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Everybody makes occassional mistakes, and everyone has an opinion about it. And we all know that Mattberg has an opinion on everyone and everything...as is his right. It's just that he refuses to agree with everybody, or frequently anybody, and few can understand why he takes that line. Only he knows the answer to that, and I doubt that he can explain it without slandering someone. There's a history there.[/b]
One comment... :dead_horse: Maybe I should do what Barry Hair did and start a legal proceeding against you for insinuating that I've ever slandered anyone... then not show up at the hearing like he did. Pretty hilarious. Par for the course for a lawyer... there's your slander! :happy204:
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I work and race...national licenses in both. I've been fortunate to maintain a good raport with most drivers and stewards. I've never had to protest a driver for anything, but have always had that as an option. Most often, all that is required is a talk to a steward on channel B of the radio about the situation in question, vent my fears at the steward, and he talks to the driver. If the driver takes issue, then it becomes the steward's problem, not mine. If I feel the steward takes inappropriate action, then I have the right to protest the driver or the steward. Personally, I can never see doing that, but it's my option.[/b]
Let me ask this. Why does a worker need to protest a driver other than for an off track incident? The worker is not part of the racing per se. As I've said, if two drivers feel something was a racing incident why should a worker or official make that determination. Why must an issue be made out of a non-issue? Like I said maybe a worker who wants to protest a driver should have to get the other driver to back it up or it can't be filed. It's sort of like me filing lawsuit against you for damage you did to my neighbor even though my neigbor really wasn't damaged in his opinion. Now if a driver got up in a worker's grill, acted like an idiot, or pushed or slugged the guy, protest him. Protests should be a direct relationship. I've heard from officials that drivers don't protest enough so they need to step in for "our own good". Well drivers don't vote enough either but I don't see them taking any actions there to create more racer-centric governance.
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If I'd been at the corner in question, and had a near miss by a previous incident, I'd be nervous as hell everytime a car passed. At lunch, or whatever, I'd been screaming at the CS or the Safety Steward or someone in charge that something needed to be done to protect me and my crew from becoming statistics. We've all seen the incidents on TV where a worker was in a supposed safe position and was injured/killed by and errant car. We all know the dangers and try to prevent them.[/b]
The key statement and one I totally concur with. "I'd been screaming at the CS or the Safety Steward or someone in charge that something needed to be done to protect me and my crew from becoming statistics." Absolutely Chris. What I originally suggested. But that's not what happened.
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Tim did nothing wrong, that I can tell from the video. Cheeze, if we held true to the white line rule, no one could ever clip an apex without a DQ! That would totally destroy the lines of a certain, well-known ITB driver![/b]
But he had to go through the hassle of defending himself for doing nothing wrong. Sort of spoils the fun and the purpose. That's all I'm upset about.
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While the statement, "Without the workers, we could never race" is true, it still grinds me. I love working a race as much as I love racing, as do most people I've worked with that do both. A lot of workers would love to race, but don't, for a miriad of reasons...economics being one, but certainly not the only one. Most of the people I work with truly enjoy do it because they love it. I agree with the statement, "Without the workers,
we couldn't race", but add, "Without the racers, we couldn't work." An example would be the CART race at Texas Motor Speedway a few years back that was cancelled the day of the races. I have several friends that showed up to work the race only to find out it'd been cancelled. Workers and no racers.
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Well there's a flipside to that. If there were no workers I guarantee you there would be racing. Without racers there's nothing. What happens when the racers don't show up? No money. No beer party. No food. No fun or fulfillment of being a spectator of racing. Your TMS example tells all. What happens when there are no workers? Well, it happened a number of years ago when there was a pro race on the same weekend as a double regional as well as an enduro at Moroso and all the workers went to the pro race, which as racing spectators and fans of racing, they were more attracted to. Not bitter, just pointing out that they're not workers necessarily, they're fans pusuing their interest. I'll get to that in a minute.
I believe it was Mike Cox, a driver, who might have even giving up driving that weekend (can't remember), who answered the call to arms and got it all organized calling on drivers to work. I was more than happy to volunteer. He did such a good job that most of us didn't have to work although we were all ready to! One of the best weekends I've ever had racing. One thing I can tell you is having drivers on the corners... they really know what they're doing in reference to the passing flags. :D
Lastly, workers are great. They assist us in every aspect and every minute of a race weekend. When they protest us they become an annoyance and hinderance. It's happening too often lately. At the 2002 runoffs I heard there were almost 100 RFAs from officials and workers on Sunday alone for racing incidents. Isn't that a little out of control for folks who aren't in the race? They were told to cool it in 2003 from what I've heard and there were very few RFAs. They came back in 2004 and started up again with another huge number of RFAs. Two guys come together fighting for the same peice of real estate is going to happen. If the drivers consider it racing why should a non-racer (I could care less if he/she has in car experience, they're not on the track) make a call?
If a driver is consistently trouble, sooner or later, someone is going to take action on the driver side. All that happens now is too many drivers get hit with probation and sanctions, many times for a racing incident and no real wrongdoing, not to mention bad feelings about the club, and race at a percentage of max for a couple of races to get off probation. Takes away from every aspect of the sport and fun.
Solution? Create two types of protests. A racing protest may only be filed by a racing participant, driver or entrant. A membership protest or complaint may be filed by any member against another member for conduct "unbecoming" if you will and only relates to off track incidents. I get drunk at the beer party and pee on your BBQ, I deserve to be disciplined. I drive like an idiot and almost kill someone in the paddock, I deserve it. I drive a different line than most totally within the rules and some workers don't like it? Tough beans. Imagine how many protests will be filed against me! :happy204: