TBK-Light.com

Probably concerned that the tires could throw the car back into the racing line. His car came to rest there anyway so I can see that as a valid concern.

They're going to have to do something. The cars should be slower next year but that will not last and the circuit safety certainly needs an upgrade.

if there would have been no tarmac run off it might not have happened.

Put like 5 or six rows of tires with a Tec-Pro barrier in front of those...although I'm not sure if a Tec-Pro needs to be mounted against a wall, or could be done like the SAFER on the inside of the straightaway between Pocono's turns 1 and 2.

I usually don't involve myself in these what-if-discussions, but, this is indeed what I was thinking myself well. The older version of Tertre Rouge wouldn't have made it able for Simonsen to even reach that barrier because him going wide would have made him hit the graveltrap.

He hit the armco barrier after the gravel trap and the tyre barriers (wight where it changes from the track to public road). So even the "old" Tetre Rouge would certainly not have made any difference to the outcome.

The old Tetre Rouge was much sharper, evident by the pic above, so it's highly unlikely the crash would have been the same.

It would've been a different accident yes but that isn't Tarmac run off. That's public road. That's the road that runs up into the city of Le Mans.

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theRacingLine.net
SportsCarArchives.com

That's mainly what I'm alluding to, indeed. I've never really understood the change. It made it faster, yes, but definitely more dangerous as well

I don't think there is any problem with the corner as it is right now. It is faster yes but not necessarily more dangerous. The only thing that could have saved Simonsen is a better protection of that barrier he hit. And I think TecPro (not tyre barriers) should be considered for next year.

Why not reprofile the turn?

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I suppose you could make the turn slower, but perhaps what we should look at is the how he lost traction and spun as opposed to just concentrating on the corner, runoff and safety barriers. The curbs were damp, painted and most probably were the most significant contributing factor to the outcome of the accident (aside from striking the barrier in the position he did).

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

I'd say the curbs were the most significant contributing factor to the cause of the accident, while the barriers were the most significant contributing factor to the outcome.

(Not just being pedantic - the cause and the outcome are two very different things.)

Fair point and I agree on the distinction.

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

You can, but you also have to make sure you don't just shift problem areas. For instance it a tighter corner makes the exit safer, but you need to ensure you can then get enough safety on the entry. There was a bad accident at the tighter Tetre Rouge in 1999 I believe where one of the Nissans went head on into the barrier and it would be a very short trip.

I'd move it back. If I was at a pc I could show you how. I wouldn't make it tighter, but faster with more runoff.

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I just realized from a purely selfish standpoint that both Corvettes and both Vipers made it to the end of the race with little more than a few dings and some duct-tape on them. This is a big relief as it will mean a full compliment of grumbly V8s and V10s when I visit Lime Rock for the first time in a couple of weeks.

I'll be there all three days.

Yes, Eric Van De Poele

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

Don't think this one had been posted before

[dailymotion]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1186nn_allan-simonsen-tribute-2013-24-hours-of-le-mans-podium_auto[/dailymotion]


Also, according to this blog entry from one of the German Eurosport commentators, Allan collapsed while he was trying to get out of the car on his own...
http://www.pitwalk.de/blog/blog.php

Ickx seems to say "Adam"... repeatedly. Oops.