Spectator killed in Nurburgring Nordschleife VLN crash - Polidicks

[quote]One spectator has died and others have been injured in an accident involving Jann Mardenborough's Nissan in the VLN Endurance race on the Nurburgring Nordschleife. The Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 that Mardenborough was sharing with Kazuki Hoshino and Wolfgang Reip went over the debris fence in the crash at the Flugplatz corner. A VLN statement said: "The opening round of the VLN Endurance Championship at the Nurburgring was marred by an accident on Saturday which injured several spectators. "One of the spectators died, despite the immediate actions of the rescue crew in the medical centre at the circuit. "The other injured spectators have been taken to hospital for ongoing medical care. "The race was stopped to give emergency crew quick access to the circuit, and wasn't restarted. "The accident occurred in the Flugplatz part of the circuit, with a competitor leaving the circuit for a yet unspecified reason and finishing up behind the safety fencing.[/quote] [url]http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/118267[/url] The aftermath of the crash: [t]https://40.media.tumblr.com/ce074a7333842f3c548ccb6ad3e62995/tumblr_nlxp7uHWJR1sncaa3o1_540.jpg[/t] [t]https://36.media.tumblr.com/e6363d121af16cbaca67e85588d8f4da/tumblr_nlxp7uHWJR1sncaa3o2_540.jpg[/t]

It always sucks when spectators get harmed or killed during events.

That track is ridiculously dangerous. Normally tracks have massive runoffs, so if you fuck up massively, you slam the brakes and hope nothing bad happens. You fuck up on Nordschleife? There's 5-10 steps worth of grass, and a wall. It's a massive shame that a spectator died though, I have a feeling they might do a proper investigation into it, and add way more protection. [editline]28th March 2015[/editline] I just looked up what part of the track Flugplatz is, there's a jump there that'll make a car absolutely fly out of control if there's too much downforce on the back end

[img]http://www.gtplanet.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/2013_nurb24_wheelie-638x358.jpg[/img] The GT-R flying was an event long overdue unfortunately. Been a known issue/whatever you'd wanna call it for years. This is 2013. I'm really surprised Jann is ok. A testament to how much safer cars have become.

Such a shame that spectators were injured. Never a good day for motorsport when someone's hurt, least of all when it's a spectator that's just there to have a good time and watch a race. Sympathies to the families and the injured survivors, also to the driver who likely is struggling with the fact that the car he was driving killed someone. [QUOTE=NO ONE;47413714][ I'm really surprised Jann is ok. A testament to how much safer cars have become.[/QUOTE] I'm not. The car he was driving is a purpose built race car that shares precious little with a GTR you can buy at the Nissan dealer. I'm not fully up to speed with this particular ruling body, but it looks fairly similar to most professional GT racing. And that means it will at most use the basic architecture of the streetcar. The crash he had would have sent you to the hospital in a street version. He walked away because of the roll cage, the five point harness, helmet, HANS device, window net, etc, not because Nissan designed a damn good car. I mean, sure, they did design a damn good car, but most of the safety work they put into the GTR is ripped out in favor of compliance with much stricter rules supplied by the governing body of the sport. Race cars are the safest cars you could ever be in by far, mostly because of the ridiculously tight standards to which they are held.

Arguably one of if not the most dangerous places on the track. The angle and length of the rise is enough to slip air under the front end of a car and cause lift, and since it goes immediately into a medium corner that means if you're wheels are up you run the risk of not being able to turn into the corner, and just run off into the barrier. I wouldn't be surprised if there were alterations to the track to prevent this. Eliminating the rise or at least leveling it slightly would be one thing, and adding a chicane may be another solution. Or nothing at all will happen, which is the most likely case.

[QUOTE=nikomo;47413663]That track is ridiculously dangerous. Normally tracks have massive runoffs, so if you fuck up massively, you slam the brakes and hope nothing bad happens. You fuck up on Nordschleife? There's 5-10 steps worth of grass, and a wall. It's a massive shame that a spectator died though, I have a feeling they might do a proper investigation into it, and add way more protection. [editline]28th March 2015[/editline] I just looked up what part of the track Flugplatz is, there's a jump there that'll make a car absolutely fly out of control if there's too much downforce on the back end[/QUOTE] Unfortunately it won't be the last fatality even, freak accidents happen. Also Flugplatz literally (for once the correct use of that word) means "flying place" which is a perfect name of that segment. [editline]28th March 2015[/editline] Also reminds me of the incident a few years back in Le Mans where a car took off due to downforce failure. That very nearly killed a spectator as well.

[QUOTE=Jsm;47413982] Also Flugplatz literally (for once the correct use of that word) means "flying place" which is a perfect name of that segment. [/QUOTE] It means Airfield

I hope this won't be the last straw for Nürburgbring Nordschleife.. I don't want to see it go :( I want to go to Germany and drive on it one day.

[QUOTE=CoilingTesla;47414682]I hope this won't be the last straw for Nürburgbring Nordschleife.. I don't want to see it go :( I want to go to Germany and drive on it one day.[/QUOTE] Nordschleife will never die. It's used by car companies to test their machines to the limits and has the same status as the IOM TT. There are actually markings on the track where people have died there, drivers know the risks, it's just terrible that a spectator died :/

[QUOTE=DMGaina;47414083]It means Airfield[/QUOTE] I meant to say literal translation, it does mean airfield but it literally translates to flying place.

[QUOTE=Jsm;47414709]I meant to say literal translation, it does mean airfield but it literally translates to flying place.[/QUOTE] Well halfway, it would be flying field or flying area.

[QUOTE=DMGaina;47414764]Well halfway, it would be flying field or flying area.[/QUOTE] In English area and place are interchangeable in this context, place being less formal than area.

I'll be doing something with my company in one of the races this year, it'll be for a VR experience. Sad to hear this happened, hopefully everything goes smoothly in the coming races.

[QUOTE=TestECull;47413771] The car he was driving is a purpose built race car that shares precious little with a GTR you can buy at the Nissan dealer. I'm not fully up to speed with this particular ruling body, but it looks fairly similar to most professional GT racing. And that means it will at most use the basic architecture of the streetcar. The crash he had would have sent you to the hospital in a street version. He walked away because of the roll cage, the five point harness, helmet, HANS device, window net, etc, not because Nissan designed a damn good car. I mean, sure, they did design a damn good car, but most of the safety work they put into the GTR is ripped out in favor of compliance with much stricter rules supplied by the governing body of the sport. Race cars are the safest cars you could ever be in by far, mostly because of the ridiculously tight standards to which they are held.[/QUOTE] In addition to the safety features that make it very different than a normal GTR, It's also RWD instead of AWD to comply with FIA regulations.

the driver in the car was the kid who came through the gran turismo driving academy. only 23. that sucks

[QUOTE=BANNED USER;47413785]Arguably one of if not the most dangerous places on the track. The angle and length of the rise is enough to slip air under the front end of a car and cause lift, and since it goes immediately into a medium corner that means if you're wheels are up you run the risk of not being able to turn into the corner, and just run off into the barrier. I wouldn't be surprised if there were alterations to the track to prevent this. Eliminating the rise or at least leveling it slightly would be one thing, and adding a chicane may be another solution. Or nothing at all will happen, which is the most likely case.[/QUOTE] There is a fix that involves a clear air passage from the floor through the top of the wheel arch, this is the exact reason lemans prototype cars have those openings

Footage [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5quxhNEio_g[/media] [editline]29th March 2015[/editline] Same place, different time [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F7mVEotx9c[/media]

[QUOTE=TestECull;47413771]Such a shame that spectators were injured. Never a good day for motorsport when someone's hurt, least of all when it's a spectator that's just there to have a good time and watch a race. Sympathies to the families and the injured survivors, also to the driver who likely is struggling with the fact that the car he was driving killed someone. I'm not. The car he was driving is a purpose built race car that shares precious little with a GTR you can buy at the Nissan dealer. I'm not fully up to speed with this particular ruling body, but it looks fairly similar to most professional GT racing. And that means it will at most use the basic architecture of the streetcar. The crash he had would have sent you to the hospital in a street version. He walked away because of the roll cage, the five point harness, helmet, HANS device, window net, etc, not because Nissan designed a damn good car. [/QUOTE] You're incorrect. They take a production car and strip it down and reinforce it where necessary, then build up the engine and drivetrain. It's got plexiglass windows all around, no window net. You sound like you're talking about NASCAR.

Wow shit, I stood exactly where the car flew, last year. Gives me a weird feeling

reminds me of that huge accident that killed like 80 or something duringa le mans in the 30s i think, differencr is, this was a rise

[QUOTE=darunner;47418054]You're incorrect. They take a production car and strip it down and reinforce it where necessary, then build up the engine and drivetrain. It's got plexiglass windows all around, no window net. You sound like you're talking about NASCAR.[/QUOTE] I'm pretty sure they don't take a whole production car then drag it back into the factory just to strip it down. It's much more likely they take a production chassis and build it up, but I know for a fact they leave the factory as a GT3-spec car, not a production car. He's right in saying that it's a purpose-built race car, everything else as well barring the window net.

FYI: The German motorsport authority has (temp) banned (most) GT2 and GT3 cars from the 'ring as a result of this. Hopefully this will force safer designs.

[QUOTE=darunner;47418054]You're incorrect. They take a production car and strip it down and reinforce it where necessary, then build up the engine and drivetrain.[/quote] Says the same thing as [quote=me]And that means it will at most use the basic architecture of the streetcar. [/quote] The only parts of a street GT-R remain in that racecar are the basic unibody and the basic engine/transmission casings. Even those are extensively modified. That racecar shares little more than the basic architecture and shape with the streetcar on which it is based. [quote]You sound like you're talking about NASCAR.[/QUOTE] If I was talking about NASCAR I would have said it was on a purpose built spaceframe. NASCAR hasn't used a streetcar chassis as the basis for its race cars in over thirty years. Also, window nets are not strictly a NASCAR thing, nor are they even a strictly American motorsport thing. Notably, BTCC and Aussie V8s also use window nets. Plexiglass windows are prone to popping out in a severe crash, and hte 'door' on a typical GT car is little more than a curved sheed of carbon fiber that's also prone to popping off in a severe crash. The roll cage provides all necessary side impact protection, so the heavy streetcar door is completely replaced with something that weighs maybe a pound and a half. Since window nets are proven to help keep wayward limbs inside the vehicle when the window has popped out or the door is gone it makes perfect sense to assume that race car was also so fitted.