God was with me. Me and LS-1 almost crashed.

[Mercury]

God was surely with me Tuesday. I've had some close calls while racing when I first started doing it years back. Most of them didnt really indanger me or anyone else. I've been thankfull and thank god for such.

Tuesday, for the first time, racing put me in a place that I could almost see the face of death. Now, I never fooled myslef into thinking I'm invicible, but I learned recently that I have became a little to comfortable with my luck. I'm still shaken up. I wont stop racing, but I'm looking at it through a renewed perspective.

On the way to work, I was going down Cliffdale Rd. Half way to work. Not a cloud in the sky, my surronding were bathed in sun light. My mind was on Marya, I had just made arrangements to have flowers and ballons delivered to her work place for Valentines day.

Red catches my eye, it always does. Its in the form of a LS-1 Z-28. He was cruising beside a new V-Tec Prelude. Talking to the guy.After about 2 miles of curising 10 miles below the limit while these two cruised side beside shooting the breeze, I became Irrate. I fell back, and down to 25 MPH, then dropped it in Second, and Nailed it.

Yep, as I expected they heard me. The guy in the Z looked back and saw me. We caught an light, and the Prelude at the last minute moved over behind the Z to give me a lane next to the Z28. From observeing the Z earlier, I came to the conclusion that it was an auto.

The guy reved, normal racing fare. He looked back at his freind behind him and gave him the thumbs up.

Like I have so many times before, I scanned the area looking for cops or potential hazards. None. I readied myself. Shifter in hand, pulse quickining, gaze on the swaying light. I was ready.

The light changed. I was untop of it the nano second it changed. I spun for a brief moment. He did also. I hooke a second before him. I puleed on him about a car length up to 60 MPH. Car lenght as in about 8 feet between front and rear bumpers.

At about 100 he pulled his nose to my rear bumper. He shut down. Then I did. We caught another light together.

He was obviously wanting a second round. He began lurching foward and jumping it. I was more than happy to oblige. Show him up again infront of his Little Prelude buddy.

Same scene diffrent light. But this time, the right lane he was in, ends. ITs inbetween a quarter mile, and eigth of a mile stretch. So if he wanted to get over, he was going to have to pass me.

The light changed, and we both hooked. I had the quicker reaction time again. This time he stayed like a foot behind my rear bumper. We were approaching 90 MPH, and he was falling a little further back. I looked over to my right for a split second to see where he was. I was shifting getting ready to shift into fourth when I looked straigh ahead.

In that split second, a brown blur came out of nowhere and shoot infront of us, taking both lanes. We were right on top of him. WIthout even thinking, I hit fourth, let off the throttle just the littlest bit and swung the car into the dead lane to my left (Which is only 3 feet wide area seperating lanes of traffic. I was a mere two feet from slamming into his rear, and when I shoot over to pass the Brown Chrysler MiniVan, I was a mere inches from his side. Anycloser, I would of broken my mirror.

I heard brakes lock up. My mind was racing, I thought it was the slew of cars coming down the other lane towards me. It wasnt. It was the Z28. He shoot over and had ttwo wheel on the grass. My mind raced.

I thought about how he's in bad shape, having the car half off and half on the road at those speeds is dangerous. I watched him for a moment as my brain was doing all kinds of things at a rate I didnt even know it could. I watched him begin to swerve.

Then as I passed the van, I felt my rear start sliding, and wander into oncoming traffic.

Everything stopped. My heart, the cars, Time. It all Froze except for me. Or so it seemed. No sounds, no movement, just everything seemingly frozen in place. I countered the swerve and came a just a few inches from knocking mirrors off cars heading the other direction.

The car reacted, but to much. The car wandered towards the shoulder. This time, my sense of sound came back. I heard tires squealing. Mire tires. Coming dangerously close to the shoulder and grass. I got the rear to react and straighten out.

My Nostrils flared as I took a burst of shallow breaths. I looked down at my speedo. 100 MPH. In my rear view I made out a red Z28 through the clouds of dirt and dust we both kicked up.

Then I noticed my heart pounding in my chest with a force that I have never felt before.

Believe it or not, the first thing that came to mind was, while looking back in the rear view mirror at the Z28 was "Glad you made it buddy, didnt think you were gonna there for a while." Then I thought about myself.

I got to work and was rather quite. I said a prayer, as I always do at night, but this one was alittle longer than the others.

I commend that guy in the Z28. Thats was some serouis driving on his part to save that car. My hats off to him.

[StoplightWarrior]

Damn, that's some scary stuff. Glad you made it through all that. Did you ever talk to the z28 or prelude guy again? What about the minivan driver?

Same thing happened to a buddy of mine with a z28. He was racing a trans am, and they were neck and neck when an old guy pulled out in front of them, and the z28 had no option but to hit the guy. Luckily, the guy lived, but my friend got 6months house arrest, and is being sued as I write this.

You were lucky. God was on your side today. Again, I'm very happy no one was hurt.

Very well written story by the way, I felt like I was in the car with you, and my heart was beating too!

[VNAMUS in VA]

Holy crap, dude. Wow. Well, I'm glad you made it through alright. We'd miss ya lotz. Glad to hear the Z28 made it, too.

[stanger8172]

Holy shiznit Mercury, I was at the edge of my seat reading that one! Glad you made it out alright!

Maybe if you sprayed a 150 shot of NOS than the minivan would have saw you coming and wouldn't have pulled out? This would be a good excuse to hop up the motor a little more heh? Just trying to look on the bright side.

God must have been with you or you should be a stunt driver! Take care!

[Green9550]

Damn, that was definitely one of the best stories I have read in a long time.

It really did feel like I was there with you. I was nervous just reading it, it must have scared the living ***** out of you. Did you have to clean your seat up with you got to work? lol. I know I would have had to.

Sorry that happened to you though. I have been in some very tight situations before, nothing as close as that, but close enough. I always say to myself, I have to quit this *****, but I never do, it is just too fun. Oh well. Take it easy. Have fun, but try not to kill yourself.

-Billy

[Mercury]

Thanks guys. I'm glad I made it through that one also. I was thinking of throwing in the towel on the racing thing, but I knew I would only be lying to myself, and a few days (Or even hours) I'd be at it again.

No, I didnt get a chance to talk to the Prelude guy or the Camaro guy. I didnt have a chance to give my piece of mind to the MiniVan driver also. Although I wasnt really in the frame of mind to fuss at anyone. I was to busy checking myself to make sure I was all there.

Nah, didnt poo myself. Surprised I didnt. It was an extremely close call. I'm so surprised I didnt loose it and wreck, or smash into the van. I'm surprised the Camaro didnt either. That had to be a sight to see. At 90+ MPH. Gesh. I shudder just thinking about it.

[venumus93]

MERC:
hey man, glad you & everyone else are all OK. incredible story. my heart was pounding as i read through the story. coming home from work in the rain last week i got sideways just after i got off the on ramp onto the interstate, & 3 semi trucks were waiting to take me out if i spun. i was lucky too, but scared to death since then, just like you must have felt. it just reminds us all not to take anything for granted & keep a good lookout when doing the street racing thing. take it easy. later!

[Unit 5302]

Wow dude. You're damn lucky to be here. Catching a fishtail at 90mph+ is no easy task. I just pulled out of a quick *** end kick at 70mph+ the other day.

I hate it when people don't fricken look before they pull out, but it's never a controlled environment on the street. That's why I leave the serious racing to highways. Too much traffic most of the time anymore, anyways.

[Beavis]

Like everyone else, i gota give it to you bro, great story.

Reading your story twice makes me remember how i came close to spinning out in the rain 3 times already... gota be carefull out there

[Beavis]

Such a good story, that i wanna make sure its kept. I placed it on my website, hopefully your not mad mercury... If you don't want it up, let me know.

Mercury's Close Encounter

[RAGE_5.0]

man merc that was one close call. Glad everything turned out all right. I an't imagine being half on the grass at 90 mph. Peopel in mini vans and suv's are the worst. Did u go back and check out the marks from the fishtail?????? i think that would have been a sight to see 2 cars fishtailing at 100mph.


Man I was on the edge of my seat for that story. I can't imagine how lucky you were. Good driving


JAMES

[Mercury]

I dont mind at all Beavis. Now that I reread it, I see that I made some typo's, but what the hell. I'm flattered that someone wanted to keep one of my posts.

I didnt get a chance to look yesterday (Wednesday), I had to go to Durham for a confrence. But today I looked. I saw the marks were the Z28 locked his brakes for a moment (I thought Anit-lock would of prevented that from happening). And I saw faint marks were I broke traction. Very faint. Probably because I hit a patch of dirt in the dead lane, thats what I think caused me to start fishtailing. Looking at the lines, I started fishtailing when I whipped the car to go around the Mini Van. I still dont see how the Z28 made it out intact. He must of been inches from trees. I know his car has to have scratches on the passenger side from the brush not to far off the road.

That had to be the longest few seconds of my life.

Something that I dont quite understand (Someone who knows the human brain well, might be able to explain this.) But why did I loose all sense except sight.

I mean all of a sudden, everything went out except for sight. No sound. No smell, No sense of touch, and everything went into slowmotion. Real slow motion.

I've had the slowing time thing happen twice before. Once in my first accident when I hit a stopped car at 60 MPH, and the second when the rear end of my 64 1/2 swung sideways at a high rate of speed in a race.

[Beavis]

probably because so much adrenaline rushed in, that you lost your senses, except for your sight which you were concentrating on most.

i dont mind the typos, if you want you can fix um and email it to me dr_beavis_01@yahoo.com ...but the story is dam good =)

[66 Racer]

Man, im glad to hear that no one was hurt, as well as the cars making it out alright too.

About a week ago i had some trouble in the rain when going on the 605 on ramp. I had 3 people including me in my car and it was heavy rain.

While geting into 3rd the rear wheel starts to spin, next thing i know the car is begining to slide. To my right is a drop where there is nothing there to hold me from falling, to my left a slight curb accompanied by oncoming traffic.

I begin to counter steer, sways right then left at about 40mph, feels like its gonna go straight then out of no where the car does a 180 into the oposing traffic over the curb.

As I went over the curb sideways things felt like they were going in slow motion, sparks are flying and cars are passing, my hands turning the wheel to counter not even thinking just doing. The car finally stops, amazingly it is right next to the curb and still in the emergancy lane, cars moving only slightly to avoid me.

I pause for a breif second and get a smirk on my face, i was happy that no one was hurt, no to get out into the right direction. Finally i just hit it into reverse make a U-turn onto the onramp then hit it into 1st and take off.

At this point i could only think about what damage my car went through. Especially after putting new rims. I let my hands off the wheel... my car is going striaght, alignment must not be off. 1st sign of reliefe, now to check my pipes, headers, traction bars and everything else.

When my friends and i arrive to the in&out nothing seemed wrong with my car, rims not even scratched, only thing that happened was a bent traction bar which was already dented from i dont know what, i think it saved my mufflers.

My friends that were in the car behind me thought i was going to get the car straight before it spun, i guess the rain makes it VERY VERY hard to predict. On the way home, my friend with the honda that was behind me ended up hitting me from behind when his car slid a bit on a red light, no big deal, my bumper slightly got bent inwards, but i have a straight spaire one, my friend got a little dent on his hood and a broken light.

I guess the day went from good, to bad, but at least no one was hurt.

Stay safe guys

-=---- Anthony

[langley]

dude,that sh*t was scary,great story,one of the best stories I've read on this forum yet,glad you made it out alright, even though it was close,I give you props on bringing it out of the fishy at such a high rate of speed-keep up the good driving.

ps.did you win[I guess you can say you both won,you won to keep your lives and cars]

[93cobrah]

Man that was a scary story glad you'll made it out alive. These cars are faster than we think they are traveling at that speed things happen quick

[ghostfacedriver]

great story, well written. I give it an A+ (he he). Anyways glad nobody got hurt, i can tell how scary that would be. It was an very interesting story to read, i was on the edge of my seat the whole time!

[Milktasd]

That was close, wasn't it? I would have pissed my pants. I have lost traction with my old tires just driving in the rain at 60 MPH. That was some scary stuff! That is why I try to look for cars first. But sometimes you can't see it coming. Dont die!!!!!!!!!

[96SNAKE]

Man, that is some scary stuff Merc. I've been there too and it was enough to make me keep my shannigans on the highways for the most part when I can control myself. Glad to hear you both made it out unscathed.

[ReefBlueCoupe]

precisely why you don't race on roads with entrances or ending lanes. if either of you would have wrecked and died, you probably would have made it to the Darwin Awards website. Imagine how your mom would feel reading that the next time you decide to make such a foolish decision.