Petition for Improved Track Safety - The Initiative to Fix Turn 9
By this Petition for Improved Track Safety (\"PITS\") the undersigned hereby petition the owners, managers and directors of Willow Springs International Raceway Park in Rosamond, California to make repairs and upgrades, (i) to both sides of the exit of Turn 9 of Willow Springs International Raceway, and (ii) to the berm at the South end of the esses at the Streets of Willow Springs, for the purpose of making those two portions of the respective racetracks safer for drivers and other occupants of any automobile or motorcycle driven on such racetracks.\"
These spots have proven to be very damaging to many cars, injured some drivers and now killed one enthusiast. They are known danger spots that need remediation.
It is smart for the track operators to fix these areas for many reasons:
1. Nobody, not the track owners, not drivers and not event organizers want to see cars get damaged unnecessarily
2. Nobody wants to see someone injured
3. Nobody wants to see someone killed
4. It is good business to fix these areas
5. As more cars get damaged, people hurt and people dead, track events will become viewed as:
a. Too dangerous to participate in
b. Track day entries will decline
c. Fewer track rental days will be contracted
d. Track revenues will fall
e. Track profits will decline
6. Simultaneously:
a. Track event insurance will rise dramatically
b. Event fees will rise
c. Even fewer people will do track days
d. Fewer event organizers will be able to afford the insurance
e. So even fewer track day rentals will occur
f. Auto insurance, health insurance and life insurance companies will tighten down exclusions further restricting track prosperity
7. New consequences will arise:
a. The plaintiff trial lawyers will jump in
b. and despite waivers they will sue
c. Even with waivers it will be expensive to fight
d. or out of court settlements will be made
e. When multiple accidents occur regularly at the same spots without any effort at mitigation by the track, plaintiff lawyers will have a strong case for careless negligence
f. They might start to win cases
8. Lastly:
a. When participation and revenue is way down
b. and costs are way up
c. and potential legal liability sky-high
d. the tracks will begin to close
Reaching 250 signatures feels like a heavy weight because it reminds me how many people have seen the cost of these accidents. I am exhausted by the silence from the track management but seeing your names here keeps me pushing forward.
Reached 250 supporters
July 8, 2008
Reached 100 supporters
May 31, 2008
13 Comments
J
John Mueller
11 years ago
Featured
I saw a guy get killed inside of T-9 & I loathe going there because of it. A pea gravel trap on both sides of the track would go a long way, but the inside also needs to have the ditches dealt with.
M
Mike Graham
18 years ago
Featured
Too many cars getting totaled out there. Fix the runoff already.
S
Sarah Singh
18 years ago
Featured
I wont go back to willow until they fix turn 9. way too sketchy.
D
Dave Cunningham
18 years ago
Featured
Its just common sense. safety first.
J
Jason Lund
18 years ago
Featured
PLEASE fix the esses. had a buddy lose a car there last month and it was totally preventable.
K
Kevin Ryan
18 years ago
Featured
The track surface is a disaster in that spot. patch it up before someone else gets hurt.
Petition for Improved Track Safety - The Initiative to Fix Turn 9
By this Petition for Improved Track Safety (\"PITS\") the undersigned hereby petition the owners, managers and directors of Willow Springs International Raceway Park in Rosamond, California to make repairs and upgrades, (i) to both sides of the exit of Turn 9 of Willow Springs International Raceway, and (ii) to the berm at the South end of the esses at the Streets of Willow Springs, for the purpose of making those two portions of the respective racetracks safer for drivers and other occupants of any automobile or motorcycle driven on such racetracks.\"
These spots have proven to be very damaging to many cars, injured some drivers and now killed one enthusiast. They are known danger spots that need remediation.
It is smart for the track operators to fix these areas for many reasons:
1. Nobody, not the track owners, not drivers and not event organizers want to see cars get damaged unnecessarily
2. Nobody wants to see someone injured
3. Nobody wants to see someone killed
4. It is good business to fix these areas
5. As more cars get damaged, people hurt and people dead, track events will become viewed as:
a. Too dangerous to participate in
b. Track day entries will decline
c. Fewer track rental days will be contracted
d. Track revenues will fall
e. Track profits will decline
6. Simultaneously:
a. Track event insurance will rise dramatically
b. Event fees will rise
c. Even fewer people will do track days
d. Fewer event organizers will be able to afford the insurance
e. So even fewer track day rentals will occur
f. Auto insurance, health insurance and life insurance companies will tighten down exclusions further restricting track prosperity
7. New consequences will arise:
a. The plaintiff trial lawyers will jump in
b. and despite waivers they will sue
c. Even with waivers it will be expensive to fight
d. or out of court settlements will be made
e. When multiple accidents occur regularly at the same spots without any effort at mitigation by the track, plaintiff lawyers will have a strong case for careless negligence
f. They might start to win cases
8. Lastly:
a. When participation and revenue is way down
b. and costs are way up
c. and potential legal liability sky-high
d. the tracks will begin to close
Reaching 250 signatures feels like a heavy weight because it reminds me how many people have seen the cost of these accidents. I am exhausted by the silence from the track management but seeing your names here keeps me pushing forward.
Reached 250 supporters
July 8, 2008
Reached 100 supporters
May 31, 2008
13 Comments
J
John Mueller
11 years ago
Featured
I saw a guy get killed inside of T-9 & I loathe going there because of it. A pea gravel trap on both sides of the track would go a long way, but the inside also needs to have the ditches dealt with.
M
Mike Graham
18 years ago
Featured
Too many cars getting totaled out there. Fix the runoff already.
S
Sarah Singh
18 years ago
Featured
I wont go back to willow until they fix turn 9. way too sketchy.
D
Dave Cunningham
18 years ago
Featured
Its just common sense. safety first.
J
Jason Lund
18 years ago
Featured
PLEASE fix the esses. had a buddy lose a car there last month and it was totally preventable.
K
Kevin Ryan
18 years ago
Featured
The track surface is a disaster in that spot. patch it up before someone else gets hurt.
I saw a guy get killed inside of T-9 & I loathe going there because of it. A pea gravel trap on both sides of the track would go a long way, but the inside also needs to have the ditches dealt with.