<VV> Re: F440 and guard rails (no Corvairs harmed in this one)

[jryall@juno.com]

I thank everyone for their concern.  I feeling better, don't have to
crawl to the bathroom anymore, I can actually stand up and walk! ;~)  I
drove to NJ the next day (you have probably read Brian's note about that
adventure!), and got home today (Thursday).  Driving was no problem.

The car, from the roll bar forward is OK, but the back end is a mess.  It
may cost more to fix than to just buy another one.  We'll see.  

If you haven't driven an open wheel car in the rain, then you don't know
what wet is!  After the rains dried up, I was gaining confidence and
finding the line pretty well.  There was still standing water on the back
straight, but I was able to hold the car straight through it, and the
tires were dry by the next corner.    There was a damp spot in the middle
of turn 4.  I had been going around it, either inside or outside for a
few laps.  On that last lap, I missed the turn in point for the corner
and drove right through the damp spot, and the car under steered over to
the edge, and hung two wheels off.  It then came around backwards into
the wall.  I knew I was going to hit, so I placed my helmet against the
seat back pad.  I think what caused the most damage to me was that the
seat back had never had fasteners at the bottom, only at the top, and it
bent back allowing my hips to move backwards about 5 inches, while my
upper back was against a piece that didn't deflect.  Had the whole seat
back stayed in place, I probably would not have been hurt.

I wasn't knocked out.  The first thing I did was shut off the fuel pump,
then waved to let the corner workers know I was OK.  Then took off my
helmet and horse collar and waited for them to get to me.

John Ryall

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