98 replies to this topic

[Caveman-kwebb99]

I have to say if it wasn't for all the majic power Todd had it would never have happened to its Todd's fault, or actually it's all Jim's fault!

Seriously I fail to see what waiting to a straight has to do with someone who is willing to just jerk the wheel and nearly cause a catastrophic wreck at 100mph would ever achieve. On the next straight same senerio would happen and who knows might even wad up a third car or more in the doing and at potentially at even higher speed.

I personally think this has got to stop before someone actually gets seriously hurt bad or even killed God forbid.

Even if we don't like the other guy we are racing against have the common decency to not block him or try to put him off the track so that you don't lose a position or even the stupid 2$ trophy!

[Bench Racer]

Even if we don't like the other guy we are racing against have the common decency to not block him or try to put him off the track so that you don't lose a position or even the stupid 2$ trophy!

Sometimes the goal is greater than the 2$ trophy. And I don't mean crashing Todd or anyone else that offends their personal long term goal. We have rising stars and we have stars that have been there. No disrespect to stars that have been there.

[Blake Clements]

I'm going to move away from some of the bad stuff and get back to the good.

 

There is one thing I've learned this season and it is from the youngest driver in the field, Michael Carter.  No matter what happens, what the situation is, Michael always has a smile on his face and genuinely enjoys being at the race track and being out there competing.  We are doing this because we do enjoy it, and sometimes we all need to think about that.  Most of us have to go to school or work on Monday because Spec Miata does not pay the big bucks.  

 

For those of you who don't know 16 year old Michael, he and his father run a family program and are running in the Top 5 and Top 10 at every Major they attend.  Michael will continue to be a forced to be reckoned with in SM until he's snatched up by a Pro Team and given the opportunity he deserves.

 

Lets all be more like Michael.

 

Blake

[Keith Andrews]

I'm going to move away from some of the bad stuff and get back to the good.

 

There is one thing I've learned this season and it is from the youngest driver in the field, Michael Carter.  No matter what happens, what the situation is, Michael always has a smile on his face and genuinely enjoys being at the race track and being out there competing.  We are doing this because we do enjoy it, and sometimes we all need to think about that.  Most of us have to go to school or work on Monday because Spec Miata does not pay the big bucks.  

 

For those of you who don't know 16 year old Michael, he and his father run a family program and are running in the Top 5 and Top 10 at every Major they attend.  Michael will continue to be a forced to be reckoned with in SM until he's snatched up by a Pro Team and given the opportunity he deserves.

 

Lets all be more like Michael.

 

Blake

 

What he said. ^^^  I could not agree more!

[Tom Scheifler]

Lets all be more like Michael.

I might be willing to go back to age 16 if I could also be racing at that age

[Preston Pardus]

Finally got around to posting the video from the Sunday race. Decent race for me, started 16th, got up to 5th and fell to 7th by race end. I had two chances to catch back up after falling out of the draft, once with Bolanos and once with Blake but I wasn't able to hang with them. Still, I'm thrilled with the result and happy to end the season on a good note after up and down finishes throughout the season, a big improvement from last season! Also congrats to Selin on being the champion of the SE conference. 

My season wouldn't have been possible without the incredible support from my friends, family, and everyone that backs my racing program! Chinchor Electric Inc., PCI, Special Forces Automotive, and Rossini Racing Products. Big thanks also to Mazda, SCCA, and Hoosier for giving us an amazing platform to race. Looking back now, I didn't really know what to except coming into this season with how last year went for me personally but I couldn't be more pleased with the results!  

[Danny Steyn]

Thanks for the ride Preston, great drive

 

Also loving how young the top end of the field is getting. We are gonna attract way more drivers to this class with these young kids kicking ass up front

[Jim Drago]

Through several videos that I have seen... I have to say this looks like one that I am glad I missed.  MANY appeared to be driving over the top on aggression level.  Lots of low percentage moves and blatant disregard for the other competitors IMO.. Then everything that has already been said above and building up all year. This is not what this class should be. It hasn't been this way the last few years and it seems to be on the rise again this year? 

 

Jim

[David L]

Unfortunately I believe we kind of like the "contact", gives us that nascar feel. This type of driving isn't just for the pointy end it happens all through the field. We are the class that loves bump drafting so much that we lobbied the stewards to make it legal, what these videos show is clearly over the top but I don't think it is unexpected. I don't think everyone wants to smash and crash but I think a big draw of the class is that we have the opportunity to put into action all of these race "moves" that we have learned, either from skip barber or gran turismo!  I don't believe a wording change in the rules will change the behavior.  

 

I look at the videos and I wonder if Dillon is just at guilty, it appears that Todd had it gathered up maybe a half car width off line but pointed strait and Dillon just ran him over. Now maybe lifting in that situation would have resulted in a spin not sure, I think that can be better explained by Dillon or Todd

[Tyler Kicera]

Unfortunately I believe we kind of like the "contact", gives us that nascar feel. 

speak for yourself...I don't like doing or paying for bodywork.  

[David L]

speak for yourself...I don't like doing or paying for bodywork.  

No I get that and no one does, but all the things we love about spec miata kind of breed this environment and I just think it is hard to get away from that. 

 

And not to say you "did" anything wrong, but you were clearly bumping in the turns so we can see how easy it happens.

Consenting or not. 

[LarryKing]

We want to be like NASCAR? Hmmmm, setting the bar kinda low don't ya think?

[Jim Drago]

No I get that and no one does, but all the things we love about spec miata kind of breed this environment and I just think it is hard to get away from that. 

 

And not to say you "did" anything wrong, but you were clearly bumping in the turns so we can see how easy it happens.

Consenting or not. 

 

I cant speak for everyone.. I don't might racing or slight bumper to bumper contact or bump drafting.. but it is a stretch to go from that to getting run off or crashed. At least it is to me. while I can see you thinking it can escalate from there, I don't necessarily agree. i have run many, many races just that way with no one leaving with body damage or run off track.   

[Tyler Kicera]

I cant speak for everyone.. I don't might racing or slight bumper to bumper contact or bump drafting.. but it is a stretch to go from that to getting run off or crashed. At least it is to me. while I can see you thinking it can escalate from there, I don't necessarily agree. i have run many, many races just that way with no one leaving with body damage or run off track.   

 

I agree Jim, I don't have a problem with some bumper to bumper even if its in the turns as long as it doesn't upset the car in front and the intention is to maximize forward momentum.  We're all so close that its bound to happen from time to time you get a little lock up on entry and tap a guy or he gets back to the throttle late and you help him out of the corner.  This is very different than doing it with the INTENT of gaining that position or slowing their momentum.  When it goes wrong it can be hard to defend your true intentions so that's a risk you run...I've been on the receiving end of a few punts that were "missed brake pedals".  

 

I got hit from behind under braking and mid corner numerous times in Saturday's race.  I kindly approached those involved afterward and chalked it up to the intense battle that it was.  None of them were hard enough to push me off line but I did have to pop my RR corner back out after the race.  We're all trying to get every last little bit and its something I've accepted about being up front.    

[Bench Racer]

Unfortunately I believe we kind of like the "contact", gives us that nascar feel. 

 

I don't think everyone wants to smash and crash but I think a big draw of the class is that we have the opportunity to put into action all of these race "moves" that we have learned, either from skip barber or gran turismo!  

Weren't there some real NASCAR/Skip Barber/Grand Turismo issues at Summit a few years ago that got cleaned up.

 

Is this crap ^ ongoing in all divisions?

[David L]

" We're all so close that its bound to happen from time to time you get a little lock up on entry and tap a guy or he gets back to the throttle late and you help him out of the corner.  This is very different than doing it with the INTENT of gaining that position or slowing their momentum."

 

I am not agreeing or disagreeing with what you are saying I am asking, has this thinking made the problem worse? I feel most people would agree with your statement but that also makes it much easier to spin someone. This is why I asked Todd if he thought he got spun or if it was a racing situation. 

[David L]

Weren't there some real NASCAR/Skip Barber/Grand Turismo issues at Summit a few years ago that got cleaned up.

 

Is this crap ^ ongoing in all divisions?

The block in that video was extreme but I have raced for 30th and I have raced for the lead and even doing just regional s, nobody wants to give up a spot. 

[Tyler Kicera]

" We're all so close that its bound to happen from time to time you get a little lock up on entry and tap a guy or he gets back to the throttle late and you help him out of the corner.  This is very different than doing it with the INTENT of gaining that position or slowing their momentum."

 

I am not agreeing or disagreeing with what you are saying I am asking, has this thinking made the problem worse? I feel most people would agree with your statement but that also makes it much easier to spin someone. This is why I asked Todd if he thought he got spun or if it was a racing situation. 

 

IMO the 'contact' I'm talking about has nothing to do with making aggressive low percentage moves or blocking that results in spins or crashes...so no I don't think it makes the problem worse.   

[Todd Lamb]

Now that I'm finally back home for a few hours, here's some follow up thought:

 

I didn't mean to imply Selin wouldn't have won the championship. He drove well and frankly nobody else stepped up to the plate to challenge him. The championship was tainted by the antics at VIR, in the sense that it didn't get wrapped up without controversy (Selin was close to getting a penalty for blocking but the stewards decided it was in the grey area of the rules and I abide by their decision).

 

What we all want is clean racing and to have a fun race - win or lose. VIR was not fun for many people.

 

I don't believe changing the rules will change the behavior. The blocking is on purpose. The contact is on purpose. There is intent.

 

I do wonder why Dillon's video clip ended right before he made contact with me. I had gathered up the car and was accelerating at that point. In all the rush to get protests filed in time, and also trying to coach SRF guys in the next group, I didn't get a chance to review my video until hours later. And then upon also reviewing Kicera's video I was quite surprised at what I saw. I did ask Dillon about it on the grid the next day and he said he was getting pushed by Kicera.

 

I can say this - the type of driving we witnessed at VIR is very likely to elevate things. I will race people the way they race me, and apparently we're playing hardball. Game on!

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately I believe we kind of like the "contact", gives us that nascar feel. This type of driving isn't just for the pointy end it happens all through the field. We are the class that loves bump drafting so much that we lobbied the stewards to make it legal, what these videos show is clearly over the top but I don't think it is unexpected. I don't think everyone wants to smash and crash but I think a big draw of the class is that we have the opportunity to put into action all of these race "moves" that we have learned, either from skip barber or gran turismo!  I don't believe a wording change in the rules will change the behavior.  

 

I look at the videos and I wonder if Dillon is just at guilty, it appears that Todd had it gathered up maybe a half car width off line but pointed strait and Dillon just ran him over. Now maybe lifting in that situation would have resulted in a spin not sure, I think that can be better explained by Dillon or Todd

[MPR22]

 

 

I can say this - the type of driving we witnessed at VIR is very likely to elevate things. I will race people the way they race me, and apparently we're playing hardball. Game on!

This is exactly how I feel at this point.  However, what is the fallout as the escalation of rough driving continues?  If I rough a guy up and he spins and gets collected by another behind me and takes them both out what have I done.  I may feel vindicated in taking a bad actor out but I also took out an innocent.  Protesting sucks but it may be the only way to slow down the continued escalation.  

 

 

I know that at the run-offs the rough driving is off the charts because its a one race winner take all event.  These Majors appear to digressing into that same mentality.