> Paul,
>
> I do know the meaning of the word hypocrite. I am not one. I gave my
> opinions, as you pointed out, and stated them as such. I told you that I
am
> not an engineer, but I have worked with and talked to many composites
> engineers over the years. I have also been an active observer/participant
in
> composites testing, including testing to destruction. I know that my
> opinions cannot be backed up by a degree, which is why I asked for someone
> with credentials to contribute to the debate with intelligent information.
> If such a person comes forward and credibly shows my opinions to be false,
I
> will be happy to defer to their experience and knowledge. Are you this
> person?
>
> I await either your learned opinion, or your apology.
Something I forget to sprinkle in a healthy dose of "I think" and
"apparently" along with IMHO but that was what I meant too.
I have given the subject of seats great consideration since a PCA racer died
at my very first race when his fiberglass seat contacted the roll bar and
broke in half. It is a very personal subject for me. Personally, I believe
that aluminum seats are better than fiberglass or composite seats. I don't
have the resources to personally destructive test them to get quantitative
data but I base this opinion on knowing the similarities between fiberglass
and composites and knowing how well they have worked in NASCAR. Personal
injury is gone down dramatically since their inception. How NASCAR got
talked into allowing it the first time must be quite a story but I believe
it was a very important day in racing safety.
I believe racing seats are compromised to a great extent by trying to keep
weight down. I believe the safest seat would probably be tubular steel but
they would weigh perhaps twice what the comparable composite or aluminum
seats do. That's they way of racing. Everything is a tradeoff.
So yes, I apologize for taking exception to your remark which I took
personally. Are you ready to do the same?
Always just IMHO,
Paul Foster
|