Car #1 loss of control was not intentional and he was remorseful, but he
caused damage, damnit. Shouldn't there be a sanction of some
sort????????????? To cause damage (especially to OTHERS) without being
sanctioned is at the heart of the problem, is it not?
-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Palmer <mgvrmark@hotmail.com>
To: vintage-race@autox.team.net <vintage-race@autox.team.net>
Date: Wednesday, September 29, 1999 8:27 PM
Subject: For Myles
>Myles -- tried to send this to you personally rather than the list, but it
>wouldn't go through. So everyone else can ignore -- or participate in the
>stoning.
>
>From: "Mark Palmer" <mgvrmark@hotmail.com>
>To: MHKitchen@aol.com
>Subject: Re: Vintage body contact
>Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 19:10:16 PDT
>Myles,
>
>I was driver #3. I had about 10 feet of track width between the
>hitting/spinning cars, and the wall. I mustered everything I think I knew
>about car control in that split second -- don't snap off the throttle,
>feather it, steer around the hazard ... but I wasn't able to avoid a
>half-spin. Missed the other cars, but nosed into the inside guard rail.
At
>90+ MPH, cresting a hill & starting down a downhill, off-camber turn it's
>mighty hard. Prior to #1's spin, I was completely under control and had
>some reserve for evasive action, but not enough in reserve to avoid two
cars
>suddenly broadside on the track in front of me. I don't think many drivers
>in vintage leave that much in reserve.
>
>I know I didn't give you that much info the first time around, but that was
>sort of on purpose. It's awfully tough to judge an incident based on a
>20-word description.
>
>In order to leave enough cushion to always be able to react to any
incident,
>we'd have to drive more than 100 feet apart at all times -- or actually,
>whatever the braking distance is from top speed to complete stop in your
>car. That's unrealistic.
>
>In the incident I described, the driver's committee found drivers #2 and #3
>blameless. Driver #1 was reprimanded for careless shifting, but no
>probation or suspension. He was quite remorseful, his car was banged up,
>and it was a mistake, not aggressiveness.
>
>Mark Palmer
>MGA #185
>
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