five7kid

iTrader: (14)

During qualifying Saturday, John Reynolds died after his chutes failed to open (deployed but didn't bellow out) and his brakes couldn't stop him.

Bandimere has a hill after the finish line, then a flat before the turn-off. There is an emergency gravel pad with nets after that. Apparently, he was still moving very fast into the gravel, the net ripped off the supercharger and sent it through the windshield, killing him instantly. The nitro coupes were getting up to 250 mph this weekend.

This was the first fatality at Bandimere in 45 years of operation. His was the 3rd car in the nets Saturday (very unusual - typically only see it a couple times a season).

Pretty sad. I know I'm no where near that kind of speed, but it reinforces my decision this year to wear a helmet, even though it isn't required by the rules. Next is the brake upgrade to get the disks on the front of the '57.

SSC

Had a friend up there watching, said it was quite a scene. 3 net hits in one day is very strange.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

We were pitted about 100' beyond the finish line, right where the chutes deploy. But, unless you're right up against the fence, you can't see down on the track. I was fussing with a loose alternator bracket at the time so didn't see it. A couple of guys nearby who were watching said parts flew when he hit the nets, but that's about all they saw. The track didn't tell us until Sunday that he didn't make it. But also right below us was a newly built storage shed, and the track crew immediately brought the car down and locked it up in there (race crew wasn't around). That told us something wasn't right.

kfoley

That's sad to hear...

IHI

iTrader: (1)

Damn, anytime a driver is hurt/killed is a bad deal. All you can hope is that he was happy when it happened, doing something he loved, the gal I race with from MN. said that's the way she wants to go, under power going down the strip-how bad have you got it, huh?! Wonder what kind of bad karma was at the track that day to get 3 net hits, jeez!

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Newspaper article quoted a friend of his who said he wanted to go out while racing. I think he meant beyond age 49, though. His wife said she figured he was safer racing than driving to the race - which is probably generally true.

I'm also fairly certain his last 10 seconds or so weren't very pleasant. I've had what I thought was one of those "Well, this must it" experiences, towing a car in the mountains when a tire blew, but I'm here to tell about it.

At Bandimere, they have an invocation/prayer before the national anthem before racing. But, that Saturday was time trials/qualifying, so...