Prescott Hill Crash - S/C Lotus Exige leaves track, lands in next field.

[Dum-Dum]

This has just popped up in my news feed, it's so lucky nobody was killed as it flew over where many of us like to spectate there.
I guess from when it was uploaded it happened last weekend.





Also this photo of the aftermath

[1616six]

Shit the bed, what on earth did he do?!

[Eeyore]

hit 88mph?

[Lwilliams]

Didn't look like he braked very hard hmmm lol

[Connor]

Brake lights flickered on twice, guessing his brakes done failed

[Piggy]

Very strange.

Sounds like he still had throttle on as he was trying to stop!?

[Seb_Ryan]

Very strange.

Sounds like he still had throttle on as he was trying to stop!?

More than likely panic if brakes failed.. Does sound like it revved up more

[r3k1355]

Brakes failed and he accidentally hit the accelerator while mashing the pedal??

Either way the safety barrier at that corner looks pretty woeful.

[Toms306]

Aren't safety barriers meant to deform slightly? That one does appear to turn into a ramp though.

[Matt]

Christ! Does sound like he gives it some power to take off! Lucky no one was stood there, would have been flattened!

[Matt-Rallye]

Jesus christ! I did not think that was possible there!

Certainly looks like brakes failed, maybe he rammed it into first in a desperate attempt to lose some pace hence the revving up? Anyones guess what happened really.

[Stef205]

ah the joys of fly by throttles! At first i thought this was colin satchel as he is building one. Just hope that eaton was ok after that!

[Piggy]

Aren't safety barriers meant to deform slightly?  That one does appear to turn into a ramp though.

To be honest, I dont think the track designers/organisers expect anyone to approach a 1st gear hairpin flat out...and then accelerate!

[Matt-Rallye]

ah the joys of fly by throttles! At first i thought this was colin satchel as he is building one. Just hope that eaton was ok after that!

FBW throttles are my pet hate first mod i did too my clio 172 was a Ph1 throttle body and cable

[r3k1355]

Aren't safety barriers meant to deform slightly?  That one does appear to turn into a ramp though.

Looks more like a paper bag than a safety barrier.

[Mattcheese31]

#my306wentupPrescotthillfasterthanaLotus

[Dum-Dum]

For anyone who hasn't been to prescott hill the barrier there is a deep gravel trap and then a substantial tyre wall with double height armco above that.

[thododd]

Gravel traps dont slow you down when youre airborne

[Mattcheese31]

Gravel traps dont slow you down when youre airborne

I think I'd get on with this man pmsl

[7057sam]

Watched this a few times before I tagged you boys in it.

He was taking it very easy up until the off so maybe the accelerate got stuck open as he brakes twice before the hairpin.

[MisterGTR]

Pumps/taps the brakes 4 times in quite a regular pattern then seems to accelerate. Very weird. And it's not as if he took the previous corner at any speed.

I'll randomly guess at attempted left foot braking gone wrong or trying to powerslide.

Either way glad no serious injury and convinces me I need a cage in whatever I take to the track.

[lolsteve]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh9DoYYWZ44

for those who want a closer look at that barrier

[Piggy]

Yeah I was thinking of same guy Steve! Maybe same driver?!

[r3k1355]

for those who want a closer look at that barrier

Barrier does indeed look very solid, I guess if you go flying straight over it doesn't matter how solid it is though.

[welshpug]

ROFL, where the hell did that guy learn to drive?! and that's without the barrier incident..

[toseland]

For all those who didnt recognise it... those flashing lights are either, the "OH f*ck EMERGENCY BRAKING" lights, or the shutter speed of the camera (which i doubt)..

also, the raise in throttle is him lifting off of the clutch in a lower gear...

from the video it doesnt appear he actually braked, but then it also doesnt appear that he is going very fast when he accelerates,.


so... he approached too hot.. possibly brakes failed, had his foot on the clutch and had already downshifted to turn lifted off the clutch and whine... over hte barrier.

from the last comment on the youtube vid..

philipbain 2 days ago
Great video of the incident, I was spectating on the outside of the first bend so we saw it fly into Pardon corner far too fast,, heard the crash and saw the aftermath too as the car landed in a field BEHIND the spectator enclosure!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyQZgLbMM1E

seems its quite a common thing.,

[1616six]

My theory is still throttle jam, few punches of the brakes whilst he tries to work out what's gone on.. he's not at full throttle when he's going up the hill yet just before he bins it, it's flat out.

Although notice when the brake lights flicker.. it's 4 flickers at the same time spacing and same length - Could it be the ABS or anything kicking in and he's actually not dabbing the brakes but holding them on? As I know plenty of cars will put the hazards on when the ABS kicks in.

It sounds as if it's a lower gear when it shoots off, has he perhaps tried to slam it in a lower gear to try and engine brake? Obviously couldn't react/think quick enough to turn the ignition off/stick it in neutral

Has the driver not released anywhere what actually happened?

[Paul Baldwin]

Driver with big feet and a car he's not used to? Easy enough to hit the throttle by accident with a tight peddle box. Sounds like he snatched a lower gear just before the throttle was re-applied and it launched!

[toseland]

i did have a google, nothing but the video,

wht event was it?



p.s. just did a little googleing, under hard braking the tail lights flash to further highlight the emergency braking proceedure, so i think he overcooked it..

[1616six]

i did have a google,    nothing but the video,  

wht event was it?



p.s.  just did a little googleing,    under hard braking the tail lights flash to further highlight the emergency braking proceedure, so i think he overcooked it..

As I thought then, he wasn't tapping the brakes but just had them flat to the floor. Still, he's then let off and booted it straight therefore making me think maybe there was a throttle problem which meant it was stuck wide open?