27 replies to this topic

[Johnny D]

What did you guys and gals think about Sundays Race ??

 

To fill everyone in. Warm up in the morning, no Qual, Race at 12:05 so you can get out of there early.

Race was 50mins and they did a course change during the race.

 

I liked it all of it.

We were getting spread out and getting boring and a FCC came for a car off, pace car picked us up, cones came out blocking parts of the old course and we went racing bunched up on a new course.

 

They could of blew off the new track but that's about it.

 

J~

[Team Nitro]

It was a big surprise when they went to the indy car lay out 1/2 way thru. but it bunched everyone up and that was good for a lot of people, fun to watch, was a bit dirty but that made it that much more interesting. Now to the big show NASA Western Champ.      

[Johnny D]

In the drivers meeting they gave you a hint that hit me when cones were coming out. (that you never see)

 

They said they may change the course if part of it has accident or something, so if the pace cars out, follow the pace car on whatever course they do.

Example was if the Carousel was blocked they may use the NASACR short shoot to get around it.

 

J~

[Pete Million]

IT was the most unsafe thing they could have done !!!!!! 

[Pete Million]

Was  NASA version of HPD 5  - very bad

[Johnny D]

IT was the most unsafe thing they could have done !!!!!! 

 

Why? What part ?

 

12:05, no qual, 50 min race ?

[Pete Million]

50min was awesome, changing the track was not good and it had all kinds of debris - never saw this in 12 years of racing

[Johnny D]

Did Matt loose a spot ?

 

So you don't want to do the figure 8 at Thunder Hill ??

You turn in at 7 and go to 13 and then turn in a 7 and go to 15 ??

http://mazdaracers.c...-th bypass1jpg/

 

Just kinding ^^

 

J~

[Johnny D]

This is good feed back...

 

If the track was cleaned off would you be ok with it ??

 

If there really was a accident would you approve of racing like this over a red or black flag ??

 

J~

[Jamz14]

Johnny,

 

I have deleted my comments.

 

At the end of the day I am a guest in your house. I should just appreciate the experience and move on. I have been trying very hard lately to keep my mouth closed. I failed today. You guys have every right to run the event in any way you chose. If it isn't for me, then fine I don't come. But that doesn't mean that it may not be someone else's cool time.

 

Let me try to focus on what was good about the experience. I spent the weekend talking about intent when interacting with the race and series directors. I need to take some of my own advise. Even though I disagree on doing a config change in the middle of a race, it was very clear that NASA norcal cared about their drivers and customers and only wanted to provide a great experience for the people that came. It doesn't really matter if it achieved it for me. Within reason it only really matters that you guys care, and bold enough to try.

 

Sorry for being obtuse. I didn't handle all the curve balls well.

[Jamz14]

Delete

[Johnny D]

Its going to take a while to address all your opinions.

 

Keep posting.

 

J~

[Jamz14]

No more posts about it from me. I wasn't even going to post anything. I don't feel my opinion matters to the NASA officials at NORCAL. I do applaud the time they spent with me while I bitched though. I don't want enemies up there. I wouldn't have said a word about any of this if you guys just told the dribvers this is what you were going to do. That was the critical mistake , even if I disagreed with changing the course.

 

I have vented so now Im done.

[Pete Million]

well said

[Johnny D]

Pete, Did Matt loose a spot?

 

Jamz you had good points. So let me get this straight...

So your driver quals in 17th (out of 36) but you don't like the qual ?

Your driver crashes out in turn 1, 1st lap.

He's not in Sundays race.

And you bitch how things went.

Nice!!

 

J~

[Pete Million]

lost a few spots driving side ways through the large debris - we have never seen a race like that ever

[Pete Million]

if we wanted to rally race we would have signed up for it

[Jamz14]

Johnny,

 

Driver qualed 17th after getting a single fair lap and a car that was struggling with a misfire. 17th wasn't good enough. I didn't like the qual format of pregrid positions being set  by the finish order of the last in region race. This policy favors local drivers who already have an advantage. The work around is to pull over immediately in the hot pit when coming off pre grid and sequence when you want or with your qual partner.

 

The driver did not crash out in T1 first lap. Driver was involved in an incident in T1 and continued.

Driver was in Sundays race. Started 14th. Driver again came into hotpit with a misfire. Push started the car after making a repair , rejoined the race and eventually retiring the car with the misfire not fixed.

 

Things went terrible.  Yes I bitched about the format, and that stands by itself regardless of how terrible our race weekend went. I withheld saying: sorry I had a bad weekend, because I don't like to use an excuse for my poor behavior and blame it on having a very bad day. Whether I have a bad day or not does not forgive my lack of manners while in your house.

 

Make sense?

[Ron Alan]

As an "Official", I will address that aspect first. It would seem those who new of the mid race course change were those who made the decision and those who needed to know! I was not one of them until after I asked because of the comments that were made in the drivers meeting as Johnny eluded to! Being new to NASA as an official but not NASA NORCAL...this was not a shock...Jerry likes to make things interesting! I will say this to the comments that were made in regards to a dirty track...I was told the entire track was swept prior to the days events! I would imagine there was rubber(from the morning) going into the long turn 7(low speed)and 8a(fast speed)...but 60+ cars drove thru those corners twice prior to racing in them. And for sure once the green flag flew...a lot of shit was dragged on to the track from cars in the dirt starting in the brake zone at the Indy car chicane! 

 

Official hat off...this was fun to watch!!  I would say about half the field had seen these corners before...and it became really obvious who had! Spots were lost and gained!

Only downside I saw was when the pace car came out and picked up the SM leader...he had just passed 2 E30 cars. So the P1 SM car had a huge advantage at the restart when P2-6 SM cars got stuck behind the 2 E30's who did not stay tight out of the last turn before the green! But the next 20 minutes was great racing as all were bunched back up...I imagine some got frustrated as the E30's and SM's were truly mixing it up now...but that experience IMO makes for great race car drivers. It seemed about a 8-1 positive to not so good experience.

 

James and Pete...nothing I can say will change your experience or opinions of the weekend and your frustration is certainly noted and not dismissed!! But I look forward to seeing you guys again in the future...this is personally and/or with my Official hat on!

[Team Nitro]

I'll tell you what I was watching right above the Indy corner and it was awesome ( 60 ) cars  flying down thru there down shifting three wide ( charlie Hayes - Tristan Littlehale ) over under  lap after lap ( Roy Flumer ) using his dirt track experience. Jerry not afraid to try stuff at any race ! it's his house , I personally don't have a problem with it . James and Pete... I'm sorry it didn't work for  you guys  like Ron said I enjoy you guys very much and look forward to running a lot with you.