An idiot killed my baby. Need advice.

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Trevor B

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Very sad news... my beloved '73 Plymouth Duster is dead. A complete moron crashed into me on the drag strip Wednesday night, 8/7/19 at Sonoma Raceway. I walked away, somehow, but she is totaled. I am extremely lucky and was wearing a helmet.

The guy who crashed us was a newbie and an fool to boot; he had no business being on a racetrack. His was a bought-not-built supercharged 2016 Coyote Mustang. He didn't know the rules of the track including especially HOW to exit the drag strip, didn't understand that, being in the left lane, he had to yield to me in the right lane (return exits are on right).

After we passed the finish line he continued to accelerate while I began to coast (he was ahead of me by maybe 50 feet). Dude didn't even know where the end of the track was!

Then he suddenly braked hard and veered right, directly into my path, trying to take the earlier of the two exits - which is obviously totally crazy when you are coming off a run of well over 100 mph. I slammed the brakes and yanked the wheel to the right trying to avoid the collision, skidded for about 40 feet while rotating sideways, and then we collided. His car was totaled too... but that bastard had a billion airbags in his car.

It was a really really hard day and I'm not gonna be over it any time soon. I'd built this car pretty much from scratch with a lot of help from a lot of friends, including so many helpful tips, tricks, and answers from FABO, over nearly five years. What started out as a forgotten, neglected grocery-getter left to rot in a field for 10 years slowly metamorphosized into a real race car, full of guts and power and so much fun to drive both on the track and on the street. We even won the Wednesday Night Drags together, beating out everyone else in our class. And everything I now know about fixing and restoring these magnificent cars I had to learn first on the Duster... usually the hard way.

In fact, after an intense session of dyno-tuning that very morning (!!!) helped increase horsepower and torque (+25 hp, +21 ft-lbs), she finally hit the 12s on the 1/4 mile... my very first run, in the 85* afternoon Sonoma heat, with a headwind, yielded 12.89" - not only blowing my old record of 13.13" out of the water but finally helping me to achieve my one and only goal of getting into the 12s. In fact, I had long ago decided that if she ever got into the 12s, we would retire her from drag racing and swap out the automatic transmission for a 4-speed. So close.

I have no doubt that if we had more runs, she would have gotten even faster as the day cooled off - typically I drop about 0.15"-0.20" after the sun goes down. The crash happened on the second run.

So I went from the highest of highs, so proud of what my little car had accomplished, to the lowest of lows, waiting with her bent-up body for a tow truck to take us home one last time.

Of course my heart is broken but I fully recognize how much worse it could have been.

Now I've called a few lawyers who refuse to take my case - the waiver we sign at the gate to get in to the track is pretty specific about eliminating the possibility of suing another driver, even in clear
cases of negligence. My insurance will not cover race track damage. I don't know what to do. I have well over $25k in this car, even though she doesn't look it from the outside.

Has anyone had any experience with race track crashes and making things right afterward?
 
Dang, sorry to hear the story and see the damage. Damn Mustangs.
 
I don't have any advice about the rustang jerk but your car's fixable.
 
No insurance coverage because it happened at the drag strip is the crappy part. I wonder if you could take him to court for the damages? This could get sticky.
 
So very sorry to hear about this. Thank god you are ok.
Looks like your drive line will be salvageable. I would try to communicate with driver that caused this and get some form of compensation. Maybe even thru his insurance. He might have multipliers in his plan that cover off road activity.
Think about a go fund me page. This situation more than warrants
one.
 
waiver we sign at the gate to get in to the track is pretty specific about eliminating the possibility of suing another driver, even in clear
cases of negligence.

If it is clear that the other person was 100% at fault you could sue in small claims court for damages,waiver or not. Heck you're in California waivers don't mean much there!


Any video of the event?

things happen on the racetrack like malfunctions, losing control etc (which is nature of the beast) but in my book negligence is negligence. making a hard right in front of another car in my book is a purposeful act, heck maybe he was pissed he lost and did it intentionally? (now I sound like the news media making **** up!)

I do think your car is repairable too, get a donor car and start swapping what is bent up.

Good luck and sorry this happened the way it did.
 
  1. you didn't get hurt, that's the greatest blessing
  2. I understand the attachment to the car. No consolation, but cars are replaceable, you are not. It would have been worse if it was a close deceased's old car.
  3. We all take a chance every time we leave our driveway with our classics. That chance is MUCH greater on the street than at the drag strip.
  4. Your legal chances are more difficult because it happened on the drag strip.
Sorry this happened to you. I hate to see any mopar (or any classic) get crashed, they don't make them anymore. Just a shame. But I'm glad you walked away. Gather your thoughts, and perhaps "a lot" of your build can transfer to another body. Good luck man.
 
Sorry to hear this. To the point, I am afraid legal recourse is only going to drain your funds and not help you in recovering any loss to the car. I know someone who started down the same road as you and they stopped pursuing it pretty quick.

If it was negligence in regards to the facility then that's a different story. One on one running down the track it's a risk you take. But a consultation with a Lawyer will probably be more helpful than I am.

I will leave this here.....



Sorry to hear it man,
JW
 
That car can be fixed. I have a hood, fender, door, rocker panel, quarter panel, door jamb....
I'm not looking to get rich from your misery. I would make you a very fair deal.
I work in Kentfield...I drive through Novato 5 days a week. Send me a PM if you decide to repair the car.
 
I'm no bodyman, but to be honest, that looks like it is about a parts-car away from being better than new.

I'm sorry to hear about this. Seeing it at first, I thought some jackwad hit it in a parking lot.
 
That car can be fixed. I have a hood, fender, door, rocker panel, quarter panel, door jamb....
I'm not looking to get rich from your misery. I would make you a very fair deal.
I work in Kentfield...I drive through Novato 5 days a week. Send me a PM if you decide to repair the car.
that's awesome
 
1974 plymouth duster

Your out a Duster roller and all your labor, he's out a new 60K Mustang that will be totalled by ANY insurance company as 'if'. Take him to small claims, its a shot and is not expensive. Hes not going to find another 'shell' (anyone selling a newer blown motor Mustang?), you may be able to. That sucks but your safe to build another. let the fun begin!
 
That car can be fixed. I have a hood, fender, door, rocker panel, quarter panel, door jamb....
I'm not looking to get rich from your misery. I would make you a very fair deal.
I work in Kentfield...I drive through Novato 5 days a week. Send me a PM if you decide to repair the car.

Yes it can. It'll be some work but it certainly can be fixed.
 
WOW that sucks ! I know how you feel. I had a X9 black AAR for 42 years got it my senior year and it got hit 12 times in 42 years. Not bad any one time but people just kept running into it. I sold it in 2008 because I had a bad feeling that someone was going to total it and I couldn't even drive it any more of that fear that someone would finally smash it hard.
 
Sorry to hear of your accident. Glad you are ok, and in my opinion, your car can be fixed. Kern Dog is more than gracious!
 
I have been involved in two crashes on the drag strip where the other car in the other lane came into my lane and hit me....one back in 1982 with a 73 Challenger....got nothing from the driver......and again in 1992 with a 69 Barracuda....got nothing...

Both happened at the top end in the lights..

Challenger was totaled ....Barracuda was repaired...

Both were 64 Novas.....
 
Hate to read about this. Grab a fresh shell and start over would be my suggestion along with others here. Fixing it is going to take a bunch more time.

The one Pishta posted might be a good start if solid. Sounds like it has an extra pedal in it too... You sound like a 4 speed was the plan anyways. Use that stuff or sell it to reduce the cost of that shell.
 
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I have been involved in two crashes on the drag strip where the other car in the other lane came into my lane and hit me....one back in 1982 with a 73 Challenger....got nothing from the driver......and again in 1992 with a 69 Barracuda....got nothing...

Both happened at the top end in the lights..

Challenger was totaled ....Barracuda was repaired..

Both were 64 Novas.....

Chevy II's INteresting. A friend had a 67 that would go take an immediate left hand turn when he really stood on it. Must be the same with the Mustangs. They are always getting loose and up into the rhubarb they go. LOL
 
I'm assuming the mustang driver's car wont be covered by insurance either if they dont cover accidents in sporting events like this? Correct? I'm asking, as I'm not sure.
 
Why dont they have barriers between the lanes? make it too narrow? Let the dipshit bank down the track like a bowling ball in the 5 and under league.


I figure the numbers don't lie. If you take the number of passes made yearly on all tracks worldly there are not many incidents such as the OP's. But generally speaking you would have a ton of waded up cars with a center barrier. However when an assclown shows up without knowledge of the track it surely sways the argument of a center barrier in your favor.....

JW
 
Folks - thank you all for your kind responses!

I have some small bit of possibly good news: a friend in my Mopar club has reached out and offered me his 1971 Duster roller for peanuts. I will be looking at it soon. It's been sitting out in the yard for a few years but if it isn't too rusty, I'll probably pick it up and begin the process of putting things back together. I have this fantasy of inviting about 8 of my car friends over for some kind of big Saturday-long chassis swap party at my buddy's garage for pizza and beer. It works for moving out of a house, right?

Kern Dog - your offer is amazing! I may reach out to you for parts, depending on which route I end up taking. Have to admit, I know zero about body work and this level of reconstruction is totally intimidating. But thank you in any event. I, too, work in Kentfield. What are the chances? We should find a chance to meet up at some point.

Pishta - would you believe you're the 3rd person to send me this link?! My buddy at the track was showing it to me within about an hour of the crash. I may check it out, depending on what happens with the '71.

Slantsix64 - I cannot wait to see the video if one ever surfaces. I was running around in circles screaming at the dude at the top of my lungs trying to tear him apart and the security and paramedics were chasing me around trying to get in between us/stop me from attacking him while bleeding all over the place.

I have filed a claim with his insurance but am basically hoping for the best and expecting the worst. If they deny me, as I suspect they will, I will contact him directly and see about offering him the chance to do something to try to make things right. He sort of had that "this guy has money" look about him with his brand new helmet and brand new race suit. Maybe (hopefully) he feels really bad about it. I dunno. I would if I were in his shoes.
 
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