101 replies to this topic

[Tyler Kicera]

 

I was watching from the hill in turn 4.  I caught the wreck out of the corner of my eye but it looks like I only saw about the last 10% of his stupidity.  If Phelp's video isn't enough evidence he has no business being on a race track, I don't know what is.  I really feel bad for everyone who was torn up as a result...such a shame.   

 

As many have hinted at here and in the past, mixed class racing is tough.  In particular this is especially true when you have experienced drivers in low momentum cars racing with higher horsepower vehicles.  I can't tell you how many times last year running Pro-IT I was almost run into, run off the track, or collected in someone elses mess.  Danny asked me this weekend why I wasn't running STL.  I told him I can't afford it.  Extra entry fee and tires aside, its just not worth the risk to me.  

[suck fumes]

It didn't look like the Z even attempted to turn. He just popped the mustang then kept going.

But yah if that's the contingency guy you know he isn't getting penalized.

[RacerX]

Yikes!!

[Parity]

Really frustrating to watch. I was hoping to double dip in STL this year but this makes me reconsider. Running SM/SM2 was great but SM/STL has me concerned.

 

Contingency guy or not that needs to be addressed or lower car counts will result.

[Glenn Davis]

What a clown.

[Caveman-kwebb99]

Really frustrating to watch. I was hoping to double dip in STL this year but this makes me reconsider. Running SM/SM2 was great but SM/STL has me concerned.

 

Contingency guy or not that needs to be addressed or lower car counts will result.

 

While there may be greater risk in some ways racing STL or even racing NASA mixed groups for that matter, it is a great way to learn trafic skils and passing skills that will come in handy in a spec miata race down the road...  You have to develope a keen sense for what is going on 360 degree around you, when you deleope that skill it will often keep you out of trouble even within the spec miata race.  I have avoided pounding into spinning cars many times and i dont know I would be able to do that nearly as well without racing in mixed groups and being forced to keep my eyes always scanning and looking up the track to see whats coming next as well and knowing i had better know what a mirror is for.

[Derrick Ambrose]

Being a B-Spec driver you get really good at awareness of who/what is going on around you being the slowest cars out there.  It has made me a much better driver over the past 3 years of club racing on all front especially awareness.  I think the 350z driver should spend some time in a slower car to be a better driver.

 

They do something similar to this in Rally to keep new people from getting killed.  You have to accumulate a certain amount of time in a car before you can jump into the open class AWD machines.

 

On a side note the only event I have been worried about was last year where I had GT-1 cars in the run group with me.  I would be half way down the either straight at Portland and they would pass me before I got to the end.

 

-Derrick

[Brandon]

Mixed class racing is the single best way to teach a driver how to do any number of things though this Datsun driver needs to go back to Racing School 101.

From setting up a pass of a slower or similar speed car, to keeping your head on a swivel checking your mirrors for the faster ones coming up on you these are skills you should have honed to be able to compete at the pointy-end of the field.

 

Unfortunately we (SCCA) do have a tendency to drop folks into the deep end when it comes to competition and perhaps this would be a supporting data point about keeping people as "Club Racers" versus "Majors Racers" for their first 12 months without accomplishing 'outstanding school reports' or previous successful on-track competition results.

 

*shrug*

 

Bad result all around and especially galling considering the Steward's and the driver's response(s) or lack thereof.

[RazerX]

As someone who has run four 25 hour races, mixed class racing can be awesome.   In the 25 that race you can have 70 or 80MPH difference so your spatial awareness better be in tune.  So while mixed class racing does add more opportunities for bad decisions, it is not the mixed class as much as it is quality of drivers and the decisions they make.   Clearly this guys needs to be back on a rookie book.

 

On the west coast NASA imposed a mandatory camera in all SM and all contact should be filed.  I do feel there some "human" factor in the outcome.  However twice last year two individuals had multiple races with questionable decision making. On was sat out for a couple races and the other the rest of the season.  Yes there is a lot of subjectivity that we can't get away from.  But I really liked that they looked at contact forms and videos and saw a trend.  The heard complaints from fellow drivers and they responded.  It is not perfect and sometimes the police are at the donut shop but mostly it is better than it was with most of the rules enforced most of the time. 

[powerss]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/_ji4UXJtDeU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

I look at this video from last years runoffs differently after reading about this.

 

http://youtu.be/_ji4UXJtDeU

[Caveman-kwebb99]

Was just thinking, posts on the Nisan facebook page about the incident, as well as personal letters written to the Nissan motorsports division might get the needed response in this matter, as its hard to believe Nissan wants their racing brand associated with this type of behavior...  Seems pretty clear to me they are trying hard to promote their racing efforts going as far as displaying Paul Newmans Car and all the history there.

[Todd Lamb]

Follow the money: more wrecked cars = more parts sales. Mazda must be paying this guy off!

[Caveman-kwebb99]

Follow the money: more wrecked cars = more parts sales. Mazda must be paying this guy off!

 

This guy obviously belongs to Drago, its he who is profiting from bent sheet metal the most lol...

[CruzanTom]

 

 

I look at this video from last years runoffs differently after reading about this.

 

http://youtu.be/_ji4UXJtDeU

 

Well, it definitely wasn't John Morton driving the Nissan at VIR!

 

Mike, I have been away for a few weeks and missed VIR. Sorry to see the carnage that you and the others suffered. I look forward to racing against you again when you get things put back together.

 

Tom

[Parity]

Was just thinking, posts on the Nisan facebook page about the incident, as well as personal letters written to the Nissan motorsports division might get the needed response in this matter, as its hard to believe Nissan wants their racing brand associated with this type of behavior...  Seems pretty clear to me they are trying hard to promote their racing efforts going as far as displaying Paul Newmans Car and all the history there.

That doesn't work. Back in 2010 I was in serious contention for the Rodgers' Family Burlap Sack run when I was intentionally punted by an over aggressive competitor who incidentally went on to win. I appealed to the Rodgers family but nothing was done because this guy was their poster child. He was even using later model Burlap with elastic stitching so there was no parity.

[Caveman-kwebb99]

That doesn't work. Back in 2010 I was in serious contention for the Rodgers' Family Burlap Sack run when I was intentionally punted by an over aggressive competitor who incidentally went on to win. I appealed to the Rodgers family but nothing was done because this guy was their poster child. He was even using later model Burlap with elastic stitching so there was no parity.

 

     

[Jeff Wasilko]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/_ji4UXJtDeU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

I look at this video from last years runoffs differently after reading about this.

 

http://youtu.be/_ji4UXJtDeU

 

Is it the same yellow Z mowing the lawn?

[powerss]

Sure is, at least the same driver
.

[Tyler Kicera]

Here was my race from Sunday.  Last few laps were fun racing Danny for 4th.

 

http://youtu.be/myDtX4jiDjA

[Danny Steyn]

Thanks for posting that video Tyler. Had a blast racing with you at the end. I thought I had put in enough of a gap on the last lap through the uphill esses but you really closed in through South bend and "Oak Tree".

 

Your slide coming out of Hogpen was what killed you and of course the draft and side draft. Thats about as close a finish you can have, and about the most fun you can have in a race car. Will race with you anytime. Such FUN!!