8 dead at the 4X4 California 200 event.

[petefj40]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOelQunYzEI

Pretty sad.

[lilpigzuk]

Yep, pretty nasty. following the thread on Pirate, gunna have huge implications for future desert racing

[mazdamike]

ya sad day but a few heros one of the dead saved a 7year olds life.

[badnuz]

you tube link now disabled...

amazing how the dez racing community get onto something so fast with the first-aid programme

[mylux]

Yep, pretty nasty. following the thread on Pirate, gunna have huge implications for future desert racing

Yea I think your right.
It may well go further than that when you look at all the other events that are similar in the fact that spectators are so close to the action.eg Rallying,motorcycle street racing,etc.
Sure is a sad day for all involved it that one.

[petefj40]

you tube link now disabled...

amazing how the dez racing community get onto something so fast with the first-aid programme

Here's another link that still works. Just 30 seconds of ads at that start.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOelQunYzEI

[coxsy]

the truck involved

a quote by CHP the driver will not be charged , time will tell
another page on google

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100816/ap_ ... FkcmFjZQ--

[hilux81]

This was just on channel 1 news. crazy having people stand so close.

[QUADRACER]

motorsport is dangerous for all involved, not just the Competitors
people see the officails as the fun police till this occurs, then blame the driver.
time to listen to the event managers,
great to be close to the action but when is to close.
feel for the families, most look like young peope

[Nivapulledout]

Everyone was way too close. If I had my kids there I would never let them be that close. It must be a nightmare for the drivers cause they are trying do go balls to the wall but they will back off when people are this close cause they dont want to hit them, this has been coming for some time and a rule change will be welcome.
I just feel sad for the familys as they all died in a stupid way that was preventable.

[skid]

you see events like this all over the world where spectators stand in the road and move at the last minute

all it takes is a steering arm to break or similar and its all over

on a side note did any of you read the story and see the drivers name

Mr Sloppy

but all jokes aside, you gotta feel for Mr Sloppy right now coz he will be in a completely different world, with a million things going through his mind.

Thoughts have to go out to him at this point in time and all the families affected by this tragedy

[muddyhilux]

defiantly a sad thing to happen, allot of people with have issues for a long time, I post I found said 2 guys were decapitated,thoughts are defiantly with the driver as it was not his fault at all,he was in the right, there's also info come up with max numbers allowed and distances from the track,and as many on pirate have said and some here,people need to take responsibility for them selves,rules aren't in place to kill the fun, they're in place to stop people getting killed or injured

[petefj40]

you see events like this all over the world where spectators stand in the road and move at the last minute

To true.
But none that suffer 8 dead and 12 seriouslly injured.

Looks like the rules will change after this.

[DieselBoy]

Society is breeding idiots.

Sux that people died, but thats natural selection in action.

Don't stand close to a 2 tonne machine traveling 100mph over a jump.

DUH

[T-Boon]

See it all the time at our Drift events, its like people get stupider in croud`s....

[mazdamike]

The rules dont seem to be changing from what i have read this morning insteed it is close down all racing in the moharve desart and it may be for good. They are worried it is going to have a hudge impact on koh now as it is a spectator event that is growing every YEAR so now the fun will have started for the sport.

[darinz]

I've been driving a truck that due to an accident (bent chassis, body and jamed accelerator) got out of control and if it wasn't for the kill switch, would have plowed into the crowd! This was a a couple of years ago but we changed rules to require all trucks competing have kill switches and people still argue about it!

So this crash is a tragedy but having spectators that close means it isn't an accident! The were signs saying keep 125' back but they were ignored so I am very pissed off that all people are doing is focusing on who is to blame. It is very un-PC to say the spectators are but does it take rocket science to keep off the track? The promoter is going to get screwed when It was an open public area so they were not allowed to restrict access and had warning signs up. What more can you do?

On a good note, Fastaid have raised over $80,000 (US) already and the stickers T shirts etc haven't even started being sold.

I think KOH is so much like winch challenge that they will have the same issues we have. There is the danger of slow speed roll overs, high speed and winching and the only place people want to be is close to some action! We don't allow public so that everyone is part of a team. Then the team is responsible for educating them as that is the only real way of keeping people safe in this sort of environment. Afterall a tape barrier is not going to keep people back if they don't understand the risk!

[DieselBoy]

Well said

[nzutv4x4]

Looks like the promoter is in the clear and did everything by the book but knowing America, he will probably get sewed anyway. The crowd ignored the signs and then wanted to kill the driver after he crashed into them.
Rally NZ always do a good job but are they just one mechanical failure or driver error away from a similar fate. Kin-oath they are. The answer for individuals watching events like this, is common sense and plenty of it, like darinz showed above.
Look what happened in Christchurch after a bike rider was killed during a race. Didn't the race promoters get prosecuted and the race no longer exists? Everybody suffers.
There has been the odd wheel flung into the crowd who are seated in a grandstand too. What do you do there? There is always a slight element of danger with Motorsports and that's one reason a lot of people go, maybe to see a big crash. As long as they realise that they could be, "the big crash", then lets just try and make it as safe as poss. for them and make the public responsible for there own actions.

[T-Boon]

Most racetracks have one of these or something similar.

[turoa]

make the public responsible for there own actions.

TBH thats prob the best idea.... but it does piss me off somewhat that everyone jumps on their high horse and starts pointing fingers. Why can people not just accept the fact that it was an accident and no amount of finger pointing will ever bring back the people who died. Yes they 'shouldnt' have been so close but they werent expecting it to happen. Hundreds of vehicles jump over there and a very vast majority of them land it. I know that had I been there, I would be doing the exact same thing and been right up the front trying to catch a glimpse. Whats life without some excitement?

So in conclusion.... all safety conscious ##### who sit around pointing fingers blaming the driver, the sport or spectators are boring motherfuckers who are going to suck the joy out of life.

Whats next "oh no you shouldnt drink anything because there is a very slight chance you can drink too much and get alcohol poisoning and die"

"dont leave your house because some ravinous dog might eat you"

[mazdamike]

just read this off one of the pirate tread. good read
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/commenta ... id=5467664

[IcedJohnno]

Looks like the promoter is in the clear and did everything by the book but knowing America, he will probably get sewed anyway. The crowd ignored the signs and then wanted to kill the driver after he crashed into them.
Rally NZ always do a good job but are they just one mechanical failure or driver error away from a similar fate. Kin-oath they are. The answer for individuals watching events like this, is common sense and plenty of it, like darinz showed above.
Look what happened in Christchurch after a bike rider was killed during a race. Didn't the race promoters get prosecuted and the race no longer exists? Everybody suffers.
There has been the odd wheel flung into the crowd who are seated in a grandstand too. What do you do there? There is always a slight element of danger with Motorsports and that's one reason a lot of people go, maybe to see a big crash. As long as they realise that they could be, "the big crash", then lets just try and make it as safe as poss. for them and make the public responsible for there own actions.

Hmm you've got some good points but also a couple of the media's malicious lies.

The driver was not - as the CHP officer reported - stoned by the crowd and had to run away. This is Scurrilous media hyperbole and not un-typical, in my own experience.
In fact the driver was supported by the spectators.
Check out;
http://www.race-dezert.com/forum/showth ... r-accident
It is worth the read. Now 98 pages! 40 more than when I first started reading it last night. Thanks to whoever 1st posted that link. Now gone I see??!

Perhaps some of us may wish to donate to Fast Aid for these folk. Check out http://www.race-dezert.com/forum/showth ... 0-Accident

Tis very sad to see this result and yet it is nowhere as bad as the Mercedes sports car at Le Mans in '55. 200 dead there... 1st saw this on film 30 years ago and was reminded straight away .Or for that matter natural disasters like India or Pakistan. This of course does not minimise the grieving or loss to friends and families. Peace be with them.

Maybe it can be an opportunity to encourage organisers of many genres of adventure sports to keep an eye on and consider safety again & again. To see if they can devise events which are as much fun but minimise risk a little more? It is possible.

I do this with the vintage car mud-plug trials that I used to organise. Yes, none of these competing vintage cars have roll cages, something I have reason and scars to be mindful of. However as an organiser and section setter, there are ways to minimise potential issues. 15 years after I brought this sport in from England, its still gaining competitors and with less potential risk than other sports I play with.

Yes Chch Le Race organiser Astrid Anderson was taken thru the courts, but she did win. And the race IS still held though not under her stewardship these days. Competitor was the issue there.

My thoughts and prayers are for the families, friends, organisers and spectators at the '200.

To quote the back of an extreme para seat skiier's chair.
"Die living"

Cheers John

[darinz]

It appears that the crowd were actually on the defined race course. The course is 50' either side of the defined track and the truck doesn't appear to have left that area when it rolled.

So i sure understand wanting to be close to the action and being as close to the track as possible, but these guys are actually on the course. It was possible that the truck could have come off the jump and land in the crowd and still be on the course!
Other drivers in the race have already made coments about how close the crowd were and having to brake because of that. With the type of suspension these trucks run, braking before a jump is going to really make it unstable and hard to control.

We should really take notice of this as a lot of media and greennies are using this to bash the offroad community. Coments about Mad Max style and illegal racing etc are getting thrown around.

[petefj40]

It's been interesting reading other peoples comments here.
I just want to point out the video clip if you've watched it?
You'll notice the first truck toots to everyone as it passes. Either saying hello or trying to get people away from the course. But his speed ain't that fast. The second one is going about the same speed as the first. All good.. But then the third one, (that goes into the crowd later down the track) is going a fair bit faster.
I was thinking the first time watching this clip. What the F**K! Why the hell is that white truck approaching the vehicle ahead of him at a much high speed (which I'm sure he sees he's gaining on) in a built up area??? Was he attempting to pass the slower truck where there's no place to pass?
Call me ignorant.
But I can't understand why a driver would do this in a tiny area where people are so close to the track. Surely there are PLENTY of other spaces on the track this guy could of passed?
I understand it's a balls out race. I understand if you're to close to the action you could get hit.
I dunno. It confuses me.

[albundy]

Stop thinking Pete, you may get deleted

[mazdamike]

If u look at the vid u will see 3 trucks = lots of dust he comes in to view goes over jump and sees car in front hit brakes and dose an endo. How is this passing it happend thats racing this (what if?????) bulls**t is why we live in a cottonwool society its time to just harden up

[petefj40]

If u look at the vid u will see 3 trucks = lots of dust he comes in to view goes over jump and sees car in front hit brakes and dose an endo. How is this passing it happend thats racing this (what if?????) bulls**t is why we live in a cottonwool society its time to just harden up

Keep your hair on. I'm just throwing it out there.

Sure. There's dust making it harder to see the truck in front. Yep!
But hello? You can't tell me he didn't know he was gaining on him? Umm, like it's gets more dusting the close you get to someone yeah?

Yeah i don't want to think to hard Al.
I might get it right then my posts are BOUND to get deleted.

[DieselBoy]

It's been interesting reading other peoples comments here.
I just want to point out the video clip if you've watched it?
You'll notice the first truck toots to everyone as it passes. Either saying hello or trying to get people away from the course. But his speed ain't that fast. The second one is going about the same speed as the first. All good.. But then the third one, (that goes into the crowd later down the track) is going a fair bit faster.
I was thinking the first time watching this clip. What the F**K! Why the hell is that white truck approaching the vehicle ahead of him at a much high speed (which I'm sure he sees he's gaining on) in a built up area??? Was he attempting to pass the slower truck where there's no place to pass?
Call me ignorant.
But I can't understand why a driver would do this in a tiny area where people are so close to the track. Surely there are PLENTY of other spaces on the track this guy could of passed?
I understand it's a balls out race. I understand if you're to close to the action you could get hit.
I dunno. It confuses me.

You need to get out from behind your cotten wool and safety glasses and go compete in something.

Its not the same as driving down the road, its a competition, first home wins.

This statement is retarded:

Why the hell is that white truck approaching the vehicle ahead of him at a much high speed (which I'm sure he's gaining on) in a built up area??? Was he attempting to pass the slower truck where there's no place to pass?

Thats the whole point of competition, get the jump on your fellow competitors when they least expect it, take risks, do the impossible, push the limits etc etc etc

The spectators are not and should not be a factor that competitors should have to consider in the battle for placings.

Spectator safety is the responsibility of the organiser and ultimately lies with the spectator

I speculate the first two trucks were forced to slow down as they saw the mass of idiots standing on the track, they had moved back a bit by the time the third truck came through so it didn't look so bad and he retained race speed as the others should have.

In reality we have no idea about what actually happened and the circumstances surrounding it as the video is shit and is taken from a good 100m away from where the accident occurred, not to mention all the sensationalism now surrounding the incident making for incredible amounts of here-say.

[skid]

has anyone seen the vid of the first Taupo 1000

2 toots
2 taps
2 tonne


similar to the unwritten KOH rule, where you drive over the stranded competitor if you have to

as DB has said, its motorsport

accidents will happen

all we can do is take note and when we organise an event, try to elimnate as many risks as possible