Please Shead Some Tears
06-03-2005, 06:46 PM
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Two La Jolla men were killed Thursday while racing in a Porsche going more than 100 mph.
The 2005 Porsche Carrera GT that Benjamin Keaton, 39, and his passenger, Corey Nicholar, 34, were riding in crashed at the California Speedway racetrack in the city of Fontana at about 10:30 a.m.
The San Bernardino Sheriff's Department said Keaton and Nicholar were killed when their car left the track, slammed into a barrier and caught fire.
The San Bernardino Coroner's officials told the "Los Angeles Times" that the men had been traveling at more than 100 mph when the crash occurred.
Rudi died at the scene, but Keaton lived long enough to be taken to a nearby hospital by air ambulance. He died soon after.
The 2005 Porsche Carrera GT that Benjamin Keaton, 39, and his passenger, Corey Nicholar, 34, were riding in crashed at the California Speedway racetrack in the city of Fontana at about 10:30 a.m.
The San Bernardino Sheriff's Department said Keaton and Nicholar were killed when their car left the track, slammed into a barrier and caught fire.
The San Bernardino Coroner's officials told the "Los Angeles Times" that the men had been traveling at more than 100 mph when the crash occurred.
Rudi died at the scene, but Keaton lived long enough to be taken to a nearby hospital by air ambulance. He died soon after.
06-03-2005, 06:47 PM
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The track was being rented by the San Diego chapter of the Ferrari Owners Club.
The men's deaths were the fourth and fifth fatalities at the speedway since it opened in 1997.
06-03-2005, 06:48 PM
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Two Killed In Crash At California Speedway
POSTED: 3:23 pm PDT June 2, 2005
UPDATED: 11:05 am PDT June 3, 2005
FONTANA, Calif. -- Two San Diego County men were killed when their Porsche crashed and burned at the California Speedway, authorities said.
The 2005 Porsche Carrera GT went out of control, left the inside track and careened onto the grass, hit a barrier and caught fire at 10:40 a.m. Thursday, San Bernardino County officials said.
The passenger, Corey Nicholas Rudl, 34, died at the scene. The driver, Benjamin Miles Keaton, 39, was airlifted to Loma Linda University Hospital, where he died about an hour later, according to the county coroner's office.
The La Jolla men were not burned but died of crash injuries, Supervising Deputy Coroner Randy Emon said.
Both men were wearing helmets and safety belts but the car was doing more than 100 mph when it crashed, authorities said.
"The driver's side was in good shape, but the passenger side was obliterated," Emon said.
The accident occurred while the track was being rented by the San Diego chapter of the Ferrari Owners Club, speedway spokesman Dennis Bickmeier said.
Clubs commonly use the speedway when professional races aren't going on, he said.
The men are the fourth and fifth fatalities at California Speedway since it opened in 1997.
Fontana is 55 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.
POSTED: 3:23 pm PDT June 2, 2005
UPDATED: 11:05 am PDT June 3, 2005
FONTANA, Calif. -- Two San Diego County men were killed when their Porsche crashed and burned at the California Speedway, authorities said.
The 2005 Porsche Carrera GT went out of control, left the inside track and careened onto the grass, hit a barrier and caught fire at 10:40 a.m. Thursday, San Bernardino County officials said.
The passenger, Corey Nicholas Rudl, 34, died at the scene. The driver, Benjamin Miles Keaton, 39, was airlifted to Loma Linda University Hospital, where he died about an hour later, according to the county coroner's office.
The La Jolla men were not burned but died of crash injuries, Supervising Deputy Coroner Randy Emon said.
Both men were wearing helmets and safety belts but the car was doing more than 100 mph when it crashed, authorities said.
"The driver's side was in good shape, but the passenger side was obliterated," Emon said.
The accident occurred while the track was being rented by the San Diego chapter of the Ferrari Owners Club, speedway spokesman Dennis Bickmeier said.
Clubs commonly use the speedway when professional races aren't going on, he said.
The men are the fourth and fifth fatalities at California Speedway since it opened in 1997.
Fontana is 55 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.
06-03-2005, 06:50 PM
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06-03-2005, 09:09 PM
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as I know Porsche goes to great lengths to insure passenger safety (especially in their supercar) I would think that they were going WAY over 100mph when they hit that barrier.
I do feel sorry for them, I really do. I feel more sorry for their families. But that is a classic case of running out of talent in a car too powerful for you.
I do feel sorry for them, I really do. I feel more sorry for their families. But that is a classic case of running out of talent in a car too powerful for you.
06-04-2005, 12:54 AM
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It was a combination of errors, as most fatal accidents are.
Here's the scoupe as far as I've been able to peice it together from talking to people and reading websites/forums.
The Carrera GT was gaining fast after a F430. They were approaching the pit exit (exit from pit onto track), but were far enough away (2 corners) that the flagman at the pit exit signaled a Ferrari Challenge Stradale out onto the track. The Driver of the Stradale hesiated (by some accounts between 2 and 8 seconds). By the time the driver of the Stradale finally decided to enter the track, the Flagman was waving STOP/STAY, but the Stradale driver entered the track anyway, assuming the "STO/STAY" was for the guy behind him. The Stradale driver also errored by not keeping to the track edge as he entered the main part of the track. He promptly went to the middle of the track even though he was not up to speed.
As they F430 and the GT rounded the last corner (in that order), the Carrerra GT challenged the F430 and tried to pass down the long straight. (F430 driver claimed to be going 150 when he was passed), the pass was mostly completed as the Stradale entered the track and went to the middle of the track. The driver of the Carrera GT tried to move to the far edge of the track to pass the much slower Stradale that was still not up to speed (the F430 was on the inside).
In other words, the Carerra GT had litterally no where to go but to the outside and onto the grass...
Blame the car.
Blame the Pit flagman
Blame the driver of the Stradale
Heck, blame the F430 driver for not moving over/slowing down to allow the Carerra GT to pass before or after the corner. He KNEW the Carerra GT was faster.
But don't blame the driver (or the passenger) of the Carerra GT They were simply in the wrong place, at the wrong time.
Could a better driver have come out of this and only needed a change of underwear and a new swear word dictionary after talking to the flagman and driver of the Stradale? Maybe. But we'll never know. Let me say that again. We'll never know.
He was driving on a closed course, with full team of racetrack workers that he counted on to keep the track clean, safe, and clear/free of slower moving cars. He also counted on his fellow drivers to keep things clean and safe. Of all the guys to blame, I blame the driver of the Carerra GT last.
Here's the scoupe as far as I've been able to peice it together from talking to people and reading websites/forums.
The Carrera GT was gaining fast after a F430. They were approaching the pit exit (exit from pit onto track), but were far enough away (2 corners) that the flagman at the pit exit signaled a Ferrari Challenge Stradale out onto the track. The Driver of the Stradale hesiated (by some accounts between 2 and 8 seconds). By the time the driver of the Stradale finally decided to enter the track, the Flagman was waving STOP/STAY, but the Stradale driver entered the track anyway, assuming the "STO/STAY" was for the guy behind him. The Stradale driver also errored by not keeping to the track edge as he entered the main part of the track. He promptly went to the middle of the track even though he was not up to speed.
As they F430 and the GT rounded the last corner (in that order), the Carrerra GT challenged the F430 and tried to pass down the long straight. (F430 driver claimed to be going 150 when he was passed), the pass was mostly completed as the Stradale entered the track and went to the middle of the track. The driver of the Carrera GT tried to move to the far edge of the track to pass the much slower Stradale that was still not up to speed (the F430 was on the inside).
In other words, the Carerra GT had litterally no where to go but to the outside and onto the grass...
Blame the car.
Blame the Pit flagman
Blame the driver of the Stradale
Heck, blame the F430 driver for not moving over/slowing down to allow the Carerra GT to pass before or after the corner. He KNEW the Carerra GT was faster.
But don't blame the driver (or the passenger) of the Carerra GT They were simply in the wrong place, at the wrong time.
Could a better driver have come out of this and only needed a change of underwear and a new swear word dictionary after talking to the flagman and driver of the Stradale? Maybe. But we'll never know. Let me say that again. We'll never know.
He was driving on a closed course, with full team of racetrack workers that he counted on to keep the track clean, safe, and clear/free of slower moving cars. He also counted on his fellow drivers to keep things clean and safe. Of all the guys to blame, I blame the driver of the Carerra GT last.
06-04-2005, 05:18 AM
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then double ouch.. the real lack of talent was the stradle special driver then.. Racing is a matter of trust. In rallying you have to trust your navigator to give you proper directions. Road racing you need to trust your fellow drivers to have the same level of talent and respect for your car as you have for theirs. Both have to trust their mechanics to keep the car in tip top shape and they have to trust the flagmen and other officials to do their jobs..
why didn't the stadale driver trust the flagman? As for his pulling directly into traffic.. ever watch somebody pull out into the traffic of a two lane road? Even though the law says you have to merge into the lane closest to you, they ALWAYS seem to go to the further lane. Guy must have thought he was driving to the store to get groceries.
And yes, the F430 driver should have given the Carrera right of way, there is that trust thing again.
why didn't the stadale driver trust the flagman? As for his pulling directly into traffic.. ever watch somebody pull out into the traffic of a two lane road? Even though the law says you have to merge into the lane closest to you, they ALWAYS seem to go to the further lane. Guy must have thought he was driving to the store to get groceries.
And yes, the F430 driver should have given the Carrera right of way, there is that trust thing again.