Any Updates on Head and Neck Restraints from SCCA?

I just spoke with my area Director, Bob Introne, and voiced my opinion regarding the issues here. He was open minded, and supportive, and very approachable. I'm not sure he wants his views repeated here, but I was pleased and relieved to find him so open to the discussion.

I encourage others to do the same. Go to your regions website, get the contact info, and call or write. I think that they would like to know what you think, and it's our job to let them know how we want our club run.
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When a fast track asks for member input or when we do want to give input on a specific topic such as this one whome are we suposed to e-mail? If I didn't follow the correct process please disreguard the rest of my nasty rant, and accept my appologies.

It has been well over a month since my e-mail went out to whom I thought I was suposed to e-mail. I am curiouse if anyone got a responce from the [email protected] or [email protected]. I personally enjoy speaking to Bob and I respect him in the highest degree, however I will say publicaly and to him how disapointed I am in the top levels of the SCCA organization. I have no idea if he recieves the e-mails sent to [email protected] or not, so I do not want my comments to reflect on him as an individual leader.

Anyway, I was disapointed to say the least that I got no responce from anyone at the e-mails [email protected] or [email protected]. I wrote asking seriose questions from a future "steward" , "Steward in training" , "driver" , and/or "outsiders" (lawyers) point of view. I did recieve responces from other stewards saying that my questions were good questions. I refuse to use my personal contacts to get a hold of someone as I am "testing" the process from a less involved members point of view who still wishes to be herd.

For now I will say that no responce from the "powers that be" means they really don't care about the potential rule being enforced or not. I have a bit of a bitter attitude about this, yes. Simply because nobody bothers to reply or care what we (you and I) think. If we (drivers and stewards alike) can't get answers then how are we suposed to respond?

Did someone say like 100's of posts earlier that SCCA NATIONAL has problems? I now agree... My honest current opinion is the heck with SCCA National, and to each region thier own!!! :happy204:

Raymond "VERY DISAPOINTED :dead_horse: " Blethen

PS: I hope my post doesn't bite me in @$$ but if someone reads this who actually cares and has "power" then maybe you will see thier is a breakdown in the system that is suposed to exist... Don't be mad at me (get over yourself and realize your not perfect either), realize the system isn't working and fix it. I am a little SIT and obviosly can't fix it, as noticed in the failure of recieving a responce from anyone other than other stewards whome I respect but also can't seem to fix the problem.
 
I know I'm jumping in way late here not having read all 16 pages, however, this video is me hitting the wall straight on at Daytona on the bank at turn 1 at over 90 mph several weeks ago. Had I not had my ISAAC on, I doubt I would be here today. At the end of the accident, even after being knocked silly, there was no issue in popping the two helmet pins and going out the window. I don't even want to think how I would have climbed out the window with a Hans. I'm not going out on the track without an Isaac

crash occurs around the 4 minute mark

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7738901058081551810

mark
 
I know I'm jumping in way late here not having read all 16 pages, however, this video is me hitting the wall straight on at Daytona on the bank at turn 1 at over 90 mph several weeks ago. Had I not had my ISAAC on, I doubt I would be here today. At the end of the accident, even after being knocked silly, there was no issue in popping the two helmet pins and going out the window. I don't even want to think how I would have climbed out the window with a Hans. I'm not going out on the track without an Isaac

crash occurs around the 4 minute mark

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7738901058081551810

mark [/b]
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Um, Mark, you just f*#^ing with us, or did you link to the wrong video?
 
Um, Mark, you just f*#^ing with us, or did you link to the wrong video?
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I don't think it was his video, but the video from someone behind him. At ~4:24 you can see a car hit the wall shortly after they went back out onto the banking. I'm guessing that that was Mark.
 
I don't think it was his video, but the video from someone behind him. At ~4:24 you can see a car hit the wall shortly after they went back out onto the banking. I'm guessing that that was Mark. [/b]
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Thanks Bill. I actually saw that, but I guess the "this video is me" part threw me. I was waiting for the car taking the video to wreck.
 
Sorry if I threw you guys off......This video is from a car about 4 - 6 cars behind me and as he is coming out of the infield at turn six, you can see me in front hitting the wall

mark
 
Sorry if I threw you guys off...... [/b]
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No problem, that's what happens when you're sitting at your desk, answering the phone, answering questions from other people in your office, trying to finish a schedule that should have been done Friday, and trying to watch a video all at the same time. Guess I should have let the phone ring, huh :D ?

Man, that looked like a hard hit - that "soft" wall didn't look so soft!
 
As stated - I will never leave the grid without the Isaac on. My head/neck moved just enough to prevent ANY injury. I had one day (Tuesday) where my neck was a little stiff, gone by Wednesday. Isaac works and works well......I would even consider not racing SCCA anymore if they stop me from wearing it. PCA, NASA, PBOC, HSR, SVRA have no problem with it and even encourage the use of 'Neck Restraint Systems'. There's lots of racing out there if SCCA stops us here.

Mark
 
When a fast track asks for member input or when we do want to give input on a specific topic such as this one whome are we suposed to e-mail?[/b]
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I sent my comments to my BoD member (via the e-mail address on the SCCA website) to a BoD member I know from my last division, to the CRB and to our RE. I got no responses from anyone. Not even a "thank you for your input".
 
I sent my comments to my BoD member (via the e-mail address on the SCCA website) to a BoD member I know from my last division, to the CRB and to our RE. I got no responses from anyone. Not even a "thank you for your input".
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Normally I wouldn't make this suggestion, but hit the regions website and call your director...this is something thats pretty important, and once the writing is in the book, it'll never come out.
 
I sent my comments to my BoD member (via the e-mail address on the SCCA website) to a BoD member I know from my last division, to the CRB and to our RE. I got no responses from anyone. Not even a "thank you for your input".
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I received a response for Lary Dent immediately and so did others. I was told by my area director that the response - number of letters and e-mails - for this issue was HUGE. Maybe they truly did't have time when you wrote. They get the e-mails and letters.
 
I sent comments and video link to Terry and got an immediate response:

"Thanks for the info Mark. I will forward it to the Club Racing Board which is the group reviewing the matter.
Sincerely,
Terry

Terry Ozment
Director of Club Racing
800-770-2055 x 304
785-232-7214

[email protected] "
 
Well, I guess my membership isn't worth it as I never got a responce from any BOD members... maybe I should give up volunteering for them and simply concentrate on myself... I've never done that in my SCCA career since I was 7 or 8 years old in the old timing booth... Hummmm This whole thing is politics and lawyers at thier best. I deal with that crap enough at work, no need to deal with that crap doing something I am suposed to enjoy doing.

Until I get a responce to my questions I will publically state that I would NEVER protest or disqualify someone for wearing an ISAAC or similar if the rules comes into play. If that jepordises my ability to graduate to a steward so be it. If it throws me out of the SIT program, your loss not mine. Someone should friggen pay attention. I know this site gets viewed by many involved in SCCA, and I know someone recieved my dam e-mails.

and no Jake, I am not sending any specific e-mails to any board members. I sent it to [email protected] and that should be good enough. If it isn't then the SCCA website should indicate that. If you think that this is sooo important then you can feel free to send my name and my posts along to anyone who is to busy for me that is suposidly "running" SCCA. I have always felt SCCA is run on a local level and I will continue to feel that way until someone actually does something that members want.

I am also pissed that I don't think they every pay attention to over half the people who respond. I have never seen a thank you for your input in the Fast Track and I know myself and others have given it. They seem to just pick 2 or 3 names and forget about everyone else.

Raymond "Probably soon to be booted from SIT program" Blethen

PS: Jake when you or anyone else forwards my name along, my e-mail was sent on 7/28/06 specificaly to [email protected]; [email protected] and a specific board member I will not mention for my own good (even though he never replied) as well as a few stewards whome I must say did reply, to bad they are not the ones running SCCA.
 
Dam it Jake...

I sent another e-mail, but not because of the H&N restraint issue, but because the BOD and CRB does not care about moulding or developing future Stewards and Leaders of this organization. In my e-mail it does have a copy of my original e-mail that lists 6 seriose questions that as an SIT I should know and as a concerned member they should know the answers to.

My last e-mail (todays only) went to:

The competition Racing Board: [email protected]
The Board of Directors: [email protected]
The Chairman of the Board of Directors, Bob Introne: [email protected]
The President, Chief Executive Officer, Jim Julow: [email protected]
The Executive Assistant, Aimee Thoennes: [email protected]
The Risk Manager/Legal Counsel, Pete Lyon: [email protected]
The Director, Club Racing, Terry Ozment: [email protected]
The Manager, Club Racing Events, Wyndi McCormick: [email protected]
The Manager, Club Racing, Deanna Flanagan: [email protected]
The National Administrators of Stewards, Costa Dunias: [email protected]


If it should go to anyone else in the entire organization please let me know, I will send my disapointments to them directly.

Raymond "errrrr" Blethen
 
The fun part is that if any of the BoD or CRB read this site they don't have the goods to respond as a couple do on the Production site.

I bet IT puts more money in the coffers than Production. & please no speaches from the ITAC folks.


David :dead_horse: Dewhurst
 
Actually, David, there are several board members (both CRB and BOD) that have responded to many issues here. Let's not start with attacks like that, please.
 
We would like to thank supporters of Isaac systems--and all non-SFI products for that matter--for having expressed their opinions to the Board. We expected a good number to speak up, but we are getting the impression that it's one notch short of storming the castle with pitchforks.

Thanks, and have a great weekend!
 
I felt as with my disapointment, I also need to recognize when SCCA "National" does a great job. I received a reply this morning to my e-mail that I sent out and I was very pleased with what it said. Jeremy Thoennes was the respondant. He answered my questions and I certainly understand the position that SCCA is in.

One interesting quote from the e-mail:

SCCA has come to rely on third party organizations such as snell, SFI, and FIA for a majority of our rules for driver apparel as we do not conduct our own product testing nor do we have the resources to develop our own standards.

While I completely understand and agree 100% with this statement (I don't expect SCCA to develop their own standards) the only question I still have is why have the rule in the first place? Is it an insurance requirement or is the SCCA just being smart (proactive) in following what ALL other major racing organizatins are doing?

Jeremy also pointed out to me that the CRB looked at egress times in the past instead of a single release requirement and as recently as 2002 member feedback opposed such a rule. Looks like we dug our own hole and/or the CRB needs to reconsider as times have changed a lot over the past 4 years.

Now I am left very much on the edge of how I feel... One part of me agrees completely with making a rule and unfortunatly putting presure back on greg/ISAAC to work with SFI to prove that his product is safe and get the SFI requirements changed, but the other part says... wait this "other" product may be safer and who are they (SCCA) to say what safety equipment you can run?

I am sure if the internet was around when they required seatbelts or helmets we would all be having the same debate, and now it is just second nature to have a snell rated helmet and SFI rated belts...

Raymond " :unsure: " Blethen
 
I received a response for Lary Dent immediately and so did others. I was told by my area director that the response - number of letters and e-mails - for this issue was HUGE. Maybe they truly did't have time when you wrote. They get the e-mails and letters.
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If it was a huge response they don't seem to be paying any attention. This whole issue has been ridiculous and could have been solved in a number of simple ways, many of which have been discussed in this thread. If this is a legal issue then why not just have those of us wishing to use non-SFI devices sign some sort of waiver acknowledging that we understand our device is not SFI compliant and we accept responsibility for said devices operation. Keep the waiver on file at SCCA headquarters. Put the useless lawyer the SCCA has to some good use by creating the waiver in legalese.

This issue pisses me off so much because a number of workable solutions were available yet the boards don't seem interested in them. For what is supposedly a member driven organization we seem to be getting ignored.

David
 
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