kenny/tomas how????

[R22]

first, i am thankful that kenny is still with us.

my seats were totally across the track in turn one and i didn't see anything except the ball of fire. from the accounts i've read here on tf, brack ran up and over the back of tomas' car sending it on the horrific trip into the fence, etc.

not asking for anyone to place "blame", but simply asking the tv viewers and eyewitnesses.........how did this happen?

[damilt]

Not the time, at the moment. Let's see how things shake out and then disect them later.

[dirtshoe99]

Kenny moved down just a touch and they clipped tires, Kenny's front left to Tomas's right rear and off they went. Kenny moved down on him ever so slighly and was behind him just to Tomas's right, just one of those deals.

Tomas was holding his line and Kenny was moving down toward him slowly matter of inches.

It was very minor contact but the results were horrible.

BRACK IN SERIOUS, STABLE CONDITION AT DALLAS HOSPITAL FORT WORTH, Texas, Oct. 12, 2003 – IndyCarTM Series driver Kenny Brack is in serious and stable condition at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, said Dr. Henry Bock, director of medical services for the Indy Racing League. Brack suffered a fractured right femur, a fractured sternum and lumbar and fractures to both ankles in an accident on Lap 188 of the Chevy 500 Oct. 12 at Texas Motor Speedway. He is awake and alert and will undergo surgery on the femur and both ankles tonight. The next medical update will be available Oct. 13.

[R22]

sorry damilt, i am certainly not trying to be insensitive. just wanting to know what happened.

thanks 99, nuf said.

[dirtshoe99]

Gotcha. R22 and Damilt. Nuff Said.

[JBaiza]

Thanks for the update, Dirtshoe

It's pretty much like Dirtshoe said, Kenny just moved down and it was a quick puff as the tires touched. It must have hit just in the right way to make Tomas' car react violently as it quickly turned and right and Kenny's car climbed over it all at backstretch speed.

I would say it was kind of an unlikely thing that a car would get underneath another at speed like that to cause the car on top to get up in the air so fast and with so much momentum behind it.

My 'armchair opinion' for what it's worth: I think that little touch was enough to pop Tomas' tire, just like what happened to Tony and Helio. Replay the video, Tomas' car reacts not at all in a manner as a reaction to that touch, there was something else involved. Based on the earlier incident with the tires .... I'm pretty sure it's the tires.

Everyone's on the same flippin' tires, there's no tire war .... what good reason could there be for the tires to be so fragile? I say we need some harder compounds and tougher sidewalls or something .... just plain old tougher tires.

[Jim Wilke]

Helio's 'tire problem' was actually a result of contact with Kanaan: A valve stem was torn off.

[jmart]

Originally posted by dirtshoe99
Kenny moved down just a touch and they clipped tires, Kenny's front left to Tomas's right rear and off they went. Kenny moved down on him ever so slighly and was behind him just to Tomas's right, just one of those deals.

Tomas was holding his line and Kenny was moving down toward him slowly matter of inches.

It was very minor contact but the results were horrible.

Over on 7th Gear they've got a link with video. I know it's hard to evaluate without seeing previous lap's lines, but it looked to me that Tomas stayed low coming out of two, then as they drag raced down the back stretch he gradualy moved up. Nothing twitchy or anything like that, he just gradually moved up. I believed he wanted a good line going into three and he didn't want to have to stay low on corner entry. Kenny did come down ever so slightly it appeared as he started to turn in, but maybe he felt he needed to to avoid going into the marbles. Probably just one of those deals, but I'm sure that it was late in the race there probably wasn't as much give as there was earlier. Just my thoughts, and again, it's hard to evaluate unless you can see several previous laps to see the lines both were taking.

[Mackie]

with a favorable report on Kenny in the next few days I will post exaxtly what I see from the best VCR equipment money can by, with the clearest slow motion image. I have done that in the past re. other crashes and found that whatever I have said, people will believe what they want to believe. Believe this, I have a clear image and it tells what happened. Now is not the time to point fingers and draw conclusions like others have, especially when using words like "looked to me."

[Truth Detector]

Discussing the accident won't delay Kenny's healing process.

I'm absolutely no Tomas fan but he is without blame. Kenny was trying to draft behind Dixon and followed him to the low line with no regard for Tomas' whereabouts.

Godspeed, Kenny.

[jmart]

Originally posted by Mackie
with a favorable report on Kenny in the next few days I will post exaxtly what I see from the best VCR equipment money can by, with the clearest slow motion image. I have done that in the past re. other crashes and found that whatever I have said, people will believe what they want to believe. Believe this, I have a clear image and it tells what happened. Now is not the time to point fingers and draw conclusions like others have, especially when using words like "looked to me."

Reread my post. I pointed no fingers and drew no conclusions.

[dog-ring]

In car camera from a car behind shows that TD is correct. Prayers to Kenny.

[jZink]

I was out fishing during the race but watched the race last night. After reviewing the slow motion of the crash several times and from several camera angles, It appears Bracks left front wheel climbs up the right side pod of Tomas. After the nose got into an inclined position, the car caught air and went vertically into the fence with Tomas sliding along underneath Brack. This incident reminded me of both Mario and Dan Wheldons accidents at Indy this May. Both cars got their noses up and then suddenly, the car is airborne.

[vegasduo]

Tomas held his line running low. Kenny moved down on him touching his left front to Tomas' right rear causing Tomas to spin in front of Kenny. Kenny hit Tomas car causing him to go airborne.

[KnockOff]

From the headon camera shot Kenny drifts down while Shecky holds his inside line. (Although they're following the leaders, you get a good view of their airboxes.)

For those of you with video tape, focus on the lane lines and the noses of both KB and Shecky's cars. It's obvious who is changing their lines down the back straight. And, remember, the contact didn't take place coming out of three, but further down the backstretch.

I think it occurred before they even started setting up for turn three, the most crucial passing turn at TMS.

And instant before or at the moment of touching you can see KB's airbox wiggle a tiny bit.

That's all it took.