Death at NHIS BMW Club race

[snowmanmtl]

last weekend. BMW Tarheel chapter member supposedly hit the wall in turn 2.
http://www.bmwcca.org/members/am/template.cfm?Section=Welcome

http://www.scca-milwaukee.org/RoadRacing/VIDEO_PAGE/Videos/NHIS%20SpecRacer.mpg

http://www.ncr-pca.org/drivers-ed/nhis-map.gif

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?p=5213740

[Emre]

Yes, we've heard the horrible news: Danville Register Article (http://www.registerbee.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=DRB/MGArticle/DRB_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1128767838348)

I saw Lee Friday night and he mentioned that there was a huge crash entering NASCAR turn 1 on Friday. We had no idea it was so serious.

This is the first fatality (or even serious injury) in the history of the BMW CCA. The Boston Chapter has been running schools since the 1960's and the BMW CCA Club Race series has been hosting races since the 1990's. With the huge numbers of people participating plus incredible speeds of modern cars, I suppose this kind of thing becomes almost inevitable.

The Boston Chapter is particularly anal about safety. I guess this goes to show that track events are still a high risk activity...and club racing is even more so. No matter how conscientious the organizers might be, accidents can happen.

Emre

[Lee]

Dave McPherson indeed died in the ambulance on his way to the hospital. He was removed from the wreck in an inconscious state. He had a wife and kids. His memorial will be held on Tuesday evening.

The acciddent happened during the sprint race on Friday afternoon at 4:50PM. I heard a very loud noise but never thought it could lead to a fatality. As Emre said, it is a reminder that we are practicing a dangerous sport and that there is no room for uncontrolled situations.

The causes of NHIS's accident are not yet found and family, as well as BMWCCA Club Racing has asked that speculations have no place. Police have confiscated all in-car videos and have written testimonies from racers. Medias who were aware of the accident were dinied access to the track. All attendees were asked to keep their personal comments to themselve until the source of the accident is offiicially found.

It is the first casualty in ten years of Club Racing and hiope it is the last one. My sincere condoleances to the family and the Club Racing friends.

[blacksheep]

that is tragic

no specualtion on the cause, but was the accident a head-on crash into the wall? I wonder if the fatal injury was to the neck and could have been prevented by the use of a HANS device.

[yield]

Verry sad ! R.I.P

[Emre]

no specualtion on the cause, but was the accident a head-on crash into the wall? I wonder if the fatal injury was to the neck and could have been prevented by the use of a HANS device.No one knows yet. The incident is still under investigation. Joe Marko is promising a formal statement once investigators figure out exactly what happened.

Emre