It’s no secret that car enthusiasts enjoy heading to the Sepang International Circuit to test out the speeds of their cars.
A Malaysian is now sharing why it is important to ensure that those cars are actually PREPARED for such speedy situations, after an accident in a luxury car left a driver in the hospital with spinal injuries.
The driver who crashed is an experienced race driver
Taking to his Facebook page, Azman Nor explained this, “Not preparing enough is preparing to fail. That’s why Sepang is a car-breaker. If it is a stock car but driven within its limits, it’s okay to go for a few laps. But, if it’s a stock car but it’s doing time attack runs, then it’s better to prepare the car, brakes and tyres at a minimum.”
For those unacquainted, a stock car is an ordinary car that has been made stronger and faster so that it can be driven in special races.
Azman then proceeded to list other aspects of the car that would require fine-tuning to prepare the vehicle for such races, including air fuel ratio, oil sump baffle to prevent oil starvation, uprated cooling system, and more.
“And for this video that is widely circulated, the driver is an experienced race driver, the owner is the passenger. The driver was told that the braking system was upgraded, but I am unsure of this. But, by looking at the video, we can see the brake failure at T15 back straight, one of the 2 longest straights in Sepang.”
Azwan went on to share how the driver had achieved a top speed of 229 km/h before pulling the hand brake, but the brake failed at the 200m marker. This led to the luxury car entering the gravel trap and slamming into a divider at 180 km/h.
“Both survived but with injuries, a testament to the safety barrier performance. If you were to hit the Karak highway barrier or the NKVE barrier at 180 km/h, the ending would be different,” he added.
Despite the crash, the situation was managed well
He emphasised that the reason for his post is to ensure that vehicle owners prepare their vehicles properly before attempting to test speeds at Sepang.
“Get a good mechanic or workshop to inspect first. But, if your car is not fully prepared, you can still drive it but find another rental space. There, you can push your car to the limits and cry in your car as it gets towed away.”
He ended his post with an update on the driver’s condition.
“The driver is hospitalised with spinal injuries. Let’s all pray that he makes a full recovery. He did very well to manage the situation. If he entered the gravel trap sideways, it is confirmed that the car would have barrel-rolled and broken into tiny pieces after 7 to 8 rolls,”
“Also, I read comments that the driver didn’t brake or he was late to brake, that’s all wrong. The driver braked early, at the 200m marker. The car experienced a total brake failure and headed straight into the barrier,” he added.
We genuinely hope that all those involved will recover from their injuries!
What do you think about this? Do feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.
