NuncoStr8

Well, it seems like a number of people have said that in their experience, 148 mph through that section is way too fast. And we have a guy crashing on video. So I'd say 148 looks like way too fast in that section, at least in a Subaru without a wing

I can imagine that the sudden loss of the wing would let the car accelerate a bit faster than before, so it's possible the driver just gained speed a lot quicker than they expected.

ericbarber

yikes thats rough

silvergdb

damm crazy

BPUKiller

Letting go of the steering wheel is pretty important once you know you're gonna wreak. I messed up my wrist for over a year because I tensed up and grabbed the wheel during a crash.

s2kpdx01

Depending on the kind of wing he had he could of been making massive downforce and when it let go he couldn't make the turn. 148 is too fast doesn't make much sense when we don't know anything about the HP or downforce the car makes, imo.

He tops out in 5th which he says is 141 so maybe someone with an STI can comment on that. He's into 6th for a bit so 148 seems about right. It's very likely that with his wing he would of made it through. I would guess this wasn't his first time driving on this track....

My guess is he lost the wing and didn't realize it and tried to take those turns at the speeds he normally does. That seems most likely.

MBHs2k

damn it seemed the car landed pretty softly considering the speed he was going at. he also seemed so calm must have been a veteran. Thank god he was ok

TubeDriver

Phil's car puts out almost 600HP and the wing was a GTC-300 that was modded to raise it up above the rougher air. Cage was a crappy autopower. Subaru Impreza have really beefy side rails and A-frames.

NuncoStr8

If he had his foot to the floor all during the time the wing flew off, he was going faster at the bend than he normally would. Because an effective wing causes drag. And at those speeds the impact of drag is quite significant. Full throttle - "normal drag" = higher speed in a given distance.

Yes, the wing would have helped keep the car in line. He didn't have the wing but was still flogging the car up the hill because I'm sure he didn't realize the wing was gone yet.

My guess from watching the video is that he knows the track pretty well, but when you hit a spot going far faster than you normally do, things can quickly get out of control, as shown in the video.

We don't know if the speeds shown in the video come from the ECU, his memory of the crash, or what he normally runs that section at. But regardless, he's going to be going faster at that point without the wing than he would be with it. And without the wing, well, we see what happens. He shifts to 6th, then promptly wrecks after trying to kick the rear to the right with two flicks of the wheel to the left. He was trying to induce a slide, but the extent of lost traction ruined him.

No matter, the guy's wing broke off and he wrecked as a result. If he had been aware of what happened and slowed down, there would have been less drama. But there was only ten seconds between the wing going and his wreck. That's not a lot of time at 100+ mph on a road course. Basically proof as to why racing is dangerous even when you are being careful - things happen.

QUIKAG

I didn't realize 10 seconds goes by faster at 100+mph than it does 10mph. I thought 10 seconds was 10 seconds.

Either way, Phil didn't know the wing was gone and due to the possible increased speed (less drag) and reduced traction (less drag), he crashed. Glad he's okay.