Re: An embarrasing accident for a Quattro . . .

[STEADIRIC@aol.com]

>What perplexes me, though, is the manner in which my accident occurred.  And
>that is why I am appealing to the wisdom of the list.  Here's what happened:
>Straight wide two-lane road.  Snow covered. Travelling 40mph in right lane.
>Approaching slower traffic and decide at last moment that I cannot make lane
>change due to proximity of car in left lane.  Get on brakes hard, to
maintain
>distance.  Antilock rumbles, and backend starts rocking left to right like a
>pendulum, with each "swing" increasing in magnitude until I was in a spin. 
> It
>was almost like the rear wheels locked up, yet antilock was doing its 
>thing.  No
>brake warning lights or anything.  Ended up on other side of road with 
>severely
>bruised ego.
>
>Has this happened to anyone else in the list?  I drive a well nurtured 1988
>90Quattro, and for the life of me, I cannot figure out what went on here.  
>Could
>this be an overcorrection problem, a computer problem, or was this simply
all
>due to my own stupidity?
>
>Looking forward to your sage response . . .

Well as we say at the Race Schools,  "You Got a "Little Behind the car 
there guy, and let the car drive you".  The first thing that you did was 
tempt the gods by driving fast.  Quattro does wonderful things for 
"Putting the power down to the ground", but it can't change the laws of 
physics and make you stop like you were on dry ground.  The Swing most 
likely started due to road camber and a split mu (Traction) condition 
(the right or left side had more traction than the other) Couple that 
with being behind on your steering recovery, (which will amplify the 
swing) and still standing on the brakes (keeping the wight transfered to 
the front when you really need traction on the rear) and you get "Instant 
Ego Bruise"

Take a word of advice from a Instructor, "Slow down when it get's messy 
and look father down the road all the time and you just might stay out of 
trouble"

Later!

Eric Fletcher
Q-Club Instructor
Skip Barber Racing Instructor