Sad news

Glenn Miller's family are in my thoughts and prayers as well.

I am also deeply concerned for Kurt Niemeyer who will have to continue on in life with this very large weight on his soul.

This is NOT a good thing for the sport or the community involved in the sport on both sides of the windshield.

dave parker
wdcr ITC#97


[This message has been edited by dave parker (edited May 16, 2005).]
 
This tragic event brings to light the importance of the people that are at the track working to let some of us drive our cars competitivly. Next time you go to an event please make a special effort to tell as many as you can how much you appriciate them. They deserve it.

As a group, they decided that they owed it to Mr. Miller to finish the drivers school. They all felt that Mr. Miller would have wanted them to. You would be hard pressed to find a better class of people. My hat is off to them and they will always have my gratitude.

I talked to Kurt briefly before leaving the track. His brother was there was with him and was supporting him totaly. While it will definitly be with him for the rest of his life he seemed to be coping with the event.

My heart felt sympathy goes out to the Miller family.

Jon Schneider
ITC Rabbit #37

[This message has been edited by CaptJon (edited May 16, 2005).]
 
It also points out a track condition drivers and workers all need to keep in mind - wet grass. The press release says Miller was "not behind positive protection at the time." As he was an experienced corner worker I am sure he was alert to cars going off-course in his direction, and judged his exposure accordingly. What he may have misjudged was the speed at which a car can close up on you in wet grass. After a rain the course often dries completely and we all tend to breathe a sigh of relief. However, getting a wheel or two off, which normally would just throw up a little dust, can lead to disaster because the grass is still wet and slick as glass.

I once totalled a car on a Sun., having forgotten that it had rained on Fri. before I got to the track. The racing surface had been dry the entire time I was there. I knew I had cooked the turn and intended to do a little excursion and ease back onto the track, but as soon as I turned the wheel I remembered - because nothing happened - slid straight into a tire wall.

My point simply is that workers and drivers must not let their guard down just because the track may have dried.

------------------
Bill Denton
87/89 ITS RX-7
02 Audi TT225QC
95 Tahoe
Memphis
 
CaptJon, please correct me if I am wrong, but what we were told by LEC directors at Mid Ohio on Sunday, was that one car had gone off, Mr. Miller was responding to that car, and then a second car went off in nearly the same spot.

One of the first things that we learned in New York Region was that if one car could get to a particular spot, another one could as well. And in some cases, is very likely to end up there.

No matter what happened, it is a shame that we have to be reminded in this manner that our hobby is dangerous, and that we must be constantly aware of where we are, what we are doing and what is going on around us.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Millers and the Niemeyers.




------------------
Bill Stevens
Mbr 103106
BnS Racing
83 ITA Shelby Dodge Charger
www.motorpride.com/BnSRacing
 
damn. To think of the crappy weather we had earlier at Nelson and nobody got hurt. Now this.
My thoughts go to his children and wife, and I hope that they can take some small amount of solace in knowing that, at least, he died doing something he loved.

I believe that anyone not waving at the workers in a cooldown lap should be DQ'ed on principle. But that's just me.
I gained a whole new level of appreciation for those guys/gals at the Nelson school in april. To see them stand out there in freezing cold rain and snow, in the driving wind the whole weekend and still be cheering us on with a big ol' smile on their faces was a powerful motivator, and a heart warming sight. We couldn't do this without them, and they need to know that we appreciate it.
 
Yup- bluntly put, this sucks. Of all the deaths at the track that COULD occur, this is the one I hate to see the most. (Not that any are anything but awful) Thankfully injury or death of a corner worker is very rare. But not rare enough.

How was one of the good guys out in the line of fire??

very very sad.

------------------
Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]
 
I work races when not racing myself, and have held a national license in race control for several years. From experience, I can tell you that the more you work among race cars and race drivers the more you are in tune with what's going on. Unfortunately, that also leads to a touch of invunerability thinking and a large dose of overconfidence added to a loss of respect for the potential danger. I've been lucky to only get close before the reality of terminal injury brought me back to safety. I've known more than one corner worker that has done what this man did and got away with it. I've known some that didn't. It's a dangerous sport where ever you are. Sadly, we lose too many people to it when the precautions are built in on almost all circumstances. That said, the loss of a live is still hard to take.

------------------
Chris Harris
ITC Honda Civic
 
What RacerBill said is not true. Glenn was working blue flag and had turned his head to look down the track. He was not responding to another car. Please thank all volunteers that provide us the ability to race.


Matt
 
Bill, The accident occured during the second practice session for group one on Sunday. These were the ITA/ITB/ITC cars and SM's.Track was dry and fast as Nelson usually is when it is dry. Mr. Miller was at station 11. I am not sure but I believe he was manning the yellow flag looking toward station 12.

For those that have never been to Nelson Ledges, 11 is a high speed right hand kink in the middle of the back straight.Usually this turn is taken flat out.

I had been having a good run with an ITB Pinto. We came through the carosel and onto the back straight with me leading the pinto and spec Miata about 50 feet behind him. Approaching 11 I took another look in my mirror and saw two faster cars coming onto the back staight. The first was Kurt followed by an BMW. Having been in several other sessions with both those cars I knew they would catch us by the time we were on the front staight.

We were red flagged at the very next station. The session was then black flagged and we all went into the pits. On the way back I found out that it was a true red flag. At the debriefing for the session we found out that a worker had been hit.

THe driver of the BMW stated that Kurt's car had dropped two wheels off drivers left. The car came back on the track spinning. It then went off drivers right, striking Mr. Miller.

I was told that Kurt reverted back to his corner worker training and placed his car in a position to protect Mr. Miller. Both ambulances were sent out and an air ambulance was brought in.

I want to commend the SCCA staff at the track that day. They handled the entire affair in a most professional manner. In the end it was left up to the corner workers to decide what was to be done as far as completing the drivers school. They picked themselves up after sheading tears for their fallen comrade and went back out on track to allow us to finish. I doubt I will ever meet a better group of people.

Jon Schneider
ITC Rabbit #37
 
CaptJon and Matt: Thanks very much for the clarification. The only information that I had was relayed to us by Louie and Phil from LEC who were working the PCA event at Mid-Ohio.

The main thing is that it is a great loss to the sport.

I know the corner, as two cars who had just passed me on the back straight spun after one dropped two off drivers left during a school there last year.

------------------
Bill Stevens
Mbr 103106
BnS Racing
83 ITA Shelby Dodge Charger
www.motorpride.com/BnSRacing
 
To all of you on the this IT forum string:

I am a director of Lake Erie Communications. I was at neither track when this tragedy occurred; however, I was in Topeka and saw what happens on the other end. You would all be amazed at the immediate action that everyone goes into - and normally, this would not be apparent until Monday, but Steve Johnston and Terry Ozment were on site. I was amazed.

As to all your comments, thank you, thank you, thank you. Jon, thank you so much for clarifying the situation. Glenn was a friend, and I (as everyone else) will miss him very, very much.

All three of Glenn's kids are or have been flaggers. Doug, just graduating from high school, is the most active now - we all watched him grow up at the track. Mindy is about to get married, and Candi is in college. Although I've never met Glenn's wife, Carol, I have heard a lot about her from Glenn.

The racing community truly is a family. Sometimes, we forget how prescious life is - it is times such as this that we briefly bring it to the surface before we get complacent again. Let's all remember that this is a "hobby" and that we're supposed to be having fun. Let's all get along, stop our squabbling, and say "hi" all the time.

Again, thanks to all of you. I know that you IT drivers don't come out to nationals, but if you can make it to the MVR national at Nelson Ledges over Memorial Day weekend to give a helping hand in some specialty or another, we'd love to have you. Help in tech, registration, grid, t&S, start, corners. We'll train you!

Thanks,
Lauri Burkons
Director
LEC
& Neohio member
 
Many thanks personally goes out from me to all the workers and the Miller family for their dedication to SCCA and all of its members (workers and drivers alike who all come to have fun).

I will be at the national at Nelson Ledges as a SIT/SOM and if anyone or any area needs specific help let me know, I will be glad to do what I can to make sure everyone gets what they need.

I will also be making a bunch of "Thank you workers" vinyl stickers for anyone who wants one. If anyone here has a specific size/demension/color and/or specific message that they would like for thier car e-mail me offline and it is yours (no cost as we don't sell lettering but have the machine if we ever wanted to).

Everyone have a great week and remember in everything you do safety is first, then fun, then competition.

Raymond Blethen
rblethen(at)rstperformance(dot)com
 
Great gesture...I've never met a finer group of people than at an SCCA sanctioned ANYTHING. They will do anything for you, and drop everything to HELP. When my racing days are done, I'll still go to see what I can do, driver instruct, worker, whatever. It really is a big ol' FAMILY and we grieve this awful loss......GOD BLESS!!
 
Why wait until your racing days are over? There are many of us who help now to ensure that there are enough people to continue the sport that we all love..... please feel free to join us.

db
 
Ray, I'll be at NL for the National. My Thanks Workers stickers went with my last car, hadn't found any new ones since I purchased my current car. I'd really like to get a decal from you if possible. The car is black, so white or any light color would be best.

TIA,

Chris Fox, #7 EP Caterham
(not IT, hope no one minds)
 
Key word was "still" as I am quite active now as Driver Instructor and worker several times a year, as I have been for the last 15.

[This message has been edited by BUMPnGO (edited May 18, 2005).]
 
Thank%20You%20Workers.JPG
 
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