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#1
CruzanTom

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The link is to a video of the start of the ECR at VIR on Saturday. I am in the blue and orange miata (#44) seen about 0:30. The Stewarts ruled that the RX7s did nothing wrong. 

 

The perils of mixed class racing!

 

Note that all of this occurred before crossing the start/finish line.

 

https://youtu.be/CQQGRa5YMUM

 

 

Tom


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#2
MPR22

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The link is to a video of the start of the ECR at VIR on Saturday. I am in the blue and orange miata (#44) seen about 0:30. The Stewarts ruled that the RX7s did nothing wrong. 
 
The perils of mixed class racing!
 
Note that all of this occurred before crossing the start/finish line.
 

 
 
Tom


Passimg in the grass and then forcing your way back on track because you can't complete the pass is at fault. White rx7 held its ground which is totally acceptable but he should have been prepared for contact. sorry for your damage that sucked.

Stewards need to hand out some sort of punishment in those scenarios instead of just calling it racing incident. As it is they were told keep being stupid when a little common sense could have avoided the incident all together.
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#3
Brian Ghidinelli

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6.11.1.4: 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.

 

The RX7 in the dirt failed to complete the pass safely in that he initiated contact by re-entering the racing surface where there was insufficient room. Sorry for the damage Tom - beautiful car and unlucky time/place. :( 


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#4
Mike Collins

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Yellow RX7 at fault... no other way to look at it.  You need a better lawyer ;)


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#5
Jim Drago

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what really sucks is the heading says ECR ( 90 minute enduro) Why in the world is anyone passing in the grass at the start of a 90 minute race.

pretty obvious what happened, no call to make. I agree with all above, especially with penalities


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#6
Rob Burgoon

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The white RX7 moving over was less than stellar too, considering that he's the one that blew the shift making the other cars take evasive action.


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#7
ner88

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I'm with Rob, the white car is clearly moving over with no one on his right.

I call that survival, guys got a run in the grass, weather he was right or not, moving over set up the end result.

give him room and be around to fight back later......



#8
davew

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White car missed a shift, yellow car took evasive action going into the grass. White did NOT give him room to get back on the pavement, which he could have. Looks like he slightly creeped towards the grass by about a foot. Yellow came back on track and thus forced white into traffic on drivers right. My worry is that they kept going right. A glancing side to side impact should not have caused both cars to move right. Unless they hooked body work that I can not see.

 

A little more room by the white car could have eliminated the entire incedent.

 

I do not believe this is an effect of mixed class racing. They root cause was the missed shift. Note that the 1st gen RX7 trans is almost identicle to the Miata trans.

 

I would say 80-20 yellow-white


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#9
Todd Lamb

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Yeah that guy took out Hart and Topher in the process and still felt like he was in the right when he came to get witness statements. SMH.

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#10
mhiggins10

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Looks like the guy in the yellow car turns right HARD, forcing the rest of the incident.  Just poor decisions between both- no harm in backing off for a minute and tuckign back in behind, especially as you take the green to start the race.

 

I'm rather surprised that there was no action from the stewards.  What's the thought process there??


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#11
FTodaro

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I have driven in the grass before when I have turned into an apex, and the person ahead turned in leaving me no room, and when I have been squeezed off the track on a straight. However I have never initiated a pass by going into the grass to do it.

High risk move for a start of the race.however, if it was an evasive move due to a missed shift, different story.

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#12
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I wonder if the stewards saw this particular video.



#13
Bench Racer

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I've been thinking about SCCA GCR rule 2.5. CRB'S Official Review of an officials license since viewing this video.

 

Does anyone know of an officials license ever being dinged with points or suspended?


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#14
davew

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Yes, following the debacle at the June Sprints a few years ago. The chief steward was removed of his duties when the dust settled. I believe that he has completely removed himself as a steward and is concentrating on driving the last couple years.

 

I do not know this first hand, but this is my understanding.


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#15
Jim Drago

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Yes, following the debacle at the June Sprints a few years ago. The chief steward was removed of his duties when the dust settled. I believe that he has completely removed himself as a steward and is concentrating on driving the last couple years.

 

I do not know this first hand, but this is my understanding.

I think he was on the way out before that race. More a political deal between a few groups IMO. I always liked that Stewart and thought he was one of the better ones. But who knows how things were working together etc.  Chicago region has been an interesting place for quite some time :)


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#16
Mike Collins

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Please read the rules...

 

While the white RX7 did miss a shift and do something unexpected, its still the responsibility of those around that car to avoid contact. The yellow RX7 did avoid contact by taking evasive action and LEAVING the racing surface. Then the yellow car re-entered the racing surface while attempting to make a pass.  The yellow car could have stayed out in the grass for a very long time and come back on the track when it was clear. Per the rules, the yellow car caused the incident by leaving the racing surface, entering in an unsafe manner and not making a pass without contact.

 

If the officials did not rule in this fashion, either the video we have all seen was not available or they were totally negligent in their responsibilities.


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#17
FTodaro

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In light of Mikes comment i should clarify mine, in the post above, i was trying to point out that i have never thought its a good idea to attempt a pass by going into the grass, I have had to go to the grass, to avoid contact, for various reasons, missed shift is another,  I agree 1000% that you must reenter the track safely. To many times I have seen people blow a corner, go off and then cause a big wreck coming back on, trying to keep their position. If you blow a corner or are forced off for any reason, give way, and make it to the end of the race.   This violation should be easy for the officials to spot when it happens.


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#18
Tom Hampton

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I nearly got taken out in qual by a guy who blew a turn, shot through the grass at what looked like full-throttle, and then re-entered the racing surface 2 turns later at 90 degrees to the direction of travel.  A lesson for me in exactly how stupid people can be.   When he ran off track it did not even enter my mind that he might make THAT stupid of a decision. 
 
I should have kept a closer eye on him, and slowed to let him re-enter without risking myself.  But, its a long way from where he went off to where he re-entered.  It just didn't occur to me that ANYONE would keep their foot in it THAT long, and try and just cut the expanse. He was also back-left in my peripheral and I lost track of him until he reappeared in view about 50 feet from me.  By the time I regained visual contact, my only move was to open the wheel to run wide, and stay in the throttle to get past his line of trajectory.  I won the coin-flip this time, but I wouldn't want to try that 4 times in a row.  I'd like better than 50/50 odds, if I can help it. 


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#19
Joe Cooley

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FWIW the white RX7 did not miss a shift he was going off of what the white Global Cup Car was doing in front of him.  He didn't have anyone on radios.  

 

Here's a view from behind.  

 

  

 

Almost looks like the Caddy didn't get a good start. 

 

As for fault?  The yellow RX7 earned a lot of the blame.  The white RX7 didn't make wild moves and held his line.  What more do we want from people on the start?  The Miata rear view camera car also got lucky.  Absolutely no reason to go into the grass to pass on the start of a 90 minute enduro.  


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#20
Topher

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Cooley beat me to the in-car vid. 

 

I applaud Hart for filing the protest. This type of driving has no place in our club, and I disagree with the Stewart's ruling for the same reasons Collins posted.

 

How much carnage did this guy cause- $30K, $50K? 

 

I love enduro racing, but this incident gave me serious pause about entering future SCCA enduro events. Especially if we can expect this type of officiating.

 

Hart, you have 10 days from the ruling to file an appeal. The cost is $175.

 

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