From: Ardalan=Sadeghi%System%Co_LAN@deskpro.compt.pitt.edu
Newsgroups: rec.autos.sport
Subject: Racers vs Race Fans (part 2)
Date: 20 Jan 93 16:47:23 GMT
Organization: The Ohio State University Department of Computer and Information Science

Part two the Sunday Drive...

Sunday our race was to be the first as we rushed to get the karts
ready.  I missed the first practice session.  Because of problems
with the DAP engine we decided to use the good ol' Yamaha KTS100,
figuring we weren't running for the championship :), might as well
try and have some fun.  The second session was somewhat short, but
was ok.  So came the start of the second race.  You get your kart
started, your heart is double pumping and you are anxiously
awaiting the drop of the flag.  Even though I had a good jump ;-)
at the start, with the wrong gear ratio, it was only a matter of
time before most of the pack got by in a hurray (bye).   Even
though, I was able to pick up a good bit of speed by the time I was
hitting the end of straights, coming out of turns was a DOG!
As the race progressed things started getting better and I was able
to catch some back markers and pull away (Woo)!  This was actually
getting to be very exciting, until....  It was about 20 min into
the race (out of the 30min), when my throttle foot figured it wants
to keep it to the floor through as many turns as possible, in order
to gain on some of the karts that were now on visual site.  So we
went through turns 1,...keyhole...the Ss, sliding through and using
the whole road and here comes turn 11(?).  This is where they lay
hay stacks to keep us off the guard rails.  As I was cresting the
back of the hill, then top of the hill, and then coming down on the
other side, the kart started drifting left closer and closer to the
hay, till I got to the loose stuff!  Some minor steering input was
enough to keep the kart straight but not to keep it from drifting
closer and closer to the hay stack.  Next I felt a hard impact. 
Unfortunately with all the rain the night before, the hey stacks
were quite heavy and didn't move, but I did!  (the left front tire
just caught piece of the hey stack) The impact was hard enough to
get the kart up ended?  Next thing you know, I was looking down on
the hey (OOoopss)!  And the thought went through my mind 'Oh boy
this gona be fun'!  As the kart rolled from end-to-end a couple of
times, it crossed over the hey and got into a barrel roll from
side-to-side, I got a glimpse of the trees on the side of the track
just as the kart came down on its side.  It felt like some one
hitting my head with a sledge hammer as I heard the BIG bang.  That
got me loose enough that my body finally decided to depart from the
kart and started sliding down the road.  Next I remember drifting
down the sand traps face down.  After a few seconds I rolled over,
got up and waived to the corner worker who was frantically waiving
the yellow flag and gave him the thumbs up.  But after a couple of
steps my body decided it was not quite up to walking away and it
just landed itself back down.
Naturally the race was a red flag  and the ambulance was on the
way.  In the mean time here shows up my teammate.  His motor had
cooked up a few laps earlier and he was sitting by the corner
worker watching the flip-flop!  This is what you call a teammate,
always near when you need him.
The ambulance ride went by very quick.  Even though the ambulance
crew promised good looking nurses at the hospital, but  no such
luck once we got there.  However, the doctor who was working on me
had apparently worked on few of well known drivers including Danny
Sullivan (here is my claim to fame!).  Any ways, the damage
amounted to a separated right shoulder and a sprained left ankle,
not to mention the road rash and the bruises.  Other than that, I
was all in one piece.   By Thurs. of that week I was able to get
back to work.  Although as a former triathlete and swimmer, I
haven't been able to do much since, but I am hoping to get back
into a full schedule of work outs in the next week or two.
And for the poor old yeller (the emmick), the side pots took most
of the impact as they were on my laps practically.  Ironically
after the accident the kart was still running and was slowly
rolling by the side of the road.  The Yamaha didn't even have a
scratch.  The kart for the most part 'looked' ok!
Well we sure had our season ended with a BANG.  And for the next
season, my teammate has got a F440 (the big go-Kart) and he will be
racing the SCCA's Steel Cities and other close by events.  And I'll
be running a 125cc shifter kart.  And you can bet I'll be back to
Mid-Ohio this summer.  At least to set the record straight with the
track or better yet set my driving straight!  :)

So best wishes for a successful and happy racing season for all you
racers and race fans.  Hope to see some of you on the race tracks
around the N.E. US.

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