I was there for a test day in preperation for the last sprint of the season which I was doing there in October. The day was going extremely well, we started off on standard pressures and quite a soft damper setting. This was giving us lap times of 1 minute 36 seconds At the end of the morning session we had adjusted the tyre pressures and the dampening to perfection. We were now getting 1 minute 29 second lap times and were flying. The car felt amazing, with bags of grip and plenty of power. You all know this feeling, and it is absoloutely amazing, there is nothing like it.
I went out for my last session of the afternoon (each session was about 15 minutes) and I was on my second/third lap so I was taking it easy to warm the tyres and brakes. I came to the last corner of the circuit (Camp) and began exiting after nicely kissing the apex. On exit I could feel the back end starting to slide, so I kept the steering wheel where it was, and kept my foot static and hoped it would grip again. It didn't, the back end came around so I tried to get myself to the inside of the track where there was plenty of clear space. All was going well until for some reason the car span back the other way and sent me backwards straight into the tyre wall.
I can remember shouting 'No, NO NO!!!!' and knew what was coming, BANG! I ignored my pain and instead got out of the car to asses the damage, it was horifically bad, the rear pumper destroyed, the rear quaters crumpled in, the arch was touching the wheel, the boot was caved in and the engine/strut towers are bent. I was absoloutely gutted, the car me and my friend had built to perfection was laying in bits and destroyed from one cornering mistake. It took an effort from a good friend to get it home VIA a trailer. Here is a video of an NSX crashing on the same corner, this is pretty much what happened to me, except I didn't roll...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88QT5JD46NE
I'm now in a bit of a pickle, because I am still in fact paying for the car (loan). The engine and front end is fine, so should I break the car and sell the bits? Look for a car with a blown engine and swap it over? Should I try to replace the car altogether? I'd appreciate your responses on this as I'm sure some of you will of been in this situation (I'd especially like to hear Patrick or Matt's opinions on this)
The dream for me is to do the MR2 championship but the tracks are quite a distance away and it would mean I had a pure track car. I used my MR2 every day to get to work/Football/etc and not just for sprints and hill climbs. I would also need to buy a trailer which I assume are rather expensive.
I know this is what happens in motorsport but it still doesn't soften the blow, I loved my car but it has shown me I can't give it up, up until I came off the track I'd had the best day and the most fun. I want that feeling back again and I can't see any other car giving that to me than an MR2.
My MR2 was a Red N/A 98 Rev 4
Appreciate your comments on what my options are...
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especially when you see what beauty it was before the smack:
