Sunday, July 17, 2005.
Road America, Brian Redman International Challenge.
Wisconsin.
My son and I took time out of a busy schedule to take the two hour drive north of Milwaukee to watch the classics race. It was our first time up the Road America track and we were excited to be able to see the old Cameros Mustangs, Corvettes , and others run. We arrived just as the first race ended, so we had time to tour the paddock area, see the cars up close, and meet some of the owner/drivers. We heard the announcer calling the GTO group to the start so we were hurrying to cross under the track and over to turn 5 to watch the old iron make the turn. The pace car had pulled into the pits and the racers were just crossing the Starting line when a "WHAM" sounded and I glanced over to see a tire careening across the retaining wall and into the pit lane. A split-second later, a Corvette slams into the car ahead of it. The a Mustang hits the Corvette. Within seconds, car after car enters the pile. One car seems to climb the wall and narrowly misses flipping into the pit lane. It is total carnage.
It's reported that no one is seriously injured in the crash.
UPLOADED:(9/17) Photos to FLICKR.
Later, we watch vintage Porsche's, MG's, 'Vettes, F1 cars, and more, race. From Turn 5 we watch cars slip, slide and spin... then recover and continue. lt is exciting and fun. The son has had an enjoyable time and I have had a chance to relax.
While it was sad to see so many vintage cars get demolished, it was good that no one was seriously hurt. And as such, it was a great day.
Here are more pictures taken by others at the BRIC.
And here is a forum that has some additional detail....
(added 9/12/05):
I understand there were a total of 17 cars damaged. While standing under the driver's tent immediately after the race, I overheard a wife of one of the drivers say "Thank god, cars can be replaced... people can't." A driver (her husband, perhaps) replied "Yes. But there are cars out there that cannot be replaced..."
Car & Driver, October, 2005 edition, has a 3/4 page spread about the crash. Interested in how much some of the vintage racers costs, they ran some of the numbers...
'64 Corvette convertible $78 - $88K
'67 Camaro $60 - $72K
'65 Corvette $82 - $94K
'66 Corvette $84 - $91K
'69 Corvette $62 - $74K
'69 Trans Am $80 - 90K
Cobra $250,000
'70 Mustang Boss 302 $74 - 89K
They estimate a total of maybe $2 million in damage.
