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Here's the video of "what not to do" if you go off at the braking area for Turn 9. I never would have thought you could find a wall off of 9, but there is one there. This incident happened about 1/3 of a lap behind me this past May. http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120705/carnews01/120709949

Ironically I went off at almost exactly the same place about a month earlier testing a Spec Boxster. The main difference between my off and the first off (the crash) is that I CHOSE to go off when the car threatened to spin--allowing me to slow the car some before leaving the track--whereas the first driver tried to save it. (Also of note i had an oversteer condition whereas he had understeer and pushed off the edge.) Whatever the case another thing that helped me was that I bucked traditional wisdom a bit by braking then turning, while still in the dirt, so I didn't go over the birm. While I never would have imagined that you could fly all the way over to that wall over there, I still didn't think it would be a good idea to go over a birm at speed. Funny thing, my video doesn't look scary at all, but as I was going off initially, I honestly wasn't sure I would be able to slow enough to turn and avoid the birm. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIFEYY_0jt4

Welcome to the club Doc!
Looking forward to seeing your Viper or race car. What kind of car is the race car?
I just got a '99 Viper GTS race car recently that I'm learning how to drive.
This Saturday I'll be at the Balcony in the drift clinic with my street Viper but I'll try to come down to meet you.
See you there,
Ben

Thanks Ben. I've got three race cars at the moment, two vintage and one modern. The modern car, inbound this week, is a 2009 Mustang that was prepared for NASA American Iron/ST2. But my plan is to run it in the new ST3 or STR3 class. Before that I raced everything from Spec RX7 (90s) to BMWs to Porsche Cup cars. The vintage cars are both snakes of a slightly different kind, a 1964 Shelby King Cobra (1 of 6) and a 1966 Shelby GT350. Hope to see you on Saturday.

Guys,

You should both be fine running in the intermediate group at WS.  You will want an instructor.

On the subject of walls, while you could hit a wall there, you'd almost have to try to hit one.  This track is very open.

I've never seen anyone hit a wall there while I've been at the track, which is several times a year for the last 8 years.

See you at the track,

Dan  <2

If anyone needs an instructor I can do it. I somethimes instruct w Speed Ventures (and others). i just wasn't planning to volunteer this time because I figured the demand would be low. But it would probably be a good way to meet one or two club members if there is a need.

P.S. FWIW, i was never comcenred about walls at WSIR until earlier this year a car went off in my race group and found a wall i didn't think could be hit. The reason this one concerns me (as an instructor) is that, if you find yourself heading that direction, you won't actually know there's a wall there until its too late.'the problem is that your view of the wLl is obscured by a large dirt birm. I will post a link to a a few videos of what to do and what not to do in that area (just after the braking/turn in area for turn 9, heading toward the birm).

I just joined the VCA this week. Hope to meet some of you at Big Willow next weekend.

I may bring the 2009 Viper. But I will primarily be testing a new (to me) race car in preparation for the 2013 NASA racing season.

"Doc"