What do I do about this?

[joeg]

Jim--Your dad is a good driver and fun to race with.

Better have Karl do a consult on that injector!

[JIgou]

Video is critical in this instance - otherwise it's your word vs his.

I got taken out by another guy on a straight last year, and if it weren't for the video we'd have likely walked out with it deemed a "racing incident." As it was, with my video he walked away with a probation....one that got increased when he appealed.

[shwah]

Being prepared to protest immediately next time around is the right answer. As is making sure he is aware of it. As is making sure that he is aware that the next time around he may find that his car is unable to continue.

I have one case of this happening to me. The guy left the track without saying a word. I spoke to him frankly about it at our next race. I won't tolerate it again.

[lateapex911]

Here's one from last year. We were coming around to lap him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyUIi...eature=channel

what kind of dick move is that on the straight? He's a backmarker in a Sm blocking an ITC car? Ass.....

he needed to be turned.

Assuming he's been talked to in the past, I wouldn't talk or warn him at all at this point. I'd talk to all drivers involved, tell them the next incident is getting paper written. Team up if the $ is an issue, but a protest of on track actions will be cheap. I'd gather my videos like that one, and wait. I would race him clean and hard. I certainly wouldn't get out of the way if I was in the right. Then when he did something similar, to anyone, he gets written.
Flagger reports, video of that incident, and past incidents will be submitted. The Stewards will reject the past videos, of course, but, it won't hurt for them to see one ....
Once you decide (you've decided) to do it, do it all the way.
At this point, I'd say paper is overdue, so, in my eye, the last thing you want is him trying to clean up his act just a little, around just a few guys, as he would if you had a chat with him. You want the maximum attention and penalties that you can bring down, and the Stewards are the ones to hand that out.

Don't worry about being mean, the system will protect him, and will treat him fairly. But it can't if you don't start the ball rolling.

[JohnRW]

If that's who I think it is, he just got OFF probation last month.

Old habits die hard, it seems.

[shwah]

If that is typical, how has this guy not been hit?

Not the 'right' answer, but sometimes the only one certain people understand.

In that last video, when he brake checks in the turn, I don't. End of problem.

[gran racing]

You guys really need to do something about this before he seriously hurts someone else. Do the video and protest route. I'd even contact the stewards now and show a few of these videos. Tell them that you know it needs to follow the rules by filing a protest, but you wanted to give them a heads up.

Like Chris, I highly doubt that I would have resisted giving him a nice punt.

[Jim Royal]

I know, but I don't want to stoop to that level. I do this to get away fom stress not cause myself more. Even having a talk with him on Saturday put my blood in a boil. Even throwing paper around takes the fun out of it! I am going to wipe the slate clean (because the past doesn't count anyway) but at the slightest bump I am ready to pull the trigger. Thank you guys for all your help.

[JohnRW]

Gcr 2.4

[John Nesbitt]

I can’t comment on the particular case here, but I can offer drivers some practical tips about filing a protest.


1. Talking to the other driver or asking the stewards to intervene is nice and all. But remember that you have 30 minutes (from the end of the session in this case) in which to file a protest. This is a hard deadline. The SOM will not extend it unless you can demonstrate that you were unable to file in time.


2. I have seen stewards talk with an angry driver for half an hour, then inform him that it's too late to protest. Make up your mind in advance about your threshold for protesting and have the protest already half-drafted and the protest fee ($25 at regionals, $50 at nationals) to hand. Print a couple of protest forms in advance. Then there is no time wasted “looking” for a form in the tower.

File the protest first. Then talk.


3. If you have made up your mind to protest, do not let yourself be talked out of filing. Insist that the Chief Steward/Asst Chief Steward “receive and transmit” the protest. You don’t need to find the Chief Steward; any Asst Chief Steward (operating steward, tech steward, black flag steward, or safety steward) can receive the protest.


4. If the Chief Steward or operating steward tells you not to protest because he (the steward) is going to take care of it, you face a trade-off.

You can let the steward deal with it, and save the time and stress of protesting. However, you lose standing and are no longer a party to the matter. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you have nothing to protest/appeal.

If you file a protest, you have standing in the matter. Then you can present evidence to the SOM, and appeal if necessary.


5. A filed protest can be withdrawn anytime before the hearing; an unfiled protest cannot be filed later. You do not have to present all your evidence/witnesses when filing; this is just a placeholder to stop the 30-minute clock.


6. I have seen courts disallow a protest simply because it referenced the “wrong” paragraph (for example, the protest cites 6.11.1.A, and the court determines that 6.11.1.C was violated). This is not supported by the GCR, but courts do it.

If you protest another driver for inappropriate touching, cite everything: 6.11.1.A/B/C/D (Rules of the Road), plus 2.1.4 (Reckless or Dangerous Driving). That way you're covered.


7. There is value in building a paper trail for a bad actor. Eventually, the license consequences become more severe, and can go as far as a driver’s review. However, this won’t happen without a documented history.

[gran racing]

Thanks John! Copying a decent portion of that and filing in my binder that's brought to the track.

Anyone have a PDF or Word version of the most up-to-date protest form? Not that I have any plan to use it, but would be worth having.

[JohnRW]

Here's the "fill-in" version...but you may have to log in to your "SCCA.com" account to get at it -

http://ams.scca.com/netforum/eweb/do...on_Fill_In.pdf

[boywonder]

Here's video from the start of Saturday's race...

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1qZBBlOGxA[/ame]

[Jim Royal]

Wow, I assumed he was going for three wide into 1. The fact that there wasn't anyone beside him and he still pushed me off makes it even worse. Thanks Ryan

[Streetwise guy]

While I would never suggest anything as simple as leaning your left front on his right rear, turning left and backing off slightly next time he tries it, it can leave a lasting impression.

Bad me. Thats the stock car racer talking. This is the roadrace site. Must behave around the civilized folk.

[Russ Myers]

Take th' ahr off'n his spoiler an' put'im in th'wall.

russ

[boywonder]

Take th' ahr off'n his spoiler an' put'im in th'wall.

hehehehehe

[StephF]

Damn. Once you get his ass straightened out or ruled off, let us New Englanders know. I'd love to come out to where I can have a 6 to 12 car field again, especially on some of the fun tracks you run on.
Our C ranks have been decimated by this very same thing over the past few years.

[Jim Royal]

We almost always get a good field at Nelson Ledges. Great guys to race with too. I have been told if I can get 15-18 cars for our spring event next year we can have our own run group! We had I believe 11 or 12 cars for that race this year so it's not that far fetched. All of the ITC drivers try to coordinate what events we do to keep the fields healthy. Let me know if you want an invite!

[StephF]

Let me know! I loved Nelson!