebuilding your car is not funny.
37 years as a Marshall and never heard of blackflagging a GROUP of cars
And you were off 2 or 3 times before that soooo….
What does having an off have to do with an idiot stopping in track?
@@BallerRacingTeam do research and then respond please. If you hit a car from behind on the road or a racetrack it is YOUR fault. Facts. Again if a car bounced off the wall of the downhill back on to track- you drive full throttle thru them?
@@jasonrabe835 , you are clueless. I have a TON of track time in W2W endurance racing under my belt. This is not the street and has nothing to do with the street. I am inches off a bumper racing and draft.
@@jasonrabe835 , oh you drive for Donovan! LMAO!!! No wonder. What a clown!! Put drivers in your cars that know how to drive and know how to obey flags. Hundreds of people on multiple pages disagree with you. That is why there are already over 4k views on this.
@@BallerRacingTeam I will talk to Mark Martin on how bad of a driver you are- again thanks for posting your incompetence as a driver. WRL- is still AM racing. Don’t know where you’re going with that. Look me up. Again “Baller Race Team” is that from the HBO show or y’all think you’re Ballers…?? Says a lot about your “crew “. Or you!?! You balled out of control on the downhill bro- awesome job!!! 👎🏻