Tragic Accident at Summit Point

Joe Galyon · Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2001 2:35 pm Post subject: Tragic Accident at Summit Point

Ronnie Jackson passed away Saturday after an accident in his B-stock at Summit Point.

A trust fund has been set up for the three Jackson children at the South Trust Bank, Chalkville Road, Trussville, Alabama.

Visitation will be at the Brown Ridout Funeral Home in Trussville Alabama on U.S. Highway 11 From 5 to 8 PM on Monday.

Funeral Services will be at 2 PM Tuesday at Clearview Baptist Church on Old Springville Road, Birmingham Alabama.

Bill Wharton · Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2001 8:27 am Post subject: Tragic Accident at Summit Point

I'm very sorry for the family and offer my condolences. I'd also prefer to never have to read another post like this again. Does anyone have any specifics so that we can prevent this in the future? Was it a saftey issue at the track and could it have been avoided? If there is something that can be pinpointed, then maybe we can make the tracks that we go to a little safer for everyone.

scott berkheiser · Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2001 9:01 am Post subject: Tragic Accident at Summit Point

He hit an inmovable object at a high rate of speed. There was a gravel trap and some tires before the wall but they didn't seem to make much difference. In my opinion more energy absorbing barriers need to be put in place to slow you down before getting to the wall.

Ronnie was a great racer and more importantly a great person. Anyone that knew him knows what a special person he was.

Scott

[ July 23, 2001: Message edited by: Scott Berkheiser ]

Martin Secrest · Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2001 4:52 pm Post subject: Tragic Accident at Summit Point

Not exactly -- one other karter (Dave Phelps) was killed at that corner in his B Stock in 1995 when he also apparently lost his brakes. More recently, a vintage racer died in his E-type there when he suffered an apparent heart attack and failed to brake at all.

Regardless, there is a runoff road there that should have tiers of hay bales, or some such objects strategically placed to help slow down a kart that is out of control. (There is at least one other spot a Summit Point - turn 5 - where the same thing should be done.) Why hay bales have not been placed at either location is completely beyond me.

Deepest condolences to the family. They must be suffering terribly.

Glenn Holland · Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2001 6:23 pm Post subject: Tragic Accident at Summit Point

Forgive my ignorance - what is "B-Stock" and where exactly is Summit Point?

Thanks,

Glenn

Jonathan Gashel · Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2001 6:33 pm Post subject: Tragic Accident at Summit Point

Glen

A B-Stock is a twin engine Enduro Kart. One Engine on each side most B-Stock drivers I know run Parilla TT75's or PCR PC 93's

Tim Doll · Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2001 8:15 pm Post subject: Tragic Accident at Summit Point

I don't want to sound goulish, but why did he go off there (bear with me, I'm not familar with Summitt Point, although I'm quite familar with B stock (200 Stock in IKF country). Did he loose his brakes or have a similar mechanical problem, driver error, or is the cause unknown? Just trying to learn - I drove a twin engine kart for many years and I had a couple close calls due to brake problems...

Tim

Erik Frank · Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2001 6:46 am Post subject: Tragic Accident at Summit Point

I agree with Tim. Please post more details, if available.

With regards to the statement made that the driver stuck an immovable object, perhaps its should be mentioned that there has been a concerted effort by the motorcycle roadacing community to deploy Air Fences (inflatable barriers) at all motorcycle road racing events, from the professional AMA level down to the regional and club levels.

My question is, why aren't the karting organizations actively exploring more safety measures such as these? Haybales and tire walls are a little antiquated, and gravel traps don't work.

As an example, The CMRA motorcycle club was going to set up these barriers at Texas World Speedway for their races, which took place one week after the SWRA/IKF kart races happened there. CMRA's impetus for deploying these barriers was that a rider was killed at the track during an event in 1999. Yet there we were in 2001 racing karts though that same corner (and going a lot faster though that corner in a kart than on a bike) without the luxury of such protection.

I'd be willing to bet that these air fences are used for motorcycle racing at Summit Point. There is no reason why they couldn't be used just as effectively for karters.

Just a thought.
-erik

[ July 24, 2001: Message edited by: Erik Frank ]

Charlie Fox · Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2001 6:54 am Post subject: Tragic Accident at Summit Point

I think the problem is $$$$$.

Dave Ridenour · Joined: 19 Jul 2001 Posts: 79 Location: Middlebury, Indiana

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Erik Frank:

My question is, why aren't the karting organizations actively exploring more safety measures such as these? Haybales and tire walls are a little antiquated, and gravel traps don't work.

Eric,
South Bend Raceway Park (South Bend, IN) and Michiana Kart Klub have joined together in purchasing crash pillows. They were tested by some local karters by putting the pillows at the end of the straight and had the drivers drive into them at full speed. They worked like a charm, no damage to the kart or driver. They work like a big marshmallow and just swallow you in a comforting pillow. Ask anyone that has had the mis-fortune of wrecking and finding those pillows, they will tell you that they loved them. Since we first started using the pillows we have added them to all the "danger zones" of the track as well as in front of the head flagman.
April Ridenour

Scott Davis · Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2001 9:03 am Post subject: Tragic Accident at Summit Point

Gravel traps do not work when your going that fast. I am sure everyone has seen how many times the heavy and big Indy Cars and F1 cars just drive right through them and get back on the track. I believe the tracks need to look into the "inflatable pillows" or "break-away" walls.

Charlie Fox · Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2001 9:05 am Post subject: Tragic Accident at Summit Point

That is great! If the local clubs can afford to do this for the racers then I wonder why WKA, IKF, ETC can't. I have raced at a couple of tracks that have walls and guard rails and have wondered why something has not been done to take the danger out. With the technology that is out there this should be a top priority. I hope something good comes out of this terrible tragedy not just Ronnie (GOD SPEED) getting killed. WKA should look into doing everything it can to make the tracks and karts safer. We the racers should demand this and I for one will probably not run on a track that a wall or a guard rail has not been protected from us racers. I hope more long track racers stand up and refuse to race at these tracks unless some protection is there. The numbers are dwindling from other things lets not kill us off literally. I know I will be flamed for this response but this is my opinion and I'm entitled.

Erik Frank · Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2001 9:20 am Post subject: Tragic Accident at Summit Point

Just to provide a bit more background, it was John Ulrich of http://www.roadracingworld.com who started a grassroots campaign to get the air fences deployed at tracks around the country for AMA Pro events, as well as some club/regional events (like the forementioned CMRA race at Texas World)

Logistically speaking, I suspect it would be next to impossible to expect a sanctioning body like IKF, WKA, or KART to be able to transport and deploy inflatable barriers at all of their races. However, I definately feel like it would be something that an organization like SKUSA (at the Promoto level) could probably execute. Don't they already have a nice big transporter that shows up to all the Promoto events? Plus, it doesn't take as much air fence to do a shorter sprint syle circuit.

This safety problem is probably biggest at certain roadracing events (enduro events for you oldtimers

) and probably street races.

-erik

[ July 24, 2001: Message edited by: Erik Frank ]

Scott Davis · Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2001 11:02 am Post subject: Tragic Accident at Summit Point

Bernie, if they would raise entry fee prices a lot of people could not race. For those people who run 2,3, or more classes a weekend that would be a fortune!

Erik Frank · Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2001 11:09 am Post subject: Tragic Accident at Summit Point

quote:
Originally posted by Bernie Schatz:
I know this will strike a nerve, but entry fees are much too low for enduro events. The only way to raise the money needed to improve safety is increase entry fees. (snip) Ronnie.

I disagree with this statement. When has raising the entry fees ever been assocated with increasing safety? The whole reason I race karts is because it is the most competitive and fun racing for the buck. Period. By raising costs, you are reducing the bang for my buck. SCCA is a huge bureaucracy, so naturally their entry fees are higher. Plus, you're talking about big cars, with much larger racing expenses.

If proper safety measures like air fence can be implemented at road race events, it could actually lower the insurance premiums paid by the event. Safety devices reduce the chance of injury or death, thereby reducing the insurance costs. This could actually *lower* the total cost of events. I'm sure that would make everyone much happier. Not to mention the cost savings to the racer since there is going to be less damage to a kart impacting a soft wall vs. a concrete one.

Just my opinion.
-erik