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I've been waiting for the weather to clear here in Utah so I could get in some good canyon driving before the snow makes it too hazardous. Saturday, the clouds clear, and I push the happy red button in my Spa and head for the nearest twisty, less frequented canyon I know of.
I end up behind a late 90s naked sportbike right as the road narrows and becomes full of switchbacks. After about 10 minutes of following him, we approach a quick S in the road - a relatively slow and tight right-hander, followed by an even slower lefty. I get into the righty a bit fast, and start to brake just as the biker does the same. I brake a bit harder to keep the distance between us, and the ASXs start to squeel like stuck pigs. The back end starts to come around just as its getting time to take on the lefty, so I correct - a bit much by the photos below - and she swings a full 90 to the left. Within a blink, I'm nearly perpendicular to the road and in the gravel with both rears, heading for the concrete barrier on the right of the corner.
As you can see by the photos that I took after I came back down the canyon to investigate my mistake and learn from it, it's amazing that the only thing that happened to my S is a dirty back right wheel and tire. I must have missed the barrrier by inches, then came to a stop with my front end in the street, and the back in the dirt. Normally the adrenaline would be pumping, but surprisingly I was very calm - I think that was how I kept it out of trouble. I just popped it in first and started after the biker again, who seemed like he hadn't even noticed (no laughing, pointing, etc.).
Anyhow, this really showed me how wrong the wheel/tire combo that the prior owner put on this car is (18X7/225-40/18 all around). I have my stock AP1 rims being powdercoated at the moment, but nearly a moment too late.
I think the S, mostly, saved itself on this one. I've driven a lot of rear-wheel cars, and several sports cars, and this incident would have been the death of many of them. I just love my baby Spa!
Honestly, I would expect that I would have. But, like I mentioned, I didn't even blink once stopped. I just got back on it. I think it was something like, "Dang, this car KNOWS hows to be driven." It didn't feel uncomfortable.
When I got worked up was about 3 hours later at home thinking about what I almost did to my car!
Sorry, Kumho ASXs, and yes, the tires and wheels are not even close to a stock requirement. The prior owner and the local Discount Tire must have rolled a chubby before deciding on them. I'm putting on the original spec S02s once my stock wheels are finished at the powdercoater's.
Originally Posted by zzyzxroad,Oct 8 2006, 07:45 PM
Honestly, I would expect that I would have. But, like I mentioned, I didn't even blink once stopped. I just got back on it. I think it was something like, "Dang, this car KNOWS hows to be driven." It didn't feel uncomfortable.
When I got worked up was about 3 hours later at home thinking about what I almost did to my car!
Thats usually how it works, you start to think about what could have happened after the fact...thats when (and hopefully then rather then during) you freak out about the situtation
Its happened to me a few times
Good to see that you saved it...One less "I totaled my s2000" thread that don't have to read
Close Call in a Canyon
