138 replies to this topic

[James York]

Yes it did.  According to the blog, waved green, something happened in the middle/back of the pack in turn 13 blocking the track and then back to FCY.  

[Ron Alan]

Yep...a few cars got together in 12/13 it sounded like as the first FCC went green...Lamb made the pass on Steyn in 5 before the FCC came out again...then time brought out the checkered!

[Waterboy]

Were they racing at an airport

Too bad we didn't see the full 13 lap battle could have been a great one.

Congrats Todd.

[38bfast]

Very happy for Todd but sad for poor Danny. Danny always is so close but it always falls apart for him at the end. Has to be so frustrating for him.

[Jim Drago]

Quick note..
Hopefully no one was hurt. Lots of really torn up race cars. Like 15 plus and I mean torn up.
Quick version.. Danny was smart on restart and slowed to a crawl, He did not brake check or stop and go... Just steadily slowed and gunned it at 14. He knew Erik,Craig and I were going to try and take advantage of him on the restart and he was right, we were. The mid pack anticipated a much different pace and came through full speed from 12-13. The accordion effect was really big and most all the damage occurred at 13-14, before the green.

Hope all are ok! Congrats to Todd Lamb, Danny Steyn and Erik Stearns for the podium!

More later, off to go get ready for STL.

Jim

[Craig Berry]

Congrats to Lamb, Steyn, and my team mate Stearns! I hated to see the all the damage and so few green flag laps, but the bottom line is Todd put himself in position when he had to, and we all knew the 2nd FCY was coming.

I have to Thank Jim Drago for the countless hours of work on my car as well as the other cars under our tent. No way I could do this without all that Jim and his crew does. Thanks to our tireless Crew Chief, Rob (who had a family tragedy last night, but refused to leave until the race was over). Thanks to my family and my dad who has been to every race I have ever raced. Thanks to my team mates Eric and Luke. Its so cool to be at the track with great friends. Novak, Webb, and Frank T. are always fun to have pit with us! THANKS for Supper Club Frank!

Overall not the weekend we wanted, but considering everything not a bad one either.

[RussMcB]

I hesitate to comment from afar, but "slowed to a crawl" sounds dangerous, especially with a big field.

[Tyson Schwiesow]

Great time at my second June Sprints aside from a frustrating feature race for many.  Enjoyed running with Skip Brock in practice and Pat McGinnis in the first STL race.  For the restart on the feature I was sitting 26th and had just crested the top of the hill.  Basically zero time to react.  Every other race I've done at RA on restart I've been left out to dry as cars hammer it through 14.  I think the problem was compounded with the how blind it is coming up over 13 and everyone is hurrying up after the initial rubber band effect coming through Canada.  Racing incident and a learning experience.  Broken diff and front and rear damage, BUT big thanks to Advanced Autosports for getting me back on track with what felt like a brand new car from the driver's seat for the Group 5 STL race. I'd love to learn how to anticipate that in the future to avoid throwing away a race and money. 

[luckymiata76]

I don't know what happened on the restart, but I was in 15th place or so and was frickin' drilled from behind before turn 14 due to the entire field coming to a halt in front of us. I was lucky enough just to suffer a broken diff. housing, others behind me were not so lucky. There were three cars within 30 yards of my paddock spot that had to be pushed into trailers because they were so damaged.

 

That restart was a total cluster! I am embarrassed that fans had to witness this "race."

 

Jeff L

#76

[Danny Steyn]

I think Drago’s post above was somehow meant to defend my actions, but to those not familiar with what happened at the restart, it might come off as if I tried to skunk the field. I did NO SUCH THING.

 

Some have had the balls to say it to my face, some have said it behind my back and some have intimated it in posts. According to many, I caused the crash in T14 back in 15^th place……..

 

REALLY

 

Let’s get this straight. The lead car, me, is supposed to stay behind the pace car and get going when the pace car pulls off into pit lane. The cars behind me are supposed to stay on my tail in single file.

 

Drago says I slowed to a crawl. I DID NO SUCH THING. I slowed to the pace of the lame ass drivers behind me INTENTIONALLY hanging back to get a run and freight train me on the restart.

 

If Lamb, Stearns, Berry, Drago, etc. had been on my tail I would have been keeping the pace car pace at around 40 mph and we would have flown up the hill to the green flag. The mayhem may or may not still have happened.

 

I have plenty of video that makes it pretty clear from my viewpoint, anybody see it differently. Always willing to listen. What I would like to see is the video of the guys at the front of that accordion effect to see what they experienced. I have seen Josh’s  video of the guys in the middle of the accident

 

If every driver in Spec Miata would stop hanging back trying to get a run, and just form up like we are supposed to then this sort of thing would be minimized.

 

I too am really saddened by the carnage. And believe me I will ALWAYS own up to my own mistakes, but don’t try and pin this one on me.

[Zauskycop]

To say that I am pissed would be an understatement. This whole weekend seemed full of this slow down, brake check kind of thing. From qualifying on Friday, where somebody (I was too far back to see) stopped...yes STOPPED the field on pit row, and people were passing on pit row, to THIS! People trying to say we were at full speed at my spot (23 at impact) are completely wrong. Personally I was at the top end of second gear, and giving some good distance in front of me for a slowdown...but not a stop. Danny, as I came through 13, I saw you moving up the straight, but saw nobody behind you...so I believe you there. Someone slowed way the hell down, or tried to create a gap which quickly closed. This was unnecessary, and another "June Sprints Black Eye" for the class. Those up front who feel their actions had nothing do do with it need to reassess their thoughts.

Basically me, and my brand new build, are done for the year... Lots of money will be needed for the rebuild, so lots of saving. I'm just one of the "little guys", who does all his work in his own garage, tows his own car to the track, sleeps in the trailer to save money, and tries to have fun racing. This will surely be my last national race because every bad thing that has happened to me and my car has been at one.

[Jim Drago]

I think Drago’s post above was somehow meant to defend my actions, but to those not familiar with what happened at the restart, it might come off as if I tried to skunk the field. I did NO SUCH THING.

 

Some have had the balls to say it to my face, some have said it behind my back and some have intimated it in posts. According to many, I caused the crash in T14 back in 15^th place……..

 

REALLY

 

Let’s get this straight. The lead car, me, is supposed to stay behind the pace car and get going when the pace car pulls off into pit lane. The cars behind me are supposed to stay on my tail in single file.

 

Drago says I slowed to a crawl. I DID NO SUCH THING. I slowed to the pace of the lame ass drivers behind me INTENTIONALLY hanging back to get a run and freight train me on the restart.

 

If Lamb, Stearns, Berry, Drago, etc. had been on my tail I would have been keeping the pace car pace at around 40 mph and we would have flown up the hill to the green flag. The mayhem may or may not still have happened.

 

I have plenty of video that makes it pretty clear from my viewpoint, anybody see it differently. Always willing to listen. What I would like to see is the video of the guys at the front of that accordion effect to see what they experienced. I have seen Josh’s  video of the guys in the middle of the accident

 

If every driver in Spec Miata would stop hanging back trying to get a run, and just form up like we are supposed to then this sort of thing would be minimized.

 

I too am really saddened by the carnage. And believe me I will ALWAYS own up to my own mistakes, but don’t try and pin this one on me.

 

 

Just to be absolutely clear... I do not blame Danny at all.   Danny did not stop and go, or try to pull anything other than slow all cars into a tight pack to get the "fairest" start.  If my post implied something different, that was not my intention. I told Danny exactly what I said here to his face at the track. I will change "crawl'  to "slower than most anticpated" I typed my post from my phone with limited time before the STL race, so in hindisght,  I could have chose my words more carefully.

 

One person did not cause this wreck.  Had I been in Danny's position, I would have slowed the field in a very similar manner as Danny did.  As a matter of fact, I have done exactly that at road America in races in the past, fortunately there were no crashes, but many were annoyed with me about it and thought I gamed the systems as well, I did not!  I think it was the smartest thing Danny could have done.  A start "by the book", puts the leader 4th -5th at turn one, probably 5th.  I'm sorry, but I am not doing that regardless of what critism I take or what the rule states, I would take my chances.  IMO you have to blame most of the of the guys in and around the crash as well, at least those that accelerated anticipating the green. You have to remember this crash was BEFORE the green, so it was not like anyone in the back had a radio call of the green either.      

[Justin Elder]

I was in 8th place at the restart.  I can assure everyone that although the pace was slow, it was steady from corner 12 through 14 and then the leaders began to accelerate.  There was no "speed up, brake check, speed up" type of thing anywhere at the front.  There was absolutely no accordion effect for me in 8th place.  We were slow but steady and then we accelerated.  Something happened further back to cause this, from my view in 8th the blame for this crash can't be put on anything the leaders did. 

 

It was very disappointing for everyone that we didn't get to race to the finish, the race certainly wasn't over.

[Forrest Landy]

I was in 8th place at the restart. I can assure everyone that although the pace was slow, it was steady from corner 12 through 14 and then the leaders began to accelerate. There was no "speed up, brake check, speed up" type of thing anywhere at the front. There was absolutely no accordion effect for me in 8th place. We were slow but steady and then we accelerated. Something happened further back to cause this, from my view in 8th the blame for this crash can't be put on anything the leaders did.

It was very disappointing for everyone that we didn't get to race to the finish, the race certainly wasn't over.

I was in 14th at the restart so not too far behind you guys and for me and I believe the car in front the restart was a standing start. The stack up affect gets worse the further back in the field it goes. I anticipated something like this to happen so I wasn't flying up but instead at a cautious pace behind 13th. In the end I think it has to be pinned as a racing incident. Nobody intentionally fouled anyone and I believe everyone was within their rights on the restart. It was just a very unfortunate way to end a weekend.

[davew]

I make no implications of any wrong doing by any driver. I am posting these 2 quotes from the GCR for informational purposes only

 

B. Lead Car

1. If there is a safety car, the lead car will control the field, as  follows:

 

i. Smoothly and orderly slow the field prior to the safety car entering the track.

ii. Keep pace with the safety car, and not balk the field.

iii. Maintain the speed of the safety car coming down to a restart.

 

3. The Field

i. All drivers must make every effort to safely catch the field as soon as possible to form a single and evenly-spaced line behind the safety car or leader.

ii. Race cars may not pass the safety car unless waved around by that official. Any car passing the safety car without being directed may be black-flagged into the pits, and other penalties may be imposed, as specified 

iii Drivers must maintain the safety car’s pace and not improve their positions or begin racing until the green flag has been displayed to restart the race.

iv. A driver of a disabled car or a car that cannot maintain the pace should not hold up the field. He must signal that his car is disabled by raising an arm, pulling to the side of the course, and staying well off the racing line. Other drivers may safely pass the signaling vehicle. A driver of a disabled car should seek assistance at the nearest corner station, or pit at the first opportunity.

 

I am sure videos will be forth coming that will show what really happened.

 

Dave

[Danny Steyn]

Dave

 

You are 100% right - those are the rules and we all know them (or should know them), and I honestly would prefer us ALL TO COMPLY WITH THEM

 

HOWEVER, what we, the Spec Miata drivers, did and have been doing for quite some time, knowingly, especially at Road America, is COMPLETELY WRONG.

 

I was totally pissed that the drivers behind me, Lamb, Drago, Berry, Stearns etc, were hanging back. I was committed to going at the pace car speed until it pulled off and then we would go. 

 

However, when the entire field behind you is hanging back, you have no option but to slow to their pace so as not to get freight trained at the start. I had worked my ass off to get to that spot and was not going to allow someone to game me on the restart

 

I know that Drago means very well in the first post and in his 2nd post, but I want to be very clear.

 

I DID NOT SLOW DOWN THE FIELD. I DID NOT WANT TO SLOW DOWN THE FIELD. I SLOWED DOWN TO MATCH THEIR PACE.

 

My video will show it very clearly. 

 

But as I said at the beginning of this post, we, the Spec Miata drivers, have been guilty of disobeying start and restart rules for many years, especially at Road America, where someone hanging back just a few car lengths can leap frog many positions on the starts and restarts. For the most part this has resulted in clean starts and an absence of Turn 1 mayhem. This is the first time that we have had mayhem on a restart as far as I know.

 

Maybe its time to clean up our act. At Road American every other class starts with the green flag, why cant we?

 

Personally I would love it if the Road America officials would hold a radar gun at the starts at the bottom of the hill and black fag cars that went to WOT before the green flag was displayed. And would black flag cars that did not keep up with the pace car or the cars ahead of them on the restarts. 

[Craig Berry]

Restart....from my P4 perspective it did not seem strange. Danny, I hope I am not one of the "lame ass drivers" LOL, I was about 3 or 4 ft off Stearns and Jim was about the same off me....I was only focused on those 2 cars, I did not really look at P2 relative to Danny because my start was only dependent on the car in front and behind me. I told Stearns on the radio that Danny does not play games "he will set some sort of pace, and when he hits the throttle thats it" . I do not know what happened behind me, but I feel for all caught up in it. That being said, I do not think that restart was drastically dif from many that I have been in.

[wheel]

Danny, IMO, you missed with this sentence.  "I was totally pissed that the drivers behind me, Lamb, Drago, Berry, Stearns etc, were hanging back."

 

A driver's only mandate, while coming to the green flag, is in relation to the car in front of of him.  So, anyone behind the car on your rear bumper cannot be included in your statement, since they were exactly where they were required to be.  In fact, they could not have legally done anything else.

 

wheel

[Michael Novak]

I was in 14th at the restart so not too far behind you guys and for me and I believe the car in front the restart was a standing start. The stack up affect gets worse the further back in the field it goes. I anticipated something like this to happen so I wasn't flying up but instead at a cautious pace behind 13th. In the end I think it has to be pinned as a racing incident. Nobody intentionally fouled anyone and I believe everyone was within their rights on the restart. It was just a very unfortunate way to end a weekend.

I was 13th and the accordion? was just getting started--I had to get onto the brakes, but I also figured it was coming. 

[Danny Steyn]

Wheel - not so.

 

I did keep pace with the pace car, and when I saw them dropping back I dropped back to join them. 

 

Sure I could have stayed with the pace car, let them hang back, get the run on me and I would have ended up at least 6th at Turn 1. NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.

 

Sure I could have filed a protest about the cars hanging back to get a run, but the absolutely best result that I could ever hope for would be that they would have DQ'd Lamb as he was the car directly behind me and it could be argued that he was essentially holding up all the other drivers behind him, but then I would still be 5th. There is NO WAY I could successfully file a protest against everyone who passed me by virtue of hanging back and getting a run.

 

AND from the officiating that we have had in the past (and this weekend) at Road America, there is NO WAY I would trust the Chicago Region SCCA to do anything about the guys hanging back to get a run on me. Even when they completely screwed up the grid three years ago they did NOTHING to rectify the situation even when they were FULLY AWARE that they had screwed up.