How NOT to take turn 1 at Eastern Creek

[PeterB]

Driving a fairly quick series 1 RX7 sports sedan on slicks, I steered into turn 1 hard in 5th gear, the car turned in fine, but then snapped into violent oversteer. Correction didn't help and even hard on the brakes didn't halt the rush towards the inside wall, but then it snapped back to the right, avoiding the wall and spinning to the outside of the track and coming to a halt in a storm of dust.

I got the award from the flaggies for the best exit from the track for the day.

The cause turned out to be a broken rhs axle, which snapped at the outer wheel bearing. It tore the centre out of the rotor (what force is required to do that !), so the outer of the rotor was still clamped in the then seized caliper, but the centre was still bolted to the broken section of axle inside the rim which then parted company with the car.

A major disaster was only averted as the rim lay on its side and jammed under the bodywork, providing a skid for the car to continue to slide on so it didn't dig in and flip. The whole side of the rim was ground away on the bitumin. Presmably the rim jamming stopped the spin to the inside, causing the car to snap back to the outside - it had nothing to do with driver input.

I don't think I have ever fully committed to turn 1 again.