The Worst Wreck I Never Had - Watkins Glen 6/9-10
by:
Ken Rahaim, '95 Firebird Formula
l8apeks@att.net
Posted
06/15/01
Slaloming through the uphill esses at Watkins Glen between the
omnipresent blue armco barriers at 110+mph is harrowing enough, but
having the front end completely wash out at the approach of the turn 3
apex is enough to make anyone see god! Last June I described my accident
at Summit Point as being about a 1/2 second behind on every thought &
reaction necessary to save the car. This time I'd say I was about a 1/4
second ahead.
As the front end of the car was sliding unresponsively across the track,
I could sense I was transitioning from the ultra slowmo
"this-is-happening- again?!?!" mode to the grey-out mode where my next
thoughts skirted around imagining myself pinballing between the armco
barriers and wondering where I'd ultimately end up (and with how much
damage). But something else was happening at this very same moment that
I can gaurantee was purely subconcious training taking over. My
peripheral vision became crystal clear as I picked up the fast
approaching blue armco on my right and my hands began to ever so
slightly open up my non-responsive steering wheel. I was trading slip
angle for the real estate between the right side of my car and the armco
barrier. It was a very, very calculated action.
I am still not sure what caused the slide in the first place. The uphill
esses are a series of turns I've never been intimidated by (as oppossed
to the last turn onto the front straight and the highspeed exit at the
crossover in the chute). I had run the uphill esses successfully for
about 8 or so laps in a row prior to this one and had had very little if
any trouble all weekend long. I remember gently rolling the steering
wheel over to the left to begin my turn-in to 3. I also distinctly
recall the front end understeering ever so slightly on the approach to
the apex in what seemed liked three very quick bursts (like a fraction
of a second each) of slide-traction, slide-traction, slide-traction. I
didn't feel any urgency at all at that moment, rather I recall feeling
fully in control of the situation. But then, as I mentioned above, as I
went drifting past & away from the apex (which suddenly seemed
impossible to get to) the front end completely washed out.
Back to my impending appointment with the armco barrier. I kept
methodically reducing slip angle on the front tires by literally turning
towards the barrier until after what seemed like forever, the front
tires bit again and I was going straight... at about 105mph... about a
foot from the barrier. My next thought was how off line I was gonna be
setting up for the following turn. It wasn't until the entrance of the
bus stop that it hit me just how close I came to tragedy.
I pulled into the pits after that one. What a rush! The whole session
had been a good one and I topped it off with that save. I'm usually
fairly modest but, despite almost wrecking really, really bad, I was
quite proud of saving the car with the skills, knowlege and training
I've achieved over the last 5 years.
--
Ken Rahaim
'95 Firebird Formula
l8apeks@att.net
