[TPR] Probably not a experienced driver or racer

Fri Apr 15 12:30:42 PDT 2022

So - quick one -- Desert racing.

We were pre-running in Mexico for the SCORE San Felipe 250 in our Class 10
buggy.  This is a two-seat desert racer, with a driver and navigator.  I
was driving, and a long-time co-driver from my professional days (he raced
for my team for many years), was navigating for me that season.  He was a
great sports-car driver, but just learning how to navigate.

On the pre-run, he directed onto a section that paralleled the hi-way.  The
trail had "marker flags" from an old race, which was confusing.  It was a
relatively flat section with rollers, so we were moving pretty fast (for
the desert) - about 80-90 mph.  However, I knew there were no sections on
this race that paralleled the hi-way.  So, I asked him (intercom, of
course) to zoom out on GPS as I was pretty sure we were off course.   He
got all discombobulated with the GPS, so as we were heading down this trail
at 80-90 mph, I reached over with my right hand and started to zoom us
out on the GPS.

Well......  since this was not a currently marked course (but was part of
an old course), I did not see any "danger" or "down arrow" markers. But, of
course, I was taking my eyes off the trail to help with the GPS.  DUMB DUMB
DUMB DUMB.  I should have pulled over and checked where we were.

Next thing I knew we were flying across a 50-foot wide, 12-foot high
culvert next to the highway.  I remember seeing three big 4-foot pipes
side-by-side going under the adjacent highway, with the sides of the
culvert reinforced with concrete.  As we were sailing a long way over this
culvert, we both simultaneously said "Oh shit".  We had a pretty good ramp
on the side we left and I was praying we might clear the culvert.  As the
car started nosing down, I knew we weren't going to make and it, and I
thought to myself "I just killed my navigator."  I am still amazed how it
went in slow motion.

Well, since I am writing this..... we must have made it.

Thankfully, the car hit dirt about 3 feet down from the top of the opposite
of the culvert, about two-feet to the left of where the concrete ended.  We
were nosed down enough that it flipped us up and over the culvert in a
grand pirouette onto the trail as it continued past the culvert.  We
flipped 5-6 times and landed on our roof.  I was alive!!!! I radioed my
navigator and asked if he was ok, and he said yes.

At about that same time, totally coincidentally, out main chase vehicle was
heading down that highway and came across this upside-down racecar on a
trail.  The crew said - "Oh shit, those poor __ckers."  Then they realized
it was their team car.

To end the story, the car needed a ton of work -- bending cutting cage,
welding new cage, remounting this that and the other.  We barely got it
through tech, and worked through the night again.  We made the race, we
finished 3rd, and ended up finishing third in the championship and one of
only 4 teams that finished every mile of race in Mexico that year.  We even
finished 3rd in the Baja 1000.

This incident was totally my fault, and one of the dumbest mistakes I ever
made in my 36 years of racing.  I could have killed my navigator.  I don't
know if I have ever mentally recovered from it -- I usually always drive
now with some reserve.

Regards,

Steven G. Lisa, Esq.
*The Law Offices of Lisa & Lesko, LLC*
Email: SteveLisa at PatentIt.com
Direct: 480-442-0297

www.PatentIt.com <http://www.patentit.com/>

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On Fri, Apr 15, 2022 at 12:04 PM DENNIS ANTENUCCI <teampantera at yahoo.com>
wrote:

> Amen Steve….hey it’s Good Friday today and Easter on Sunday… Let’s hear
> some confessions. I know Steve and I are not the only ones with a story to
> tell.
>
> Okay racers….What was your best moment?
>
> Father Antenucci, heading to confession later today
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Apr 15, 2022, at 11:59 AM, Steve Lisa <stevelisa at patentit.com> wrote:
>
> 
> Sad to say, but I have done worse on track while racing.  Sometimes not my
> fault, several times definitely my fault.   :((.
>
> But I agree, this is truly stupid.
>
> Regards,
>
> Steven G. Lisa, Esq.
> *The Law Offices of Lisa & Lesko, LLC*
> Email: SteveLisa at PatentIt.com
> Direct: 480-442-0297
>
> www.PatentIt.com <http://www.patentit.com/>
>
> *Scottsdale Office* | *P*: 480.535.6656  |  *F:* 480.535.6628  |  *A:* 7689
> East Paradise Lane, Suite 2, Scottsdale, AZ 85260
>
> *Chicago Office *|* P:* 312.752.4357  |  *F:* 312.896.5633  |  *A:* 55 E.
> Monroe Street, Suite 3800, Chicago, IL 60603
> This email is intended only for the recipient above and may contain
> confidential and privileged information. If you received this email in
> error please destroy it and indicate such by return email to me. Thank you.
>
>
>
>
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> On Fri, Apr 15, 2022 at 9:37 AM DENNIS ANTENUCCI via TPR <
> tpr at teampanteraracing.com> wrote:
>
>> LOL’ing
>> 😂🤣😂🤣
>>
>> MD
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Apr 15, 2022, at 9:24 AM, Asa Jay Laughton via TPR <
>> tpr at teampanteraracing.com> wrote:
>>
>> Not a real good close up but it looked like a casual veer off into the
>> right lane and smack into the post of the Goodyear sign.  It didn’t look
>> like a loss of control due to an up shift (at least not to me but again it
>> was too far away).  Maybe he passed out from the acceleration?
>>
>> ;)
>>
>> Asa  Jay
>>
>> Sent using Jedi Mind Tricks
>>
>> On Apr 15, 2022, at 08:55, Lee Pedersen via TPR <
>> tpr at teampanteraracing.com> wrote:
>>
>> 
>>
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIY8tkbsHe8
>>
>>
>> Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
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