Another racing room thread

I’m bored, the racing season is over, and I still have racing on the brain. So, I want to describe a racing incident that I was involved a couple of weekends ago and see what the opinions are out there.

I was at Infineon running in 1st position in my class, but being pushed hard by 2nd place in class. I am on the outside of the right hand hairpin T7 with a faster classed car on the inside of the turn that was running in 12th place in his class. I hold the outside position through T7 and now we’re side by side racing into a pretty fast T8 which is a left hander leading to a fast right hander. I’m on the left, he’s on the right as we enter the left hander.

We are practically side by side as we enter the turn. By the turn in point, he now he has a slight advantage. His driver’s door is up next to my right front wheel but no more than that, meaning my bumper is still up near his front fender. I hold my inside line very tight leaving him as much room as is possible thinking we’re going to do this side by side, which admittedly is not a great idea at this speed in this corner. There was no time for adjustment once we were in the corner and I realized that he was coming over. His door and my right front wheel touched. He went flying. I kept control and finished the race.

We had a friendly discussion in his pit (he did not come to impound after the race) and he did not dispute that I held my line inside. Rather, his opinion was that he “had me beat’ and I should have backed out. He said that the damage to his door and the damage to my front fender indicates it's my fault because stewards usually look at that in determining fault. My opinion is that since he is the overtaking car trying an outside pass, he needs to clear me completely before he moves back into the racing line.

My thinking at the moment was that many of these “faster class” cars that are running back where I am don’t get through the esses as well as I do. Because of that, and because I could not afford to be held up through there with the 2nd place car not too far back, I planned on trying to beat this guy through the corner since I had the advantage being on the left hand side.

I did not know this guy or his car. As it turned out, this guy was reasonably fast and would not have held me up. Knowing what I know now, I wish I would have lifted in the straight section leading to this turn and let him have the corner. Regardless, in this situation, I do not think that not doing that made the contact my fault. Opinions?

Hey Curt,

Sucks that our season is over, doesn't it?

Anyway, I have backed off there in the same position after the same side-by-side activity through T7, even when I'm racing with someone! I'm just plain scared to go through the esses side-by-side even when I trust the person I'm racing with, never mind when I don't know them.

Obviously the SM guys don't appear to be as scared though. They do it all the time.

I don't think you were wrong to hold your position, but I'm curious, but back in T7, was the ITA driver trying to pass you on the inside, or were you trying to pass him on the outside? And as far as assigning blame, the stewards will listen to the corners, primarily, it has little to do with whose tire touched whose door. The other guy should have been penalized just for skipping impound, and you should get credit ... the supps require going to impound after any contact (item #30).

About that rule, at the Laguna Seca race in early October, an ITB car spun in the corkscrew during qualifying, with an ITA car right behind, then me. By the time I'd crested the hill and could see in front of me, the ITA car had his brakes locked up trying to avoid the spinning car, and despite my best efforts, I ended up tapping him nose-to-tail around the 2nd apex. We both continued on with no damage. I stopped in impound after the session (due to the contact, not because they asked me to) and the ITA car didn't. The stewards were very appreciative and impressed with my knowledge of the rules :-)

Josh,

He was passing me inside of T7 only because he had a big run on me up the hill to T7 with more HP. Back in the carousel (T6) I left him though, thus me thinking I'm faster in corners.

I know that we're supposed to report to impound after any contact, but I really wasn't mad at the guy or in the mood for being part of a steward action. I would have been if it was me that got sent off track from this. I have also backed out a lot for the esses. It's kind of like a game of chicken but I thought I had the advantage being on the left side going in.

I'm trying to upload this video to You Tube. It's my first try. Hope it works. If it does, I've got a wild video of the FP Acura in the same race going right across my nose in T7 at probably 70+ MPH when he got in the dirt on the inside and couldn't stop. It was the first lap. I saw him coming and tapped the brake to let him by. I talked to him after and he thanked me and hugged me . LOL.

Hey Curt, Josh,

Sorry to hear about the damage, do you still have the BRE colors? As for the pass it's as simple as he was the over-taking race car and had to keep the pass clean. The only time I've seen outside passes work is great differences in horse power, like a GT1/SP car vs me or me vs a GP Sprite. Still sounds like he got his just deserts by spinning off.

If you really want one more race, Cal-Club has a single regional this weekend at Buttonwillow. I know it's Buttonwillow, a long tow, and the budgets might not support it, but I thought I'd mention it. Oh and I'll be working a corner.

James

James,

Thanks for the input on the incident. That's how I see it too, but his pit was sure trying to convince me otherwise. We parted on good terms agreeing to disagree. Sometime it's hard to see someone else's point when you're so convinced of your own. Luckily the damage to both cars was very minor and it was he who went spinning off track. My 510 is red with BRE stripes that are blue and white. Have fun at Buttonwillow.