My first crash

[germjames]

I found out the hard way about lift off oversteer!

Went for a drive with a mate and he assured me he'd found a brilliant road in his scooby last week. It was a fairly epic road, lot's of fast sweeping corners, some tighter sections and a few straight bits.

I was coming into a corner at about 70-80 i'm not too sure, it started to tighten so I slowed down a bit before hand and dropped down a gear to power out. Turn in was fine and i didn't really touch any contolls or adjust my line or anything. All of a sudden the back end starts to drift out left, I steered into it and for one delicious moment i was powersliding after a fashion. I know i'm meant to floor it and try and pull myself out, but to be honest once the front started to drfit as well i thought sod this and started to brake. It then span 180 and slid across both lanes backwards at about 50 (thankfully the camber took me across the road) and i ended up backwards through a hedge, up a bank.

Have to be honest, looked at my friend who'd turned green, burst out laughing and asked if i could do it again. I know I shouldn't have enjoyed it, but it but I did.

Thankfully i was in the middle of nowhere, nobody saw, nobody was coming and other than ripping of the black plastic under the front bumper, and some scratches and stuff the car seems fine

I'm choosing to use it as a learning experience about entry speed and how crap my rear tires are. Could have been a lot worse on a busy road(althoug i wouldn't drive so quick if it was busy) , Or god forbid if I'd hit a tree or gone off the other side into a stone wall.

Shopping list - 2 new tires.

James

 

[gaz_5103]

haha legend.

 

[Olliec]

Lesson learnt mate, thats the main thing!

 

[Tom@JMS]

Sounds like you were lucky fella!

I had a moment like this a few months back; no matter how many times you watch Plato pinning the throttle in his front wheel drive Chevrolet at brands and think too yourself that's how too do it - instinct will take over and you lift off, worsening the situation!

 

[@Spoonie]

Could have summed the thread up as you were driving beyond your capabilities and lost it.

 

[.J.a.m.e.s.]

id of gone for a 2nd attempt but then again im ginger so dont have much to live 4 anyway....

 

[Keano]

you have to learn somehwere!

I drive alot more carefully after my first bang. Glad you are alright

 

[germjames]

Yeh pretty much. Lesson learned, I've not been driving long either.

In my defence I think better rear tires, more experience and not lifting off mid corner would help

Or failing that a scooby or evo. My mate insisted his car would have sorted itself out without too mcuh drama.

 

[Gally]

Had to put the foot down a few times to keep it in shape but I learned earlier as a 17 yo.
Just gota tell yourself more throttle should pull you out, no matter how much temptation there is to lift of or press the brake!

 

[BenG]

Quality ! I remember the day I went backwards into a hedge...

Bent both struts, looked like I was running -30 degree camber afterwards.
you got away lightly. Lesson learned thats the main thing.

I blamed the tyres too !

 

[@Spoonie]

you have to learn somehwere!

Learn on a f**king race track not public roads. Would have been a different story if someone was coming the other way.

 

[Munson]

If you're already going way too fast to make the apex, pushing on isn't all that likely to save you IMO, as you'll just understeer wide and then have to back off again. If you enter the corner way too fast, you're coming off the road.

IMO.

 

[Ronnie R]

Learn on a f**king race track not public roads. Would have been a different story if someone was coming the other way.

Always one but i agree - makes 2

 

[nicknick]

My first (and only) crash was lift off over steer at 17. Blatantly due to inexperience!

You've just gotta keep your foot on the loud pedal!

 

[germjames]

For the record I'm not suggesting I'm proud of myself. But I'd be lying if i didn't say it was a big rush also.

I'll not be getting that out of shape again, learned my lesson relatively consequnce free. What doesn't kill you and all that.

I'm not a particularly irresponsible person usually let's call it youthful exuberance.

Appreciate the feedback.

 

[Barron]

i learnt this at Croft, 90mph backwards into a farmers field lol

luckily no damage and i think i have learnt from it, i hope

carl

 

[Beef-Mc]

Lesson learnt and there's no damage to anyone, thats the mian thing.

50-60 round that corner next time me thinks

 

[ForceIndia]

Some great roads near Cheltenham. Lucky escape!

 

[MarcoB]

I did this without a crash I went round a sharp left hander on a single track road in the wet 30 mph, really swung the car round and the back end stepped out but there was no progression just like my entrance it was quick( for the road) and it nearly put me off the road. In the wet im used to some progressive slide and in the dry only understeer so the back end having a play felt weird. Lesson learnt by me : paradas that need changing + wet road + being a dick head is an accident waiting to happen.

 

[J4mes]

Very lucky! could of been alot worse

where about was this?

 

[Leeshez]

Lucky indeed.

 

[Aluco]

Sounds fun.

 

[germjames]

not sure on the road exactly. We were driving back from Tewksbury, although the long way on a road my friend directed me onto. I can ask him later. Although, I,d suggest even though most people on here are more experienced than me, take that corner easy .

 

[Marky_]

Sounds like you should save it for track days tbh.

 

[iimushroomzii]

Lucky. Very.

 

[andyhunt]

My first and only was on black ice, came round a blind bend and landed on it about 40mph on a country road, spun it 360 and went through a fence, did an awful lot of paint damage on the barb wire, was a horrible experience. More annoyed as I normally go quicker through there and know the road like the back of my hand.

 

[Brett]

Lesson learnt. Hopefully it won't happen again.

 

[Snakey]

The black plastic under the bumber? You mean the splitter

 

[zark]

and you mean bumper?

 

[Riley!]

very lucky escape

 

[germjames]

Not sure what came off is called. More like just a cover for the bottom of the engine bay. Glad i hadn't bought one of those carbon splitters yet. It's just whatever is around where the standard air feed intakes under the engine. It does seem to have come off where a splitter would attach under the bumper in part, but go further back. I'll just ask at GDI when i get my brakes done.

 

[172head]

Google earth of this Road so i can have a go!!

 

[Chris n nic]

Lucky escape fella...sounds like the same thing as what happened with that integra but he fucked up a motorbike rider for life...just shows the fine line between a tale to tell and doing some time in jail

Chris

 

[ChrisD172]

You got off light there, could have been much worse but notch it up as experience and move on

 

[Jay Payne]

Weve all done it when we were younger but make sure this is the first and last time. Next time there maybe something coming the otherway
For £100 or so you could do a track day and not endanger yourself and others, learn something about how to handle the car and ultimatley make your self a better/safer drver

Just my 2p

 

[Barron]

Weve all done it when we were younger but make sure this is the first and last time. Next time there maybe something coming the otherway
For £100 or so you could do a track day and not endanger yourself and others, learn something about how to handle the car and ultimatley make your self a better/safer drver

Just my 2p

totally agree.

driving on track makes you realise just how fine that line is between on the limit and crashing.

 

[germjames]

Well I'll be at the rolling road at powerstation on saturday so I'll have opportunity to ask some other members about a track day then. Sounds fun to me.

 

[portland]

Yay, you live over a hundred miles from me - colour me slightly less likely to be taken out by you.

 

[germjames]

LOL

Thanks very much.

I'll take it easy for a while anyway.

 

[Jay Payne]

Well I'll be at the rolling road at powerstation on saturday so I'll have opportunity to ask some other members about a track day then. Sounds fun to me.

Ask away mate, if im not too busy organising everything