Pukekohe Off's

[Kiwi XTR2]

For those who know the track, how hard would you need to be trying to go off here ?

[RENN68]

quite common to end up here following a good spin. Technique is not difficult to master and some are naturals at it

Edited by RENN68 on Thursday 4th June 21:50

[Esprit]

Is that the kink on the back straight?

[RENN68]

infield after hairpin by the looks

Edited by RENN68 on Thursday 4th June 22:06

[Esprit]

Aah ok... I see, it's after the first corner after the hairpin.... yeah not familiar with many people going off there at all... apart from Cam Hardy whose car was on fire at the time....

[RENN68]

I thought Cam ended up on the outside of the corner - and he had some assistance.

This type of 'off' is usually the result of chucking the car into the hairpin too hot and too early and then gassing it up too soon.

Pro's will often turn into the spin if they can't catch it and keep it on the track.

[Esprit]

Hmm, but if this is where I think it is, this is a fair way on from the hairpin. The car in the distant background of this photo (as I see it) is braking into the hairpin. The Civic is well past the hairpin, through the next (very gentle) left hander and seems to have lost it onto the INSIDE of this corner... most offs at this corner are outwards into the pit wall near the pit entrance.... that's how I interpreted it anyway

[RENN68]

If that is in the entering the valley of death then yup, you'd be needing some mad skillz to do that by yourself

[Omerta]

Judging by the quantity and height of the debris, and proximity of the barrier, I assume this is about to end very badly for him?

[Kiwi XTR2]

Omerta said:

Judging by the quantity and height of the debris, and proximity of the barrier, I assume this is about to end very badly for him?

It certainly does look like a "what happened next" photo

Guessing you'd need to clip a ripple-strip badly or something to do that ??

[Jem Thompson]

If you get into a fishtail and fail to control it, I beleive the moment of impact (or at least a spin) can be a fair way from the apex/exit/entry of the corner. Still, this guy must have done something pretty ham-fisted to get a Civic out of shape there.

[GravelBen]

Looks like a 'clench' moment all right!

At a complete guess I'd think maybe he/she dropped the rear right wheel onto the grass on the outside of the corner, had a panic lift which sent the car right round and backwards across the track to where it is there? Just looking at the attitude of the car and where the marks first lead onto the grass in the top left of the photo.

Having only been to Puke' once I can't really recall the shape of the other side of the track and pit entrance there...off to google earth

ETA: Looking at the aerial photo its possible, or perhaps someone braked before pit entry and caught them by surprise, causing a sudden lift/jab at the brakes just on turn-in...

Edited by GravelBen on Friday 5th June 07:14

[Jem Thompson]

Why was this photo not taken a second later??

[Fraster]

I'm no expert (need I say?) but I only see 2, inline tracks to the left which would tend to indicate a straight (understeer) off into the barrier followed by buoncy, roundy-roundy stuff (as we say in the trade)

[Fraster]

oops, no, he went off backwards didn't he....?

[Murdock]

Speaking of 'Pukekohe Offs', has anyone here had any near misses / close shaves / shaving cuts there? Towards the tail end of last year I managed to lose it on the entry into Castrol. Bit of a (admittedly idiotic on my part) lift-off oversteer moment in the wet, which I managed to catch, briefly, before sliding sideways into the tyres. Very low speed impact, with the only real damage being done to my pride as opposed to my pride and joy.

[Kiwi XTR2]

I had a spin off on the second corner on my first ever Pukekohe lap in the XTR2 100% rear bias can do that to you

There's some video around of a big accident at Jennian that Ian, Richard, Dean and I all managed to miss by various margins. Don't think Geroge was out in that session ??

I haven't done a trackday at Pukekohe since and would rather travel down to Taupo (or Hampton Downs if it gets finished sometime before I'm a pensioner)

[Esprit]

Kiwi XTR2 said:

There's some video around of a big accident at Jennian that Ian, Richard, Dean and I all managed to miss by various margins. Don't think Geroge was out in that session ??

Nope, I'd called it a day by then as I had some sideways ripple-strip action carve a chunk out of one of my rims... that's the only damage I've suffered at Pukie... Had another moment when I got on the marbles between the esses and castrol and ended up taking to the grass, but managed to pull it up well before the armco.... There are plenty of Elises that have ended up in the wall at some point or another... I think Rhys has clouted the barriers at least twice (on separate occasions) coming over the hill.

[Kiwi XTR2]

Kiwi XTR2 said:

I had a spin off on the second corner on my first ever Pukekohe lap in the XTR2 100% rear bias can do that to you

There's some video around of a big accident at Jennian that Ian, Richard, Dean and I all managed to miss by various margins. Don't think Geroge was out in that session ??

I haven't done a trackday at Pukekohe since and would rather travel down to Taupo (or Hampton Downs if it gets finished sometime before I'm a pensioner)

Here 'tis

Pukekohe Crash 22-01-2007

[iwilson]

Acutally it's not as hard as you think to chuck it at that point in the track. I used to get a real wriggle on going through that little left hander after the hair pin. Just something about it that didn't agree with the geo setup on my car at the time.