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A dry, cold and very windy Prescott, and practice did not go at all well, but luck was certainly on my side this morning, Big Time.
Took the car up the greasy hill, nice and gentle and did a comfortable 52 sec, PB is 46!
Got back into the paddock which is grass on mud and well saturated over night.
The spot for the car is on a steep slope but been there once before, so stopped the car and my Boss put the chock in front of the rear wheel as normal.
Sat in the car to be sure all was well, removed the steering wheel and started to get out of the car, about 80% out and suddenly the car started to run away down the slope, straight at the crowded paddock.....
Slithered 1/2 way back in desperately trying to stop the rolling car, couldn't get to the brake pedal, pushed the gear lever to 1st and hit neutral, through someone's awning and into the main paddock to a large fence with people at it...
Turned the front wheels with my hands on the steering shaft and came to a gentle halt having missed everyone and everything, simply because 5 fellow racers had got hold of the back of the run away car!
What a fright and caused quite a commotion but no body hurt, just my hand and a smashed nose on the car due to the awning leg that pushed out of the way.
The chock had simply sank into the mud and the car rolled over it and off it went. Soooo lucky.
I should have put the car into gear as well as the chock, but didn't, lesson learnt.
Poor wife was blaming herself, but my fault.
However....
If I had later returned to start the engine for the 2nd run the instant the car was out of gear the car would have go off!
Interestingly, one of my class mates in the space next to me moves due to the mud and slipping, and on the other side of me, Allan had his car nearly run off too!
Came home early and made plates, rivets and fibre glass resin to repair the nose moulding on the car, the chassis is ok, and will do a far better repair next week.
Not a day I wish to repeat, hope tomorrow is very different, or my luck is still strong.
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