Oh Noes!!!! Lotus Elise at Road America!!!!
 

Saw this posted on a few on-line boards over the last week. Seems like the driver of an '05 Lotus Elise had a run-in with a barrier wall at a recent Road America track day. Car only had 1300 miles on it. :(

Before:
http://photos.e46fanatics.com/data/500/36955lotus.jpg

After:
http://www.e-owned.com/albums/userpi...1/IMG_0516.JPG

http://howton.net/photogallery/WCBMW...s/DSC_2601.jpg

http://howton.net/photogallery/WCBMW...s/DSC_2603.jpg

-Chike

Wow! poor lotus. Is that a battery dangling out of the rear wheel well?

that will buff right out.

Poor car. Even in that color it's a beautiful machine...

ouch...that had to hurt...
-Bill

You've said that before, can I meet your bodyman? :D

THREE! of these showed up at the May 22nd Mercedes Club auto-X in Winchester, VA. Two of them ran, & both turned in 44 seconds something. A restored '68 Mini-Cooper turned in a 48 something, & I did a 50.788 in the 240SX. But, of course, I was holding back lest I embarrass those of deep pocket fortune.

Ron ( whupped TWO Mercedes vehicles.....uh...both diesels).

What was he doing exactly when he should have been driving?

is he ok. if yes that had to be a fun ride. looks like one of those money>brains/skill situations.

Yeah, the owner walked away from the incident.

-Chike

Think the warrenty will cover that? It was obviously a factory defect.

Why are so many people so critical of crashing while racing? He could very well have been an excellent driver. Isht happens when you push a car to the limit. Any small miscalculation at speed could make that happen.

The poor Lotus! :( :( :( :(

Very true. Not all driver's are as lucky as the one in that Lotus though... :(

This just happened a few days ago at the California Speedway:

http://images.ibsys.com/2005/0602/4562735_480X360.jpg

Two Killed In Crash At California Speedway

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.

http://www.nbc4.tv/news/4562562/detail.html


-Chike :(

This thread...
 

...on the ls1gto.com forum talks about the incident as a member was taking part in the track day as well. His '04 auto GTO hit 110mph at the end of the straight-away while the Carrera GT was consistently hitting 150+ mph.

http://www.ls2gto.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27829

-Chike