Courtney's crash (3 Viewers)

[DrRocket]

I'm inclined to give Courtney the benefit of a doubt myself.

I've never driven a fuel flopper before, or anything approaching it. Only a couple of people who post here have. The cars have, over the years, proven themselves to be unpredictable and squirrely. Some of the best drivers out there have crashed for various reasons.

They just lost someone over in open wheel racing (RIP Bryan Clauson), so things could be much worse. I'm glad she's OK, and the prognosis good.

 

[RM FAN]

Apples and oranges. Tim tagged the wall because of possibles failures or something under the tire right off the line. Courtney hit the wall because she pedaled it too many times and got it completely out of control. She's had that car sideways about as many times as she's had it straight and only luck has saved her a few of those other times.

Apples and Oranges BS! I never heard any report saying there was liquid on the track and did they ever say what was wrong with his car? It happened twice. And what about John, he admitted it was a driving error when he hit the wall. Did Courtney stay in it too long....maybe? Remember Don Gay JR? He drove alcohol FC before driving nitro and still crashed. I have no idea why they hit wall and only care that they are ok. I can only imagine things happen so fast in these cars with no time to think they rely on instinct. I think criticizing these drivers is ridiculous specially since most of us have never driven a nitro car. I looked up Brent Bush FC driver and found nothing.

 

[.]

Apples and Oranges BS! I never heard any report saying there was liquid on the track and did they ever say what was wrong with his car? It happened twice. And what about John, he admitted it was a driving error when he hit the wall. Did Courtney stay in it too long....maybe? Remember Don Gay JR? He drove alcohol FC before driving nitro and still crashed. I have no idea why they hit wall and only care that they are ok. I can only imagine things happen so fast in these cars with no time to think they rely on instinct. I think criticizing these drivers is ridiculous specially since most of us have never driven a nitro car. I looked up Brent Bush FC driver and found nothing.

You're blind and ignorant if you think Wilkerson's and Courtney's incidents were remotely similar. Both of Tim's happened right at the launch, Courtney's have all happened down track after she's pedaled it a couple times. I don't recall Don Gay Jr. getting it rotated around numerous times. She has a habit it of it though. I wish there was a YouTube compilation video of all the times she's overdriven it when pedaling. Out of the group of current drivers she's the one that gets it completely out of shape more often than anybody else.

 

[M Jones]

Sounds like someone has an axe to grind, please explain your experience and expertise in the world of F/C Drivers, what have you driven that you feel you can judge any driver male or female

 

[mikebcurve]

I don't believe someone with an ax to grind would have stated in the beginning that he hoped she wasn't too banged up. It doesn't take experience driving a funny car to observe the fact that she has been way out of shape down track many many times more than anyone else I've noticed. If his opinion is she has overdriven it he has the right to say so. Some may give her credit for her will to win and some may criticize her judgement in pedaling the car but he has his right to an opinion.

 

[Rajunz]

Doug Kalitta pedals it sideways down track and missed the wall, so he's a hero?

John Force along with many others have pedaled it and tagged the wall, in fact Force lost the Championship to Cruz because he stayed in it and tagged the wall in Dallas.

 

[Jimbo]

These augments are crazy because everyone wants to win but you also have to known when it's time to give it up!!!!

There is a very thin line between a great driver and a crazy driver. I do think that in general many younger drivers are still trying to figure out when to stop peddling the car and just click it off.

Just my opinion. Jim Hill
www.nostalgicracingdecals.com

 

[mikebcurve]

I'm not sure I understand what there was to disagree with in regards to what I said. Why do some get bent out of shape over the choice of words when it's obvious there is no malice intent. All this because someone says she had overdriven it. It's almost funny......almost

 

[RM FAN]

You're blind and ignorant if you think Wilkerson's and Courtney's incidents were remotely similar. Both of Tim's happened right at the launch, Courtney's have all happened down track after she's pedaled it a couple times. I don't recall Don Gay Jr. getting it rotated around numerous times. She has a habit it of it though. I wish there was a YouTube compilation video of all the times she's overdriven it when pedaling. Out of the group of current drivers she's the one that gets it completely out of shape more often than anybody else.

Don pedaled 3 times before he hit the wall and that was during.......qualifying. You obviously have an ax to grind with her. What do you recommend she do quit?

 

[sdwarf36]

I have no ax here-but I've noticed the same trends others are talking about. Some drivers have a higher percentage of saving the pass in a pedal fest than others. And Courtneys percentage is pretty low. I hate to say it, but I started to say " ut oh-here we go again" went she stabbed the gas with one wheel out of the groove.

 

[FABMAN]

For me if your straight go for it, if your sideways or out of shape forget it, there's always another race.

Courtney is a smart girl and she will learn a lot from this experience.

Go Girl !!!

 

[Leebone]

Will Courtney be ready to go by Brainerd? Hopefully she'll be healed enough to drive. However, if not, will they put Ashley in the seat? After all that's why Ashley has been keeping her license active, for God forbid such an incident. Traxxas is paying to have that car on the track.

 

[.]

Don pedaled 3 times before he hit the wall and that was during.......qualifying. You obviously have an ax to grind with her. What do you recommend she do quit?

The Don Gay Jr. wreck was almost 30 years ago. Nice try. Out of all of the current drivers she's had it out of control far more times than anybody else! I don't have an axe to grind, I'm simply pointing out the facts which some people, including you, seem to have a problem with. I recommend she stop driving over her head before she seriously injures or kills herself or somebody else, including spectators.

Doug Kalitta pedals it sideways down track and missed the wall, so he's a hero?

John Force along with many others have pedaled it and tagged the wall, in fact Force lost the Championship to Cruz because he stayed in it and tagged the wall in Dallas.

Doug Kalitta hasn't the car completely out of control and hit the wall. Did you forget he's a former USAC champ that knows what he's doing? One more time: I'm not saying nobody else has done it, I'm saying she gets the car out of control more than anybody else out there racing now.

 

[Sean D, shondoo]

Doug Kalitta hasn't the car completely out of control and hit the wall. Did you forget he's a former USAC champ that knows what he's doing?

I was pretty much with you the whole way, Brent...........until you said this. Regardless of his previous racing life, I can think of a couple of times he made bad decisions behind the wheel, and both times there was ridiculous amounts of hero worship just because "he's a former USAC champ and knows what he's doing........". To start with, those cars are purpose built for that, and they're doing it at far less speed.

Doug, along with many others out there are tremendous drivers. But if you've followed this sport for very long at all, you know that there is a point in time where most drivers, if not all of them, have driven over their head at some point, regardless of their level of experience. Some have paid the price, some haven't.

Sean D

 

[Dennis]

My two cents...I don't know if she has a history of driving over her head, I haven't seen her more or less in trouble than any other driver out there.

With respect to this specific race, I believe the competitor in her took over. She knows she's up in smoke and knows that if the car recovers it's almost a certainty she drives around Diehl. The fact that he only ran a 4.93 bears this out. She sees that he didn't streak away and most likely thought the car would hook up and catch him. I'd think that if I were in her situation I'd do the same thing.

If she were racing a DSR or JFR car that was streaking away, I don't think she stays in it so long.

 

[Nunz]

With how extremely hard these cars are moving now, pedaling is certainly trickier than ever. And no two runs are the same, even if they look similar on a replay. Just touching the pedal a nanosecond too long can change the outcome.

 

[Reese]

How long Courtney have been driving a funny car?

 

[TooTall999]

How long Courtney have been driving a funny car?

Probably longer than any of the critics on this thread....

 

[Toejam]

I don't recall any other drivers recently having as many problems as she has had while pedaling it. I'm not saying she's a bad driver, it's just curious how many times she's been way out of shape compared to everyone else out there.

My idea of a Great driver? Being able to recover or Peddle a car under Tire smoke. Or cutting great lights. Best peddler I've ever seen was Dale Pulde...Best leaver Tony Pedregon

 

[Paul]

Will Courtney be ready to go by Brainerd? Hopefully she'll be healed enough to drive. However, if not, will they put Ashley in the seat? After all that's why Ashley has been keeping her license active, for God forbid such an incident. Traxxas is paying to have that car on the track.

If Courtney can't go, Ashley is the back up plan. There was an article on Fox Sports about this earlier today.