At 03:37 AM 20/05/97 -0400, you wrote:
>The May weekend was obviously new and different many places. I was
>(for a while ) in the Spring Sprints Sovren put on in Seattle...until
>(my version) another driver turned down on me ...their words "to
>retake the racing line after letting a slower(!)
> car through".....snip
>
We're just starting our season in Canada - one regional race done, and our
"festival" due in two weeks or so - and I was taken aback by the reports of
carnage, and a fatality this weekend. My condolences to the family and
friends of Mr. Legat, who I have probably shared a track with but did not know.
The idea of "owning" the racing line is one that comes up again and again,
and is a concept that disturbs me greatly. The idea that driving into
another car and justifying that based on the plea that "their front tires
were only up to my elbow" or "they hadn't completed the pass before the
corner" is bunk!
The so called racing line is just one way to go around a track - there's
nothing sacred about it! And no one owns a right to drive on a particular
part of the track! The best part of racing is dicing with another driver,
and sharing the track so that both drivers get to excel, without resorting
to blocking, shutting the door, false braking and other intimidation tactics.
Let's rely on skill and car control to keep "slower" cars behind us, rather
than fear, and let's get rid on the notion of "owning the corner". Share
the road, make it tough to pass, but if someone does get inside you (or
whatever), don't hit them!
Brian Evans
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