Letting off Steam

[dj10]

I’ve been racing for quite a few years but this weekend at the IT Fest takes the cake, on Sat. in group 2. I’m not sure what race the corner workers were watching but it wasn’t the one that many of the spectators saw! The funny thing about this is that the corner worker only wanted to site me for and penalize me 1 position:
6.11.1 On Course Driver Conduct
A. Drivers are responsible to avoid physical contact between cars on
the race track.
Not one of the corner workers called in what should have been called in on the Porsche:
6.11.1 On Course Driver Conduct
B. Each competitor has a right to racing room, which is generally
defined as sufficient space on the marked racing surface that under
racing conditions, a driver can maintain control of his car in close
quarters.
C. Drivers must respect the right of other competitors to racing room.
Abrupt changes in direction that impede or affect the path of
another car attempting to overtake or pass may be interpreted as
an effort to deprive a fellow competitor of the right to racing room.
While trying to catch the Porsche a lap car VW who was not watching his mirrors or the blue flags could have been sited with:
6.11.1 On Course Driver Conduct
D. The overtaking driver is responsible for the decision to pass another
car and to accomplish it safely. The overtaken driver is responsible
to be aware that he is being passed and not to impede or block the
overtaking car. A driver who does not use his rear view mirror or
who appears to be blocking another car attempting to pass may be
black flagged and/or penalized, as specified in Section 7.
6.11.2. Hand Signals
A. A driver should signal his intention to enter the pits from the course
by raising his arm.
B. An overtaken driver should point to the side on which an overtaking
driver should pass.
After being accused and penalized falsely I will add on Sat. I just packed up and left totally discussed and disillusioned! I was not going to take a chance just in case the Porsche runs into me again and I get penalized again.
There were multiple witnesses not only from people watching the race but from people right behind the incident that not one of the SOM’s asked me to present. Anyone who has raced with me and knows me will tell you that I’m not a dirty driver and I do not lie. I respect the corner workers and some of them are great people but on Sat. some of or a corner worker blew it. I can look at myself in the mirror and know I was right….can they?

 

[Knestis]

"Pull up your skirt and appeal..Allice"

K

 

[mossaidis]

video says a million words...

 

[CRallo]

video says a million words...

mine plays at 32,000 words a second



but in all seriousness, not everyone is perfect and not everything is as clear cut as it seems from one point of view... Give the system a chance. Giving up and packing up hurts everyone

that said, It sounds like you got a serious short end of the stick, I feel for ya man...

got anymore details or video so that we all can learn from this?

 

[CRallo]

Dunno the details, but this sounds something like what happened to tGA at the Glen a while ago. Kakashi had to write that car off, a totally senseless waste :/ the only one that made out on that deal was Kessler, who was commissioned to build the new car lol

 

[dj10]

You guys are right a video unit is in the cards. I guess the honor system I've been going by doesn't cut it any more even with SCCA workers. :~( I would think if they weren't 100% sure of what they saw, they wouldn't say anything. I hope there was no bias. K, I should have appealed but i didn't learn about the witnesses until after the 30 min mark.

Wow, I'm still really bummed out about this.

 

[GKR_17]

Still have time to appeal, just make sure to include evidence not seen by the first court.

edit - or was it a CSA? You'd have to protest that action first at the track to be able to appeal later. I believe any penalty imposed by the SOM's can be appealed within the 7 day limit per the GCR.

 

[RacerBill]

Dan: As a member of the host region to the IT Spectacular, I am sorry that you had an unpleasant experience. On your behalf, there were multiple incidents in Group 2 all weekend that should not have occurred. On behalf of the corner workers, yes, if they are not 100% certain of an incident, with at least two witnesses, they will not report anything. In your case, it turned out badly.

I missed an opportunity of a lifetime. A friend of mine brought his Dodge Shelby Charger all the way from Pennsylvania to run with my Shelby. He was hoping to get pictures of both of us on the track at the same time. His weekend was ruined on Saturday when an ITR car that was passing him after a point-by, hit his right rear hard enough to bend the axle (remember, the Charger as a beam read axle that has to weigh at least 30 lbs. In Sunday's Race 1, I pointed a couple of ITR cars by on the main straight, and the second on allmost took of my left front fender, moving back over to the right for turn 1. And I was all the way over to the right!

During the opening laps of Sunday Race 2, I entered Turn 14 at speed, no flags out, to find about 75% track blockage, with at least three cars not moving!

So, yes there was some serious lack of respect in group 2.

Again, sorry that your experience was not up to the standards that we strive for with this event.

 

[RedMisted]

Bill, I'm glad you posted.

Please let me know if I'm one of the offending cars. I always try to take great care to be very sporting out on track.

That said, my beef is with the insanity displayed by many of the drivers qualified behind me, and the decision to do "pro" starts...

Case 1: Sat race. Hit from behind by an ITS Miata on the OPENING LAP between T9 and T10a. I went off into the grass, got going again, and then fought like mad to get back every position lost but two.

Case 2: Sun. qually race. Got sideswiped in a very obvious way somewhere in Madness on the OPENING LAP by an ITB VW. What the hell was that all about? I then had to drive 11 laps w/o a sideview mirror. Middle finger put to good use after passing offending car on main straight, and for good reason...

Case 3: Sun. race. Three-wide going from T12 to Carousel. On the OPENING LAP. I'm on the outside. Inside car hits middle car right into me. I spin out in the middle of the track, lose about 10+ positions. Had to fight like hell (again) to finish in my rightful top-ten spot.

Moral of story: Pros start on long back straight. Everybody else starts on main straight. Right? Why were we, a BUNCH OF AMATEURS, doing "pro" starts? What we had this weekend were many clueless drivers trying to sort out in a series of very complex corners what is normally done on a straight followed by a corner followed by another straight. Pros can start in back of M-O, go from Madness to Carousel with very few incidents, because THEY ARE PRO! IT types try to be like pros and do pro starts, but instead wreck each other out....

Todd, if you're reading this, PLEASE go back to main straight starts. I don't wanna have to pay to fix another mirror, a crunched bumper, destroyed pass. door/rear panel and replace assorted trim pieces and flat-spotted tires. A needless waste of $$$$$$, ya know???? And for anybody, for that matter...

Or, next time we do a pro start at M-O, I'll just start in the back, watch the carnage unfold ahead of me, and then pick my opening thru the smoke and debris...

 

[Eagle7]

Case 2: Sun. qually race. Got sideswiped in a very obvious way somewhere in Madness on the OPENING LAP by an ITB VW. What the hell was that all about? I then had to drive 11 laps w/o a sideview mirror. Middle finger put to good use after passing offending car on main straight, and for good reason...

I wish you had protested him. I went to the tower to let them know that I had video if someone was interested.

 

[gran racing]

Everybody else starts on main straight. Right? Why were we, a BUNCH OF AMATEURS, doing "pro" starts?

Sorry, but the location that the flag is being showed has nothing to do with pro vs amateurs. It's merely the location that the start occurs and pro races typically tend to start there. I've done two IT Fests, both of which were on the main straight. I'd much rather start the race on the longer straight - the "pro" starting position for many reasons. The longer straight gives much more of the field an opportunity to see the start and gives more time to get things sorted out. If one is in another class or further back in the field for whatever reason, there's a good chance you'll get the start while still in the turns. There most definately are incidents when getting the start on the "amateur" location.

No matter where the start occurs even if it were on a wide open huge air port, it's up to the drivers to make it happen safely. IMO though, the long pro starting location gives drivers the best opportunity for a safe start.

By the way Chris, Todd and the rest of the region are very in tune to listening what the drivers want. The starts in previous years happened at the other location. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the reason why it was changed to the long straight is because of driver input. If you and other drivers would prefer to start the race on the short straight, ask a few drivers to politely contact Todd offline. They do listen.

 

[924Guy]

While I'll put out the disclaimer up front that I didn't race this year, I did watch. With respect to Group 2 - I think a compounding factor to a poor start might've been lack of a pace car through the Keyhole. The tail end of the pack was horribly strung out; it did not look like the front maintained pace car speed, and all the poor B cars in the back were at race pace well before the Keyhole.

Where does the pace car pull off for the pro starts? I'm thinking of like Sears Point, where it really is the last corner before the green...

One addition - per the final Sat Race results Group 2 we received Sunday, Dan was indeed penalized 1 position for the Sat race. There was apparently another protest unrelated going on which took much longer to resolve, and carried through into Sunday.

 

[RacerBill]

Chris: No, you were deffinitely not one of the offending drivers I mentioned. You did surprise me stopped in the middle of the track between 14 and 15, perendicular to the track at the start of the afternoon race. My video shows that when I came thru 14, there were NO yellow flags out yet! Whow Nellie! I did see you get going, so I was not surprised when you past me on the front straight. By the way, the FCY did not come out until I was past station two and approaching three.

I think I know who hit you on Saturday. If it is who I think it is, he is a young kid, just starting out. Needs to go back to Driver's School and learn how to race, which is a lot different than knowing how to drive. Probably been watching too much NASCAR.

Sorry I did not get a change to meet you in person. I'll have to look you up at Nelson, or your next race at MO.

Take care! Have fun!

 

[BruceG]

If this craziness continues, the only option for racers will be "sacrifice" type 24 hours du Lemons cars. Come prepared to lose your car at every event, go to the junkyard and pick up another.

 

[RedMisted]

No matter where the start occurs even if it were on a wide open huge air port, it's up to the drivers to make it happen safely. IMO though, the long pro starting location gives drivers the best opportunity for a safe start.
QUOTE]

Well, it may just be a matter of opinion. I think it's harder for guys to watch all the close quarters action normally associated with starts, plus negotiate a LONG section of track as tricky and blind as T7 to the Carousel. This is Mid Ohio here, one of the most difficult tracks to race, let alone drive...

IN my three years of racing at 5 different tracks, I never saw anything like what happened on the opening laps this weekend. Maybe it was just rotten luck on my part, but I'd doubt it.

BTW, I'm not mad at Todd.

 

[RedMisted]

I wish you had protested him. I went to the tower to let them know that I had video if someone was interested.

It never crossed my mind... I guess I was too busy trying to repair a mirror for the upcoming race. In fact, I wasn't even sure which VW it was. I thought maybe it was the no. 21-- I had been warned about him once two years ago-- but couldn't tell.

Wish I could have seen the video. Does it show the car's number?

Thanks for offering your help to the proper authorities anyway...

 

[RedMisted]

I think I know who hit you on Saturday. If it is who I think it is, he is a young kid, just starting out. Needs to go back to Driver's School and learn how to race, which is a lot different than knowing how to drive. Probably been watching too much NASCAR.

Sorry I did not get a change to meet you in person. I'll have to look you up at Nelson, or your next race at MO.

We already met. I was the one passing out the "PLN" stickers two years ago at Mid Ohio.

 

[dj10]

On behalf of the corner workers, yes, if they are not 100% certain of an incident, with at least two witnesses, they will not report anything.

This wasn't true this weekend.

 

[Racerlinn]

Dan, my opinion only, but I'm sorry to say that the deal with Kip at the start, in my view from the hill, looked very much like a very deep braking move on your part and an early turn in on his. It looked like a racing deal. Sorry the aftermath went as far as it did, I had the opportunity to speak with Kip since he was in the garage next door to me and he said he simply wanted to race, he wanted nothing to do with any involvement with stewards. Wish you had video, that would have been valueable.

As far as starting on the back stretch, I liked it and I think it was better than starting on the front where the back half of the field is cluttered up in the carousel. But I agree having the pace car bring the field farther around would be helpful.

 

[gran racing]

Even if a person never intends to watch it, video sure can be useful in clearing up perceptions and issues out on track. How many times do drivers think it went down one way (amateur OR pro) when in reality it was a bit different? Often. I now am in the practice of running it anytime out on track during a race weekend just for these reasons.