Incident of the day!

[Joyce George]

A spectator's MX5 today got so excited by the prospect of racing that it tried to join the track! Luckily no one was in it, as it slithered all the way down the bank opposite the Old Hairpin, crossed the grass, then crossed the track & eventually ended up in the gravel trap at post 9! It was definetley the oddest report I have ever had to write! :

[archaic gold]

Originally Posted by joyceswan

A spectator's MX5 today got so excited by the prospect of racing that it tried to join the track! Luckily no one was in it, as it slithered all the way down the bank opposite the Old Hairpin, crossed the grass, then crossed the track & eventually ended up in the gravel trap at post 9! It was definetley the oddest report I have ever had to write! :

Sorry, excuse my ignorance but do I assume Cadwell Park???

[Whitestar]

No the old hair pin Donington park! Made my day as IO

[Sheila M]

Originally Posted by joyceswan

A spectator's MX5 today got so excited by the prospect of racing that it tried to join the track! Luckily no one was in it, as it slithered all the way down the bank opposite the Old Hairpin, crossed the grass, then crossed the track & eventually ended up in the gravel trap at post 9! It was definetley the oddest report I have ever had to write! :

I was a mite confused by the radio messages! The first one I heard was "it's rolling down the hill!", followed by "it's on the track" and finally "it's in the gravel at the Old Hairpin".

Knowing Steve and Joyce were down there (and Steve's old nickname of Magnet!) I rang Steve to enquire exactly what it was he'd done THIS time. Not his fault, for once!

However funny we all thought this was, had the car waited another five minutes before starting on its great adventure I dread to think of the consequences as it would have been crossing the track as the Legends came round on their first racing lap.

[Joyce George]

Amusing as it was at the time, I'm just thankful that no one was hurt. In retrospect, it could have been a nasty incident. 5 minutes later and it would have happened during a race!!! Oh well, it certainly woke us all up!!!

[Mark Mitchell]

Isn't there a wall of fencing?
Or is it where the wall is only 3ft high and level with the banking, spectator side?

[Sheila M]

Originally Posted by Mark Mitchell

Isn't there a wall of fencing?
Or is it where the wall is only 3ft high and level with the banking, spectator side?

Yes there is a wall and yes there is fencing.

Photo of route taken by the vehicle is available here http://www.marshalspost.com/images/tmp/bigynaazA.jpg

[Mark Mitchell]

Yep - it's where I thought it was!
That fencing isn't really meant to stop runaway speccy cars though is it!
Seen it happen a few years back at post 11, although the ditch "Caught" the car before it hit the Observers hut!

[Sheila M]

Originally Posted by Mark Mitchell

Yep - it's where I thought it was!
That fencing isn't really meant to stop runaway speccy cars though is it!
Seen it happen a few years back at post 11, although the ditch "Caught" the car before it hit the Observers hut!

Ah yes, wasn't that when Mr Avery had to go down to the car in the ditch and Maurice had to pull Mr Avery back up the hill with the tractor? Lunchtime entertainment at a JCC meeting I believe?

[flagwaver]

I can remember a mini ending up on the circuit during a VSCC practice session, at Cadwell Park a (good) few years ago.

The car rolled down from the car park opposite the club circuit start finish line.

There was a couple in it at the time, not convinced they were sat in the front seat though. Luckily they only had a few cuts & bruises.

[Mark Mitchell]

And we won't even mention the Ice Cream Van at Donington (Esses) will we?

[Sheila M]

Originally Posted by Mark Mitchell

And we won't even mention the Ice Cream Van at Donington (Esses) will we?

I think you might have to - this rings no bells with me!

Although Mr Wheldon's little contretemps with the hiab in the GP pit lane entrance does!

[flagwaver]

An Ice cream van followed us onto the circuit from post 16 at Donnington.
Had a speccies car come past us (again at post 16) & almost make it to the circuit as cars were on there formation lap.

[Sheila M]

Originally Posted by flagwaver

An Ice cream van followed us onto the circuit from post 16 at Donnington.
Had a speccies car come past us (again at post 16) & almost make it to the circuit as cars were on there formation lap.

Ah yes, that sounds vaguely familiar

[Mark Mitchell]

The Ice cream van I refer to entered at the gate by the railway carriage and seemed intent on following a pack of Ferrari's from the Loop onto the track.

I'm still not sure to this day whether the rescue guys forceably stopped it from going any further, or just placed an order for three 99's and a hi-ball!!

[jlittlejohn]

Thank god there wasnt a race on at that time! The spectator happens to be a friend of mine! Haha Sid!!

[The STIG]

Well I've heard of spectators cars getting stuck at the top of banking before, but never one rolling onto the track! Thank heavens it happened when it did

[Richy_Rich]

Heh, at least I wasn't the only one who ended up in the gravel then...

Big thanks to the marshals who got me out

[Shelagh]

Originally Posted by Mark Mitchell

Yep - it's where I thought it was!
That fencing isn't really meant to stop runaway speccy cars though is it!
Seen it happen a few years back at post 11, although the ditch "Caught" the car before it hit the Observers hut!

I was the flag/observer for that - it happened as we were arriving on post in the morning. That car got wedged across the drainage ditch with 6 ft of clear air beneath it! When they finally removed it at lunchtime, someone actually got in the car to fix the straps for lifting - it was that well wedged.

The owner came back during the morning and got his butties out of the boot before disappearing. He was an insurance salesman!

[Mark Mitchell]

Originally Posted by Shelagh

I was the flag/observer for that - it happened as we were arriving on post in the morning. That car got wedged across the drainage ditch with 6 ft of clear air beneath it! When they finally removed it at lunchtime, someone actually got in the car to fix the straps for lifting - it was that well wedged.

The owner came back during the morning and got his butties out of the boot before disappearing. He was an insurance salesman!

That's the one!
I thought "I" was the Observer?
Must have been a flaggie instead!

[Tony Moralee]

I was I/O on post 10 and only minutes before some one had a Pork Pie !! Could this have been a factor?

[mick dickens]

Originally Posted by joyceswan

A spectator's MX5 today got so excited by the prospect of racing that it tried to join the track! Luckily no one was in it, as it slithered all the way down the bank opposite the Old Hairpin, crossed the grass, then crossed the track & eventually ended up in the gravel trap at post 9! It was definetley the oddest report I have ever had to write! :

sorry joyce but you are not the first to have a car down thier. yes you gessed me about 10 years ago. mind you mine was only a citeron so it got stuck in the ditch that was thier then(or it blew its engine up befor it got to far) gave the lens man quite a shock as we told him he was quite safe to stand at the end of the wall

[The STIG]

Originally Posted by Tony Moralee

I was I/O on post 10 and only minutes before some one had a Pork Pie !! Could this have been a factor?

Almost certainly. They are evil those things you know!

[Mike Kelly 1]

Originally Posted by Tony Moralee

I was I/O on post 10 and only minutes before some one had a Pork Pie !! Could this have been a factor?

After all these years, you've finally put a reply on 10/10ths! See you on Saturday at Oulton.

[Joyce George]

Had a speccies car come past us (again at post 16) & almost make it to the circuit as cars were on there formation lap.[/QUOTE]

I have a horrible feeling that was me too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! An old red saloon car driven by an old couple?????