What to do when it goes wrong....

[spnkzss]

I I also went to the steward to “turn myself in” and he was very appreciative too.

When another car clipped my front nose going into the shoot at Summit and rolled in front of me, I went to the Stewards (after finding the guy who rolled) with camera in hand. Said I was involved in the roll at 4. They said, "Ok, why are you here? We didn't call for you." Ever since then I don't go to the tower unless beckoned.

[shwah]

I make the effort to talk to the other party after any contact. The two most blatant 'hits' that I have taken (sideswiped in the middle of a straight in qualifying when one car pulled out to pass another, sideswiped several times along the entire side of my car on turn 3 of a race - both times by cars not racing in my class, but in a class where too many drivers seem to think that everyone is racing them...), I never heard a word from the offenders. In both cases I know they spoke to the Black Flag Steward, and at least in the case of the latter - that happening in the race served as some form of penalty. I have not yet ever considered writing paper for driving, but if the situation warranted it, I certainly would.

I have had one significant incident in class that really was just racing. We were lapping cars late in the race, that were also lapping an even slower car, and all came together at the slowest corner on the track. I got a lane on the inside, and took it, he didn't think I could get there and turned in, our front wheels hit, he got turned pretty far - made a great save as I backed out of it hard, but still ended up with a fair amount of bumper to side impact and a messed up alignment - he also went on to beat me.... The other driver was pretty hot afterwards, because he thought his car was severely injured mechanically. We still made a point to talk about it, and are still good racing friends who will race each other very hard.

In my last race, I accidentally touched the car in front of me bumper to bumper in the final turn. Neither one of us could feel anything, but he went around, and I am sure I loosened him up. He was not in my class. I asked my crew to go find him while we sat in impound, tell him that I was sorry and that I would be coming by to appologize in person. I wanted him to know as soon as possible that it was an accident on my part, and in hind sight a dumb move to try and get a 'perfect draft' off the last turn in a race that neither one of us had an in class competitor near us.

[Tristan Smith]

Hey hey!

Tristan Smith takes second in his first race back....I guess not so rusty after all.

Good job man. May see you at Barber.

Well not exactly, the fast guys all left the track early, but all went well. The car wasn't hit, the motor didn't blow up, and I knocked some of the rust off the rust. I am happy. I did have two tires break a steel belt, or have something delaminate in the tread. Once in the test day, and the second about 5 laps into sunday's race. There was a huge bulge on the inside tread. Not sure what caused that to happen on two tires (both times at the left front). My guess is they were real old (2-4 years old) and fell apart. By the end of the race, it was just about shaking the steering wheel out of my hands.

[dlg208]

I think some drivers get upset because their cars are too pretty...

You're doing them a service by installing hoopy marks

Keeps em from getting to obsessive and easily angered.

[dave parker]

dlg208 I think some drivers get upset because their cars are too pretty...

You're doing them a service by installing hoopy marks

Keeps em from getting to obsessive and easily angered.


Dave,
Great answer, thanks for not "installing" any marks on my wifes purple car in T13 at Nelson. :026:

To all.
Seriously,
If you screw up then admit to your mistake and apologize. If someone else screws up and is apologetic than accept and move on. If the other party is a fool or an ass about it than that is what the stewards are for. Don't wait for "them" (the other driver(s)) to come find you. Go talk (calmly) to them immediately. Take another person with you to be a witness. If you need to go to the tower to write the paper and throw down the $25.00. you only have thirty minutes from the time of the checkered flag.

One of the statements that I hate hearing at the shop later is "I should have protested that guy". My response is usually 'Why didn't you?"

This game is all for fun, and the fun diminishes greatly when you are looking at a wadded up racecar because of someone else's stupidity or poor judgement.

My two cents.
cheers
Dave Parker
MARRS HP #97
2007 MARRS HP Champion