The Big Spanky, v2
Team Corvette or the Keystone Kops?
This week’s dunce cap in motor sport easily goes to the Corvette Racing C6 duo and its unfathomable blunder in the early hours at the 2010 12 Hours of Sebring.
Early in the fourth hour, the number 3 entry pits for service and a driver change, and as Jan Magnussen climbs into the vehicle, the partner 4 car driven by Emmanuel Collard begins its entry on the pit lane. An otherwise typical Sebring pit scene suddenly unfolds in horror for Corvette fans a moment later when the entering 4 car inexplicably careens into the left side front clip of its exiting 3 car teammate. The 4 car (Collard) suffers extensive damage that sends the same to the garage, while the partner 3, attempting a circuit with extensive left side sheet metal damage, returns to pit lane a lap later with a cut down left front tire.
Collard later explains away his premature entry on pit lane to low fuel pressure, yet the entire blame for the debacle rests with the crew chief of Corvette Racing. Surely Corvette employs radio contact with its drivers. Surely Corvette Racing knew Collard was low on fuel and making his way to pit lane. Surely Corvette Racing has a pit lane release sequence for its exiting vehicles.
Perhaps not.
We cannot fathom in any fashion any reason as to why Corvette Racing did not tell Collard that Magnussen was still in his stall, did not tell Collard to slow on approach, and most of all, did not tell Collard to stop short and await Magnussen’s exit. Collard expects an empty stall upon entry, and Corvette Racing let him down.
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