A most fortunate bad day...

that you (and your unrestrained and unprotected) son are alive and intact. The driver stated he had a stuck throttle in his(?) vintage Can-Am McLaren leaving Road America after Friday's practice. This year's Kohler (previously Brian Redman) International Challenge claimed the number 11 McLaren Friday night. As background, persons wishing to participate are invited to run their race cars into town for a Concours d'Elegance of sorts following Friday and Saturday track times. I watched the racers go past in a parade formation and Departed the area where we were watching when traffic stopped and I noticed a fork-lift perpendicular to stopped traffic in the road. I ran up there to offer any assistance I could (I'm a CRNA) and found this. Hopefully the links work.
I was amazed that nobody had been killed or seriously injured (quite possibly drowned). A shame but simultaneously very fortunate. In retrospect, a quick stomp on the clutch and brake would appear to have been the thing to do. In fairness to the driver, I suspect the result would have been the same or worse for nearly anyone in this situation.
http://www.imagestation.com/6635439/3993035696
http://www.imagestation.com/6635439/3993035693
http://www.imagestation.com/6635439/3993035695
http://www.imagestation.com/6635439/3993035694
http://www.imagestation.com/6635439/3993035332
http://www.imagestation.com/6635439/3993035327
http://www.imagestation.com/6635439/3993035282
http://www.imagestation.com/6635439/3993035155
http://www.imagestation.com/6635439/3993035022
http://www.imagestation.com/6635439/3993034902
http://www.imagestation.com/6635439/3993034714
http://www.imagestation.com/6635439/3993034365

What a brutish and awesome car those CanAm Mclarens are! I'd love one but would never be able to afford one. Not even a bent one!

Several things come to mind here, this unfortunate incident illustrates the need for lightning fast reactions and a cool head when driving these beasts. But driving into town? On a public road? Cold brakes, cold tyres, the throttles shouldn't have even been open wide enough to stick on! And if the brakes and clutch didn't work what about the kill switch? Was that in-operative too?

I know nothing about the driver but it makes me cry to see cars like this owned or driven by guys who appear to be woefully lacking in brains and driving skills. Often their biggest attribute is a fat chequebook and if that's the case here, that is going to come in handy right now I would say.

Just lucky noone was hurt .

Regards

I'm glad no one was hurt, but I got to say I think the picture of the guy covered in mud is a classic picture and the next picture where he is looking over the engine.

Steve

Ahhh... maybe slicks arn't suitable for pond work, should have gone for those wets afterall....
jerry

classic pictures.
Shame about the car, but it looks rebuildable / superficial. A good job he landed in the ditch and not the trees the otherside of it

Russ, the comment about throttle use. I suspect they were 'squirting' between bends.
I've done this myself, and been caught with a stuck throttle before now.
I had the sense to turn off the ignition, but then I had thinking time.

I bet that guy feels like he's used up one of his lives now

One of our Own...Johan..... helped pull the driver out of the car...he was heading to the parade in his Lola MK3b

Were they both still in the car when it stopped? Either way, they are massively lucky to not have been crushed, drowned or otherwise (quite possibly fatally) injured... .

Here is a picture of Johan after the incident...

More on our resident hero.

Nice to have a guy like this around. Congrats on the award Johan.

http://www.lolaheritage.co.uk/scrapbook/023/023.htm

That guy will NEVER live that one down. God...... how embarrassing!!!!

I think...

It's a great story, there are enough tragedies in this hobby. We need all endings of this type of story to be so fortunate.

Howard Jones said:

That guy will NEVER live that one down. God...... how embarrassing!!!!

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You are right about that. For some reason everyone thinks I wrecked the Mclaren.
Jim , I love your P4/5 car. I keep looking at it. It is the only new car I like.

J What? said:

Nice to have a guy like this around. Congrats on the award Johan.

http://www.lolaheritage.co.uk/scrapbook/023/023.htm

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It was really nice to meet you and I am in awe of your cool car. This hero stuff is undeserved and embarrassing.

Johan said:

This hero stuff is undeserved and embarrassing.

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Johan, Good story, good job! Now, if you didn't have those cars you have, you wouldn't had been there and wouldn't have to get dirty. Next year, to be safe, let me take them up for you and it'll all be okay!

Nice work and I'm glad nobody was injured, seems really lucky. I've had a throttle stick in a 100hp car, it sucked. I can't imagine an 800hp car, whew.

Johan said:

It was really nice to meet you and I am in awe of your cool car. This hero stuff is undeserved and embarrassing.

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And that's why we don't get to nominate ourselves for those sorts of things.

I think this would have been more appropriate than the T shirt.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...x=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=hip+boots&noImage=0

Bill