Watkins Glen July 21-22

[wepsbee]

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JB, I would be VERY interested in seeing that video. Any chance of a post or sending it to me.
Thanks

Saw the video and realized my initial description was wrong , it was drivers right on the stripes not drivers left, result was the same, kinda crazy for a practice run I thought.
Thanks JB for the video.

[rthiele]

Could you share it? Would be good for everyone to watch and learn. Hope it wasn't me

[wepsbee]

Could you share it? Would be good for everyone to watch and learn. Hope it wasn't me

Sorry, It is on JB Swan's facebook page. I would also really appreciate other viewpoints as maybe I am too critical of the move and is really a correct passing manuever.

[gran racing]

you do not win a race in a qualifying session.

Okay, fine, I'll bite. It was a very short qualifying session with what, three hot laps? Saturday's race was also pretty darn short; Sundays not much longer. Sometimes if a car gets behind a slower car in certain sections of the track it can nullify that lap. It would be interesting to see the video and determine if Dan might have positioned the car in a way the faster vehicle thought he was being allowed through.

I do agree that passing in that location is pretty aggressive and I don't think I'd try it during qualifying. (During my race I did attempt a pass in that location but it didn't pan out because I thought he opened the door for me, I realized he didn't see me and I went into the dirt.)

[Raceman77]

i tried to upload the video. i need a little help doing it cause it did not work. i think the car was ian prout. of course he went by me like i was standing still. that was about 100 foot marker. i was totally surprised he through it in there next to dan. and then to throw it in there on dick. one problem i do see is that maybe the ITR cars should not have been in with the ITA cars. There was only 10 cars in big bore. maybe they should have been put there. I also had a itr car bonzi me in the race. I saw him coming into the turn onto front straight which was fine. was going to point him by. but when i went to he is now outside drivers side. i had no clew he was there. to boot he had no pressure from behind and the leaders were pretty far ahead of him. but all in all my first time there was fantastic. deffinatly find me there again.

[CRallo]

damnit I need to get out there!!!!! These trackdays just don't do it for me...

It's correct that I'm the blue/orange car. Greg's analysis of Marc's vid is also spot on. And yes, I had a conversation with Denise in which I apologized - and said I felt like I was just holding a straight line. She said I got into her. I accepted that version and reiterated my apology.

But then a fellow competitor said HE thought I was just driving straight, and the guys at the shop say that's what my vid shows (I haven't yet seen it myself, but will today). So in my mind now, Greg's 3 possibilities still exist: 1) I moved right and touched Denise; 2) she moved left of her own volition and touched me; 3) she was forced left and touched me.

Here's the lesson for me: watch as much video as possible before assigning or accepting blame. It's common sense.

Note that regardless of who moved where when, I DO feel rotten for my fellow competitors.

Great post Steve!

My wonderful spin and getting to watch cars go passing by.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA3-aMCeFHM

Good recovery Dave, great drive!

[Andy Bettencourt]

From Marc's in-car (which TOTALLY sucks for him and I'd be super pissed as whomever was an idiot; not saying Steve but someone certainly was): http://vimeo.com/46202528

LOTS of talk from those on the front straight grandstands. Will see if I can get some of the other video online.

So I have no idea what the status is of getting Steve's video up but I would love to see Denise's to compare. I think this was a case of two straight lines that were not 100% parallel converging at a bad time. Steve is parallel to the car on his left, so much so that his drivers side mirror folded in because they were so close... Denise held her line as she ran down a seem in the track. Was the seem straight? Were Mark and Steve parallel with the track? Was there room to Denise's right? Two more video's to examine for all...hope they get up here soon.