Rough Driving 2008

#1

Please see "General Discussion" sub-title, Install Your Side Net for a lengthy discussion on car-to-car contact and the repercussions (or lack thereof) for the drivers.

As we look toward 2008 it would be prudent to discuss and form a consesus for how contact will be looked upon within our Southeast race group. Concurrently, we will include Carter Hunt, Mike Mills and the SE group of David Cullen,Jim Pantas, Tom Henning with the results of the discusson(s).

Go forthand discuss, or same as before?

Why do I care?

It was easy when I was the only spec e30 racer…All these years and I’ve not run into myself.

Regards, Robert Patton

#2

Patton wrote:

[quote]All these years and I’ve not run into myself.

Regards, Robert Patton[/quote]

You must not be driving fast enough then. No black hole or time warp. Pick up the pace, Patton!

#3

so you’re saying that 2008 is THE year for rough driving?!?! :woohoo:

#4

Seeing as how I haven’t even raced with you guys yet, I probably am not qualified to post an opinion on this subject…but…one of the reasons I decided to race in this series is the strict no contact rules. I hope never to have contact with anyone, but I understand that it happens sometimes.

When it does, it will be my hope that the rules will be enforced appropriately.

Of course, that is probably just the lawyer in me talking.

#5

M3Bill wrote:

[quote]Seeing as how I haven’t even raced with you guys yet, I probably am not qualified to post an opinion on this subject…but…one of the reasons I decided to race in this series is the strict no contact rules. I hope never to have contact with anyone, but I understand that it happens sometimes.

When it does, it will be my hope that the rules will be enforced appropriately.

Of course, that is probably just the lawyer in me talking.[/quote]

Bill, I learned this afternoon that your assumption only applied to HPDE. Good luck finding parts to fix your car. :wink:

#6

Gasman wrote:

[quote]

Bill, I learned this afternoon that your assumption only applied to HPDE. Good luck finding parts to fix your car. ;)[/quote]

I saw that thread. But I have been studying then CCR all night in preparation for the Comp School test and I think the rules, if enforced, are pretty strict.

#7

M3Bill wrote:

[quote]Gasman wrote:

[quote]

Bill, I learned this afternoon that your assumption only applied to HPDE. Good luck finding parts to fix your car. ;)[/quote]

I saw that thread. But I have been studying then CCR all night in preparation for the Comp School test and I think the rules, if enforced, are pretty strict.[/quote]

agreed.

#8

Off the record: I thought it was a 13/13 type of gig. That’s apparently not the case, and now that I’m actually racing, I now appreciate the liberties that are afforded to racers (compared to PCA/BMWCCA). I’m a bondo virgin and would like to keep it that way. To each his own? From me, no official statement as of yet. I’m still to new to the whole system and am watching/learning… not voting. I am starting to see the grey areas and how this is such a difficult thing to police.

#9

Patton wrote:

[quote]Please see "General Discussion" sub-title, Install Your Side Net for a lengthy discussion on car-to-car contact and the repercussions (or lack thereof) for the drivers.

As we look toward 2008 it would be prudent to discuss and form a consesus for how contact will be looked upon within our Southeast race group. Concurrently, we will include Carter Hunt, Mike Mills and the SE group of David Cullen,Jim Pantas, Tom Henning with the results of the discusson(s).

Go forthand discuss, or same as before?

Why do I care?

It was easy when I was the only spec e30 racer…All these years and I’ve not run into myself.

Regards, Robert Patton[/quote]

Robert:

I’ll be glad to discuss the situation with the Southeast folks. I just saw Tom and Jim at the High Rock Raceway town meeting.

Making sure the Southeast NASA Officials know the CCR contact rules is a good thing. Of course, the Southeast Region NASA officials are a bit newer/less experienced and they probably (not 100% sure though) have not delt with many contact protests. If you will organize some kind of meeting with them, I’ll be glad to participate. Doing a "dry run" simulated contact protest will ensure that no surprises come up if/when a real contact protest occurs.

We do dial-in conference calls at work so that might be the way to get everyone together.

Thanks for your efforts.

Carter

#10

A couple more points…mostly for the new guys.

  1. Making sure the drivers know that contact protests and contact points will occur is 90% of the battle. Have this announced at the All Hands Meeting.

  2. After many, many years of club racing, I have found that contact is not inevitable. Drivers can race closely and cleanly. Some are more rough and out-of-control than others and some are clean and fast. Knowing the competition goes a long way toward keeping a race car clean.

Carter

#11

Tom & I are firm believers that anyone can race intensely and still not have malicious contact on the track.

I can assure you that we have been handing out stiff penalties for contact and will be incorporating the CCR points system for contact as well. I have built & rebuilt enough cars over the years to know that the most painful thing is to miss a race weekend because someone hit me in a previous race. We understand that contact can be inevitable, but any contact that results in gaining position or can be viewed as malicious will be swiftly and painfully dealt with.

My advice is:

  1. always play nice
  2. don’t drive over your head

If winning is that important to you that you have to knock someone off the track to do it, then let me know, I’ll be glad to give you one of the $9 trophies and even get the trophy girls to pose with you :wink:

#12

One other thing to consider. We all race because we want to do well. Under the Spec rules most cars are very equal in performance, which usually causes cars to run in groups. The more equal the cars, the bigger the groups, and the more likely there will be contact…thats racinhttp://spece30.com/components/com_mamboboard/emoticons/smile.png
:slight_smile: Chuck

#13

One other thing to consider. We all race because we want to do well. Under the Spec rules most cars are very equal in performance, which usually causes cars to run in groups. The more equal the cars, the bigger the groups, and the more likely there will be contact…thats racinhttp://spece30.com/components/com_mamboboard/emoticons/smile.png
:slight_smile: Chuck