Ever have someone spin in front of you? Perhaps you recall at some point it looks like the spinning kart has stopped...just to find out, as you attempt to go around, it did not stop.
Check out this video starting around the 40 second mark. Notice the spinning kart appears to stop then it changes direction to the right. This occurs when the slide/spinning stops and the tires regain control of the kart direction.
Here is a rule of thumb: If a spinning kart's wheels are not locked-up, the kart is likely to continue to travel the direction of the wheels that are the furthest towards the original direction of travel. In this case, the rear wheels are pointing a little forward and to the right.
What is the value of knowing this? It might influence your decision to go left or right. For sure, it should be a reminder that if you are going to the side of potential travel...go wide!
In this case at Thhunderhill, only about 2 seconds before impact. It would have been nice if the spinner would have hit the brakes. But then again, if going left, it would have been nice if the spinner let it roll right! Sometimes it is what it is and as Kerry Mathews says in the title, "Bad Day at Thunderhill".
Kerry Mathers Vimeo
