ADAC F4 Accident

[RSS]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpF7uyKcwLM

Skip to about 2:10 in the video

This is one of the Tatuus F4 cars but an odd separation of the back half of the car from this accident. Doesn't look like any contact was made to that part of the car.

[FrankRizzo]

Abarth powered? Reminds me of the "Formula Abarth" cars from Assetto Corsa.

As for the crash, CLEARLY the "bell housing bolts" sheared off. (At least that's what it looked like to ME).

[R. Pare]

If you watch closely. you can see that the separation started at the onset of the rebound of the main chassis section - meaning that the bellhousing is either massively under-strength in that area, and/or had already started cracking.

[Lotus7]

odd.
looks like the car that broke took the nose of the stopped car in the forward section of the sidepod, not back where it broke.
that would suggest a pure 'g' load failure of the attachments, not assisted by 'puncture' load
(again assuming car wasn't cracked or weakened previously)

[HazelNut]

Really?

[provamo]

obviously

[HazelNut]

I just can't believe she broke apart like that. The hit seemed pretty light for that kind of damage.

[Ben Beasley]

Obviously have to sacrifice quality some where to get the price point down?

[problemchild]

Interesting that the Tatuus USF-17 "renderings"were released today as the PRI show.

"The prototype car, which will meet all the latest FIA safety requirements, will be unveiled next May, prior to the historic 100th Indianapolis 500, and will undergo a rigorous test program before being released to teams in advance of the 2017 USF2000 season. The cost of the USF-17 chassis – not including engine, wheels and dampers – is $51,400. As an additional cost-benefit to teams and drivers moving up the Mazda Road to Indy, the same chassis will be used as the basis of the new Pro Mazda car which will race for the first time in 2018."

[RSS]

I believe they use the same car/engine combo as the Italians

[fitfan]

odd.
looks like the car that broke took the nose of the stopped car in the forward section of the sidepod, not back where it broke.
that would suggest a pure 'g' load failure of the attachments, not assisted by 'puncture' load
(again assuming car wasn't cracked or weakened previously)

or it took a solid whack and sent it spinning... which is where the video picks up. so it might have already bee sheared from the contact in the rear before it has the contact in the front in the video?

[Purple Frog]

That break doesn't surprise me. My Tatuus broke a bellhousing during the first flip in 2005. Since it is a stressed member, with no other chassis back there, the rear wheels, trany, and wing took a different route down through Thunder Valley.

That F4 car was almost fully sideways when it hit the parked car. The main chassis slowed down real quick. But nothing was stopping the trany and rear wheels. Thus a lot of leverage on that little bellhousing.

In terms of driver safety it looked like both cars did their job well.

[JByers]

Check out the roll bar at the end of this clip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f-KTKzEHY4

[Lotus7]

or it took a solid whack and sent it spinning... which is where the video picks up. so it might have already bee sheared from the contact in the rear before it has the contact in the front in the video?

that would fall into my "weakened previously" thought, yes :-)

[Beartrax]

Check out the roll bar at the end of this clip.

Yikes!!!!
The commentators are priceless.
Then there is the guy who usually connects the crane the the roll bar, looking perplexed.

[RSS]

Old thread but just saw another video of a F4 bellhousing type failure.

https://youtu.be/5pTtdZ4APD8?t=6m32s

[FrankRizzo]

Yeah, there are some HUGE oscillations going on there. The front and the rear moving independent of each other.