Stewart McColl Killed at Phillip Island - Page 2

FatBoy · 11 Aug 2003, 11:48 (Ref:684919)

Yes, it was a very ordinary weekend that's for sure.
More terrible news, in a terrible year for motorsport...

R.I.P Stewart McColl

Regards,
Paul Bartolo,
Team Chaparral Racing.

Diabando · 11 Aug 2003, 23:04 (Ref:685677)

Awful weekend

May both men rest in peace.

TheGspot · 12 Aug 2003, 00:10 (Ref:685720)

We can only hope that the families of these 2 men have some solice in the fact that they died involved in their passion. May the good lord meet you both and welcome you with open arms. RIP

mha · 9 Aug 2013, 02:57 (Ref:3287459)

Hard to believe it's 10 years since that awful day ... RIP Stewie

rich07 · 9 Aug 2013, 09:37 (Ref:3287536)

It feels a lot longer then a decade.

RIP

PVDA · 9 Aug 2013, 10:27 (Ref:3287553)

In my line of work in Motorsport I've been involved in way too many fatal crashes including this one.

Langers · 10 Aug 2013, 12:04 (Ref:3287953)

Very sad. I owned an R32 and got to know some of the folk who worked for the factory team; it affected them greatly. RIP Stewart.

Denosaur · 13 Aug 2013, 21:35 (Ref:3289452)

Sadly for me I have lived with the memory of that day in-grain in my head for the last 10 years. Every year come August I can help but think of Stewart and what happened. Even worse, the tragic day is also shared by one of my family as a birthday, so it is hard not to forget or move on.

That weekend I was asigned to the Turn 4 flag point. I remember standing there with the yellow flag in my hand, watching over T4 and listening to Stewarts car approaching and then turning when the usual sound of braking and gear changing into the corner didn't happen. I then watched on as the car skipped acrossed the infield towards the tyre wall. All the sounds and images still show clear in my head. I knew something wasn't right after walking out with a broom to clean up gravel on the track, when a cast of thousands turned up.

I'll never forget that weekend and Stewart........

PVDA · 14 Aug 2013, 03:51 (Ref:3289518)

It's the same for me on 29 September Paul which is the anniversary of Don Watson death at Bathurst in 1994.

simonracer · 23 Nov 2017, 01:15 (Ref:3782310)

Plaque Dedicated To Stewart McColl in Newcastle

**GTRMagic** · 23 Nov 2017, 01:58 (Ref:3782320)

Quote:

Originally Posted by simonracer

Plaque Dedicated To Stewart McColl in Newcastle

rich07 · 23 Nov 2017, 02:36 (Ref:3782334)

Bravo. A very nice thing to do.

I know I made a similar comment a few years ago but it really seems like a lifetime ago that he passed. And yet I can still remember the day and hearing of his passing quite vividly. RIP

Langers · 16 Aug 2023, 17:46 (Ref:4173029)

20 years ago now

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3zE...xk6VSW0MoKKEOn

GreenMachine · 16 Aug 2023, 23:01 (Ref:4173050)

I was at a competitive track day there the weekend after, we were warned about the wet grass generally, and at Honda specifically, I think everybody was pretty circumspect, it certainly cast a pall over the drivers briefing when mentioned.

Was a report ever released? I have it in the back of my mind that my acquisition of a HANS device came in part as a result of this accident.

Langers · 17 Aug 2023, 06:16 (Ref:4173064)

I never saw the report, but would like to. I am sure a HANS would have helped a lot. Whilst the R32s did have brake issues with the ABS going into limp mode (rock hard pedal, no retardation) for Stokell, this wasn’t believed to be a contributing factor in Stew’a accident. It did later lead to Paul nearly taking out Justin’s STi at OP, and then actually taking out Rick Shaw’s RX-7 at Wakefield.

Problem was Paul was using both feet on the brake pedal and putting through enormous pedal pressure. Still, it was enough to put me off from tracking / rallying the road version I had at the time.

Mixer · 19 Aug 2023, 02:10 (Ref:4173282)

It was nice to listen to Sleuth's podcast but also difficult at times to hear the emotion in Stewart's father's voice.

I was friends with one of the team mechanics and it was a very difficult time.

There had been discussion of a HANS device within the team but they were very new, a bit difficult, and the decision was made not to have one.

GreenMachine · 20 Aug 2023, 01:49 (Ref:4173419)

Yeah, I wasn't going to start that discussion, but the tenor of the talk at the time was it was head-on impact, and a HANS might/would have made a difference. I know that even though I was not w2w racing, I ordered mine very shortly afterwards.

A bit off-topic, but I was fascinated that the uptake of the HANS devices was so rapid, and spread so quickly through the 'lesser' forms of motorsport. It wasn't long before they were pretty common at club track days, and virtually universal at State-level supersprints (my chosen form of competition). It seemed like most people recognised the safety benefit, and despite the regulators taking their time, jumped on the bandwagon without needing to be pushed.

Denosaur · 29 Aug 2023, 23:42 (Ref:4174565)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Langers

I never saw the report, but would like to. I am sure a HANS would have helped a lot. Whilst the R32s did have brake issues with the ABS going into limp mode (rock hard pedal, no retardation) for Stokell, this wasn’t believed to be a contributing factor in Stew’a accident. It did later lead to Paul nearly taking out Justin’s STi at OP, and then actually taking out Rick Shaw’s RX-7 at Wakefield.

Problem was Paul was using both feet on the brake pedal and putting through enormous pedal pressure. Still, it was enough to put me off from tracking / rallying the road version I had at the time.

You may be able to find the Victorian Coroner's report online somewhere. I was sent a copy by one of our members on here who was also there on the day.

Just can't believe that 20 years has flown by like that...

PVDA · 12 Oct 2023, 13:47 (Ref:4181109)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Langers

Whilst the R32s did have brake issues with the ABS going into limp mode (rock hard pedal, no retardation)

I can remember walking alongside the path the car took after it left the track not long after it happened and noticed no skid marks and just wheel tracks visible in the grass.

Denosaur · 13 Oct 2023, 03:05 (Ref:4181211)

Quote:

Originally Posted by PVDA

I can remember walking alongside the path the car took after it left the track not long after it happened and noticed no skid marks and just wheel tracks visible in the grass.

Just skipped along the top of grass with the brake lights on.... Hitting that wall and then the sound of the dirt landing on TLA's trailer that was parked up on the other side, not a sound I want to hear again, ever!

I've since walked away from being involved with the sport, for many reasons, but this event alone has made it hard to go back to the Island.

PVDA · 29 Oct 2023, 11:41 (Ref:4183514)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denosaur

I've since walked away from being involved with the sport, for many reasons, but this event alone has made it hard to go back to the Island.

Sadly serious injury and fatalities are a part of our sport, in the 38 or so years I have been involved I've witnessed or been involved in 10 fatalities with the most recent earlier this year

On the plus side I've watched the medics perform miracles hundreds of times on seriously injured racers who have gone on to lead successful lives and in some cases win championships.

With McColls crash I got the feeling at the time that despite you guys having seen the brake lights on the brakes were not working.

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