Oh yes, more than once.

The last time was over 12 years ago. I was out drinking with a GF. It was a Wednesday at bar-time (and yes I had to work at 8:00am). Unfortunately, we where not just passed the legal limit, but well past it. This is how drunk I was, she asked if she could drive my car and I said "ahh...yeah...sure" . After we got onto the highway she accelerated hard in the middle lane to about 90 mph. There was only one car in the road, in the middle lane ahead of us. I thought to myself (in my best pre-beavis and butthead voice) "ahhh..ahhh...cool...she is going to sweep past it". Right before she was going to rear end the car, I yelled "WATCH THAT F'ING CAR!!!!!!!". She pulled hard on the wheel, too hard. I was staring at her from the passenger seat and time appeared to slow way way down. I saw her face highlighted against the open window as we spun down the highway (she was hotter than I deserve 4x). I saw guardrail, open space, guardrail, open space, guardrail, open space, guardrail. We had come to a stop facing the right way in the left lane (only 3 lanes). She declined to drive on ... NO SHIITE!!!! I think that is the last time I drove drunk. The bitch flat-spotted $700 worth of new tires, at least we didn't hit anything. This is the same woman that a roommate yelled for me to come down from folding my laundry to see the evening news (about 3 years later). You see she had 4 DWIs while we dated. As she ran from the cops on her 5th, she was the first person ever to get the spike strips in Dane county WI (that would be Madison). Incidents like this are while I am 40, single, with no prospects.

Another time on a snowmobile, I was flying at 8:00am through a twisty section of trail in open fields. One trail I had been down many a time and knew my limits. As I was flying through a curve that should have been flat was now off camber because of drifting snow. As I went up on it's left edge, I put all my weight to the right. No good. The front of the snowmobile was in the air. I just knew it was going to start flipping when it landed and I wanted no part of a 500 lb machine bouncing on me, so I let go of the handlebars and slid off the back (was a one seater). I had sooo much time in my mind as this happened, although only took about a second. I slid prone on the trail head first watching in horror as the entrusted machine of my uncle's proceeded to twist and flip several times. I drove it home, patchup the small number of cracked fiberglass sections, bought a new wind-shield for $50 out of my meager $4.25 an hour wages and no one was the wiser. Lesson learned, check the path BEFORE you go hard!

Also experienced the time slow down while I was falling off my off-road motorcycle when I was about 16. My ankle was numb for 2 days.

 

and is EXACTLY the reason why I chose a touring group.

BTW Jonas - good job! The pace was perfect.

The street is just too unpredictable, I much prefer to get my speed fix at the track where the line is known and no one is coming in the other direction - AND you can push the car MUCH more than I would dare on the street....a winner both ways.

 

This is exactly why FC has turned to track events. It is just safer for all. Next year there will only be "Touring" group drives. You really can't see the Fall Colors at speed.

Actual the title of this thread should be, how safe the track are for all. Because a number of other cars had off track trips. Many of them just pitted and went right back out with nothing more then mud on the fenders.

Even GranyRod got her track fix.

 

with you 100% and I think making the FC drives next year "Touring" only is the SMARTEST thing to do...

Kudos to the organizers...

 

Sespended time does exist! 50 miles per hour on my bike, coming up to an intersection, I had the green, there was a car stopped and no other traffic around. The car pulls out in front of me at the last second! To this day I can shut my eyes and hear myself scream in my mind (not out loud, there was not enough time to say it), "this is going to f----ing hurt!" I looke at the side of the car and aimed where I wanted to plant my front wheel and in the last moment, jumped off the foot pegs over the fairing. I never had time to touch the brakes. A series of somersaults in the air wondering if I was hurt yet and how much it was going to hurt on the landing. I walked away with no injuries! That amazed me but to this day, what amazes me more is how slow everything happened after I knew I was going to hit her. I had never experienced "suspended time" until then and it really is hard to explain to someone just what seems to happen.

 

You're mind is thinking so fast that time seems to slow down.

Just happened to me at the last DBR and I got it on film.

Almost lost it on one of the turns, seemed like it took 5 to 6 seconds to get the car under control. When in reality it only took maybe 1.5 seconds. So many thoughts are being processed at that moment that time seems to slow down.

 

Looks like the best way to experience suspended time is to climb on a motorcycle.

I used to come flying off my dirt bike quite often and about half the time, time slowed down. It's really kind of euphoric. Or maybe the euphoria sets in when you realize you're still amongst the living.

Glad to hear you're OK Skip. And I wholeheartedly agree about group drives. Top down, tunes up, and relax. Everyone gets out alive.