And '86 Indy winner and Jaguar F1 team leader. Yes, we were at high school together, though I doubt he would remember me. We were just 16 year old high school kids then, trying out another kid’s 100-6. He was charging up a hill, double clutched into first, and I realized what he had done and asked him to show me again.
Rob:
If memory serves Rahal’s dad raced a D-type at one point, although that would have had synchro on first.
Chris.
I remember once seeing a Porsche 904 zooming along Crescent Boulevard and somebody said there goes Rahal.
zoom zoom…there goes Roger Rodas, (with passenger Paul Walker.)…in a Porsche Carrera GT. Things happen quickly at speed. The cause will never be known…
Nick
No… the cause is known… it was excessive speed on old tires.
As an aside, and related to this thread, the Porsche they were driving was ex- Graham Rahal.
maybe…speed has been disputed…widow sued Porsche, did a dog run out, a drunk stumble into the road…a bee sting on the drivers face…or to keep with this thread topic…a missed gear shift??? or size EEEE shoes, …anyway…as you know…I say no tires beyond 6-8 years…unless 25mph top limit.
Nick
We agree, but I’d be pretty chary to go 25 on them!
I’ve seen what happens when a tire unexpectedly comes apart… even at low speed, it ain’t pretty.
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One does not travel that far, nor do that much damage to a car if speed is not involved: the official autopsy report cited speed, and given the extent of the damage on the car completely consistent with excessive speed.
Given the yahooism of the two drivers of it, I don’t doubt it.
Unrelated to gear-shifting, but by pure association: Shortly after getting my driving license, aged 19 with Mother driving back from Barcelona to Tarragona, in Spain on the A7 a tire blew (really disintegrated) on our XJ-SC at close to 160 Km/h (95mph). Pirelli P4000, two or three years old.
I am convinced it had a leak… I was amazed (front right tire) how the car “softly” landed on the wheel and without touching the brakes we came to a stop.
Since then I am very very careful with tires and never ever attempt high speeds without a previous proper pressure check.
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Many years ago , on the M25 , traveling at 45mph in a 20 ton mobile crane , I had a front tyre explode . Let me tell you , that thing took some controlling.
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The early Jag was not the only car that benefited from the second gear way station. Our 1953 Bentley is the same. Drop into second then first. Smooth.
1935 Rolls-Royce PIII, and every manual American car from the 30s to the mid-60s.
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Yes no problem to guys of our vintage.
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*HEY!!!
I resemble that comment…
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No resentment from me. 