[Al weyman]

This drag race started in 1905 and I hope the Greens and Health & Safety stalwarts don't close it because of this. I was going to enter the 3rd Gen for a laugh as a drag racer its not and as the 2nd gen is sick I decided not to bother as racing next weekend. Anyhow in the Motorcycle/sidecar class this strange contraption entered and I thought at the time that the thing looked unsafe, it was piloted by a 64 year old guy and had a 38 year old woman passenger (how on earth they let passengers on a drag strip is another story??). Anyhow i saw her before the event and she looked happy in the September sunshine then a few short minutes later the vehicle slewed off the track in the slowing down area and she was killed and he was critically injured and the event was stopped. What a sad end to a beautiful english summers day.

[trackbird]

Sorry Al. That's the worst way to end an event... My condolances to the families and my sympathy for all of those who witnessed the accident. Seeing that kind of stuff tends to really stick with you.

About a month or so ago, we had a sport bike go down in the shut down area at "Night of Thunder" at National Trails Raceway (local drag strip that used to host the Pontiac Excitement Nationals). They stopped the event for about 25 minutes and transported him out (possibly by helicopter) but we never heard about his condition.

[Al weyman]

They bought the helicopter in to this accident but I could see by the lack of activity that it was a fatality. I know it shouldnt make any difference but I see her half an hour before in a nice bikini getting togged up for her run and she was a good looking woman and somehow makes it more of a loss.

[Al weyman]

Heres the news link. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-19544273

[Steve91T]

Last year at VIR we were on the North course and NESBA (bikes) were on the south course. They shut down the entire event for a couple of hours to fly a biker out who had crashed. A corner worker later said he wasn't sure if he was going to make it. I ended up selling my motorcycle after that.

We moved to Charlotte in January and just last month I met a neighbor a few houses down. Her husband does track days with NESBA and they were all there on that day. She said that he did in fact die, either at the track, or on the way to the hospital. What's really sad is the guys parents and fiance' were there for the first time watching him.