Death at Driving Experience

[danlb_2000]

and another question to ask is why Walt Disney World has a speedway to begin with especially near the entranceway to the magic kingdom. (how magical)....but that's a topic for another day

Thoughts and prayers to those involved

Sort of an academic question at this point, since that track won't be there much longer.

 

[devoy1701]

And how there hasn't been an OSHA investigation of these dangers before now.

Probably because there hadn't been a death.

 

[Nubs70]

Looking at the news footage it would put the car here..

View attachment 89721

Based on this image and thecounter course direction of travel, could the driver mistakenly have turned towards the infield access road? The CM tried to correct in order to keep from hitting the pond resulting in the spin?

I wonder who the insurance provider is. Did the provider walk the track and make any recommendations?

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

This is such a sad story. My husband was very close to doing this experience on our honeymoon...I'm kind of glad he didn't.

On my local news last night (a Gannett station...not sure if this is how it was reported in other markets), the ticker showed "Disney Ride Death," and it was reported as "Someone died today on a ride at Disney. The Speedway ride...."

I immediately tweeted at them to correct them. Yes, I know it sounds silly to people here who know the parks inside and out, but the average person might think that someone died on an actual "ride" in Walt Disney World and not a third party attraction (I'm specifically thinking of the Tomorrowland Speedway). They didn't even mention "Exotic" or "Richard Petty" - just a "ride at Disney."

Really lazy reporting.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Based on this image and thecounter course direction of travel, could the driver mistakenly have turned towards the infield access road? The CM tried to correct in order to keep from hitting the pond resulting in the spin?

I wonder who the insurance provider is. Did the provider walk the track and make any recommendations?

No idea. It will come out eventually. FHP has video of the entire thing.

 

[nickymous]

I drove with Terry last year in the Ferrari. I asked him why the opposite direction back then. He said the cars will loose control at 75mph on the back side at turn 3. The stretch after the turn (between turn 3 and turn 2) is the fastest for the exotic cars. Reversing direction got you out of the turn allowing you to full throttle the car up to 120 mph range and safely slow down before making your next turn into the road coarse portion of the track. They didn't want folks doing 120mph thinking they were going to go into turn 3 at that speed. The NASCAR's are made to do that. Also, the CM has a throttle control devise that kills the throttle if there is a problem. Wonder what happened there?

 

[flynnibus]

I see detrimental reliance. On the surface, it looks like the instructor felt opposite direction was "safe" and allowed the driver to proceed.

No, the article is a bit sloppy in that respect. The driver was not driving 'the wrong way' - the PROGRAM is setup to drive the 'wrong way' on the track. The driver was doing as the PROGRAM is configured for.. the issue is how the PROGRAM is setup... they configured their running pattern on the wrong way for the track's design.

This is what happens when you retrofit uses onto something designed for something else... they omitted, skipped, whatever you want to say, portions necessary to make driving the clockwise direction on the oval safe.

 

[flynnibus]

I almost wonder if, as the driver accelerated out of the turn, he accidentally hit the paddle shift and downshifted while flooring it causing the loss of control. There was certainly no reason for a lot of steering input at that point.

As you have to keep being corrected... yes there is a reason to lose control on the EXIT of a turn. It's called traction - and 500hp v10s exiting corners at speed can lose it easily.

There may also have been a mechanical failure... such as a tire failure. Still to be released. But given the FHP hasn't stated that yet, and it would be a easy contributor to explain... I doubt they had a blow-out.

 

[flynnibus]

I drove with Terry last year in the Ferrari. I asked him why the opposite direction back then. He said the cars will loose control at 75mph on the back side at turn 3. The stretch after the turn (between turn 3 and turn 2) is the fastest for the exotic cars. Reversing direction got you out of the turn allowing you to full throttle the car up to 120 mph range and safely slow down before making your next turn into the road coarse portion of the track. They didn't want folks doing 120mph thinking they were going to go into turn 3 at that speed. The NASCAR's are made to do that. Also, the CM has a throttle control devise that kills the throttle if there is a problem. Wonder what happened there?

Makes a lot of sense... keeping people out of a dangerous turn. But also saddening they didn't make the investment for the runoff protection for that track layout

 

[Nubs70]

No, the article is a bit sloppy in that respect. The driver was not driving 'the wrong way' - the PROGRAM is setup to drive the 'wrong way' on the track. The driver was doing as the PROGRAM is configured for.. the issue is how the PROGRAM is setup... they configured their running pattern on the wrong way for the track's design.

This is what happens when you retrofit uses onto something designed for something else... they omitted, skipped, whatever you want to say, portions necessary to make driving the clockwise direction on the oval safe.

Just to clarify.

The driver was driving in the direction as instructed.
The direction instructed is in a direction that runs counter to the design of installed safety features.

Is this correct?

 

[flynnibus]

And how there hasn't been an OSHA investigation of these dangers before now.

Track design is not part of OSHA standards - and OSHA doesn't do inspections typically unless there are complaints. There is some overlap here because you have employees in a work situation being asked to drive and so you have general safety concerns... but OSHA isn't in the game of specifying racing standards.

 

[flynnibus]

Just to clarify.

The driver was driving in the direction as instructed.
The direction instructed is in a direction that runs counter to the design of installed safety features.

Is this correct?

Yes

The oval course is designed to be ran in the counter-clockwise direction. This is what the grounds and major track elements were built for. This is the direction the NASCAR driving experience uses and the previous racing uses used.

The road course section is a retrofit they put into the facility to run the Exotic Driving Experience. They put a road course in the infield, and re-purpose part of the oval to complete the loop used by the exotic driving experience. But this portion of the exotic driving experience loop takes you out on the oval in the CLOCKwise direction. You drive halfway around the oval in the clockwise direction and turn back into the infield road course. That's your course all the exotic cars run. The problem is, this layout takes you in the OPPOSITE direction the Oval and the grounds were built for. Hence, the safety concern.

As another poster mentioned, the choice on how they laid it out was to manage the speeds people take the turns at - but obviously they did not retrofit the infield barriers when they made these decisions.

 

[DisneyCane]

As you have to keep being corrected... yes there is a reason to lose control on the EXIT of a turn. It's called traction - and 500hp v10s exiting corners at speed can lose it easily.

There may also have been a mechanical failure... such as a tire failure. Still to be released. But given the FHP hasn't stated that yet, and it would be a easy contributor to explain... I doubt they had a blow-out.

Are you a professional driver and/or do you regularly drive these types of vehicles? You make it sound like it is easy to go out of control in track conditions just by tapping the gas or turning the wheel a little too much.

I am not a professional driver but I have driven exotic cars in an experience, I have done the NASCAR RPDE at 4 different tracks and I drive a light RWD, 430 HP vehicle almost every day. I drive aggressively at times and certainly pushed it on my exotic experience and my RPDE sessions. I have never come close to losing control.

Sure it is possible to lose control (and it obviously happened) but it is not like you are trying to drive a rocket ship on an ice rink.

 

[rangerbob]

I saw it mentioned several times and most of the time pointed to the driver. Yes it may came partly on him but it needs to go further. Depending on how the contract was written with Petty it most likely will fall directly on them and may came back to Disney as well since they own the track.

 

[GrumpyFan]

The good folks over at Jalopnik have weighed in on the "going the wrong way" part of this accident.

Good read, worth the five minutes.

Thanks for sharing that. Definitely worth the time, but that one, plus some of the others linked, made me mad.
Basically, they're saying this might have been preventable, if either the direction of travel was reversed as designed for the track, or if the guardrails had been properly configured to allow either direction of travel.

I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Gary Terry's family sue RPDE & Disney in this. And, if they do, I hope they win. I don't normally advocate those seeking money from Disney or any other company, but IF the facts prove true, there was definitely negligence here. The question will be who's responsible, Disney or Richard Petty or both? I would guess it would be Disney, since they own the track.

It's just sad.

 

[raven]

What's very sad also is that this driver, who was an instructor riding in the passenger seat, was paid only just above minimum wage and wasn't offered health insurance or a pension.

 

[PhotoDave219]

What's very sad also is that this driver, who was an instructor riding in the passenger seat, was paid only just above minimum wage and wasn't offered health insurance or a pension.

I thought everything I read said he was an operations manager there as well.

 

[PhotoDave219]

As you have to keep being corrected... yes there is a reason to lose control on the EXIT of a turn. It's called traction - and 500hp v10s exiting corners at speed can lose it easily.

There may also have been a mechanical failure... such as a tire failure. Still to be released. But given the FHP hasn't stated that yet, and it would be a easy contributor to explain... I doubt they had a blow-out.

Come around that curve & then fishtail, overcorrect, spin.... that would be my guess

 

[GhostHost1000]

wow after reading more details about all of this and seeing how it could have been prevented...(just being intelligent and going the direction the track/walls were designed for) this is not going to be good for Disney

It amazes me though that none of the workers there questioned that as well

I also have to wonder about the safety of these "exotic" cars vs the nascar style cars they once used.

 

[FettFan]

I also have to wonder about the safety of these "exotic" cars vs the nascar style cars they once used.

They're safe enough to pass basic crash tests before being sold in the United States.