NIRVANA

I got a call from my dad today that some guy (about 30 years old) a few miles from where I live ran into a Honda Element while on his Suzuki crotch rocket racing his buddy who had a Yamaha.

Anyway, they were out on a basically deserted country road and were going at least 130. The lady who was driving the Element was doing her mail route (some of the routes by where I live are rural routes and the carriers use their own vehicles) and she pulled into a driveway to turn back around. Well, she looked and didn't see anything, then started to back out and the guy ran face first into the rear passenger area of her car. According to the police he flew over the top of her car and landed about 50 yards away...obviously he died instantly. His foot was still attached to the bike.

His buddy called the cops and then sat in the road and didn't say a word for like an hour and a half. From the sound of the investigation, it looks like the mail carrier looked and they weren't there and so she began to back out of the driveway legally. They were just going so damn fast it was very likely that when she looked they weren't there, then she backed out and all of a sudden they were. The impact from the bike was so hard that the Element spun 180 degrees...in the air. There were no skid marks at all from the Element so the only explanation was the impact lifted it off the ground and spun it.

I drove down that road a while ago and saw the very long skid mark from the other guy's bike, and I saw the spot where the impact happened. Pretty unbelieveable. I figured I'd throw this story out here because the weather is finally turning nice and we should all remember to use our heads and try to be safe out there.

SouthFL.02.SS

I had a chance to run 2 Z06's this evening (one was blown and sprayed). It was still early (9:30pm) and traffic was still heavy. I pulled out of the lot as they did and we were all heading out the same direction. I could have gotten on the freeway with them on a long, mile long onramp. I chose not to get on the freeway (it would have taken me off my route home anyhow), 'cause I got that gut feeling that I shouldn't. Call me chicken, but something told me not to race this evening.
I've recently done some sanctioned road racing. After having done some real lapping on some famous courses like Sebring and Daytona, the thought of losing my life on the street and/or killing other, innocent people has really weighed heavliy on my shoulders (I'm also gonna be a dad soon).
I know I can't quit streetracing altogehter, it's too tempting. But on a night like tonight, the thought of 3 400+rwhp cars going WOT down 2 lanes with light traffic really frightened the crap out of me.

02PHOENIX

Yeah, always trust the gut instinct.

NIRVANA

Sounds like you made the right decision Carlos. BTW, what are you running in the quarter now since the FAST setup?

quicksilverado

iTrader: (8)

Hearing about something like this kind of puts things in perspective.

urbanhunter44

iTrader: (1)

Wow. This is why I RARELY if EVER street race. And if I do, it's in a WAY DESERTED place, with people watching both ends to make sure that no one gets hurt.

SouthFL.02.SS

No times yet, my car won't pass tech anyhow, so I haven't bothered going recently. All I know is that it used to run high 11's easily in the heat of summer on the old setup with some lazy shifting, and the new setup feels like it's good for some mid/low 11's, from SOTP meter. I've also gotten tons better at shifting over the past few months. I really have no more budget left for clutches and differentials (I've went thru a recent set like a pint of beer at Octoberfest), so no more 5K clutch dumps. The $$$ reality has caught up to me, and whatever $$$ I have now, I'd like to spend on arrive and drive events like Skip Barber and Panoz.
I'm not sad. If anything, I've never been happier, as I no longer care about being faster than others on the street. It's rather refreshing. Doesn't mean I won't bite if a rev is thrown my way anymore, I'm just much more cautious now and I try to envision what things will look like a mile down the road if I commit.
Tonight's race would have had a combined 1200+rwhp storming down a 2 lane at 100+mph very quickly. It's a sobering thought.

Formula-T/A

Thats one reason I gave it up. I have to hear ALOT and I mean ALOT of **** talkin to street race anymore. Storys like this are always sad. So everyone be carefull/trust your gut and use your head.

NIRVANA

Cool! I'd like to eventually end up with a setup very similar to yours...except maybe with an additional 100 shot and without the FAST since it sounds like too much of a hassle. But, I just got married last October and we bought a house a little over a year ago that we've done a lot of work to. So the modding process has been slow-going. Oh well, though, I'd rather have my own house and be married and do mods here and there than still live at home and mod all I want. Freedom is priceless !

SouthFL.02.SS

Amen brother.

ps. The FAST 90/90 and QTP HVM LT's alone were good for 33rwhp over the LS6 and SLP LT's.

NIRVANA

Damn! Well maybe it's worth the hassle then! I was planning to get QTP's with the dual cutout Y pipe. The HVM's are the $1200-$1300 ones right? Maybe by the time I'm ready to do an intake/TB FAST will have fixed their quality problems.

SouthFL.02.SS

I used the TPIS 90mm TB and it works fine (just whistles a little bit). The Nick Williams 90mm TB is also another good TB. The FAST 90mm TB is what's giving all the problems. The intake itself works fine.
And yes, the HVM LT's are the expensive ones. I got them on sale in a GP, but they're worth it IMO.

NIRVANA

Are you using the stock MAF?

SouthFL.02.SS

PACE 85mm MAF

Y2kHawk05

iTrader: (1)

Wow! Is about all I can say for now! Amazing how a few things can completely change our minds & perspective. I'm wondering if my disease (car modifications) is something worth correcting now or not. I find myself wanting more & more. In fact, I am taking my Firehawk to get it tuned this friday, finally. Now I am thinking about an intake, cam & heads, etc. etc. etc. Is it worth it? I think what corrected my street racing (looking for a race every chance I got) to now just occasionally was the Outlaw 10.5 Meltdown event in H-Town. Those are fast cars! Street cars are ok, but race cars are better. If I can somehow figure it out, I will attach a pic from the event.

Very sad story to start the thread.

Congrats Carlos on the news of becoming a Dad.

koolkoreanked

Wow this is the first kill story that actually involved someone dying. Sad story it is.

SmaknaSS

iTrader: (1)

That's all cool, your gut instinct most likely isn’t going to get you killed. Good driver or not, **** happens.

VTC_WS6

iTrader: (9)

I'm sure Carlos is familiar with the Vette incident on 8th street mid last year, the kid who borrowed dad's C5 and never came home.. pretty sobering considering it's all of 1/2 mile from one of the major hangouts in Miami.

NIRVANA

I haven't heard this one. I take it he probably didn't know how to handle a car like that and was acting like an idiot?

VTC_WS6

iTrader: (9)

Something along those lines, ended up nailing a telephone pole on 8th St. at speeds around triple digits. Saw pics of the car, disintergrated, I only knew it was a Vette through the wheels..