No safety steward in attendance, not even the member of the SSC, stopped
the event. That is what is required. If there is a concern by a SSS or a
member of the SSC at ANY event they are required to voice it, and should.
At a Tour, where there was probably 10 SSS's in attendance, we could have
had a meeting and discussed any issue. I don't think that happened, not
because of failure to attend to our responsibilities but because there
really weren't any real issues. If later on they decided to take a
position that the event was not in compliance, then shame on them. That
person failed to perform their duty properly, if that is the case. I'll
have to have that individual call me and tell me they did for me to
believe they have reversed their on site position after scrutiny from non
participants working off hearsay. I hope that call doesn't come.
While working course, I heard many cars on the rev limiter in 2nd, most
participants never shifted to 3rd during the heat I was on course as a
worker (SS, GS, ES, BS, CS, ASP). We even talked about it at the worker
station, people just running up on the rev limiter and letting it pop for
two gates sometimes.
Seat of the pants reflections on, "Oh gosh we were going fast." or "The
car was sliding all over the place." have no place in discussions of rules
compliance or safety. If anything, those participants should be placed on
probation until their skills improve. If the SSC wishes to impose speed
constraints, then do so. Institute a mechanism for compliance that
eliminates any subjectivity (not speedometer based), and be prepared for
court action that is to follow. Because I assure you, that if you place
an artificial barrier (box or lane change for the sole purpose of forcing
the competitor to do something not normal (read done in the past) you have
opened yourself and every member of the club to punitive legal relief. A
"Chicago Box", decreasing distance slalom, decreasing radius turn to a
stop area is begging for a lawsuit. I'll be a witness for self protective
purposes and turn in everyone that has posted for them as primary
contributors to the wilful neglect. And finally: 8^)
James Rogerson
[FP #125] - Techless Racing
jwalter@ptra.com
"Nails are glue, hypothetically speaking" - Lou Fertile
"Men that like golf are unhappy at home and incapable of having a
meaningful relationship with women" - Joseph Heller
"The people who vote decide nothing. The people who count the vote decide
everything."
- Josef Stalin.
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