Michael Begley wrote:
>
> I was saddened to hear about the fatal incident this past weekend.I am
> just getting started in vintage racing, and this news has made me wonder
> wether I am going in the right direction.
> >From the people I have spoken with,I have been under the impression that
> vintage was for having fun, being around some good people and savoring
> the sights and sounds , and enjoying the feel of the older cars on the
> track. A sport and hobby where fun and enjoyment are the order of the
> day.
> I find that I have some anger over all this. I am sure that all of us
> have experienced the feeling when you see your favorite hobby or
> pasttime become full of participants who just do not give a shit. Who
> believe that this or that particular rule just does'nt apply to them.
> People who have no manners or sportsmanship and continually act up, and
> then holler the loudest when someone else acts up like they do.
> I am considering joining VARA, and attended the Pomona event this past
> weekend to see how their events were run and to get a feel for the
> people involved. For the most part I was impressed with what I saw,but I
> did see some overly agressive driving by more than a few participants.
> One of the most obvious was watching a group of six cars try to
> negotiate the tight chicane two by two with only a few feet between
> groups. I could not tell if any contact was made ....but why take the
> chance. It is supposed to be for fun !
> Some people may call me a pussy, but I think that if you want to drive
> that aggressivly then you need to be in a different type of racing.
> Spending my hard earned and difficult to come by funds on my car and
> equipment and then to have to worry about those few who don't care makes
> me wonder.
>
> Peer pressure works. Let people know how you feel. Let your organization
> know how you feel.This is our chosen and worked for activity and we
> should not let those few take away or diminish our fun !
>
> Michael Begley
I'll come out of hiding only for a minute. While it's true that some
drivers seem to have lost sight of the main purpose of Vintage racing
(that being to have a good time and take the car home the way you
brought it to the track), I wouldn't let a few spoil the fun of the
majority. The drivers of dubious intent (or talent) can usually be
quickly identified, particularly if you ask some of your
co-participants, and avoided for the most part. If one of the weekend
warriors is rapidly approaching as a corner is coming up, you can always
lift a little and point them by; not a bad approach during the early
stages of one's driving career - you also get a front-row seat to some
truly spectacular spins and off-road excursions in this manner.
Once your experience and confidence levels increase, you will be better
able to judge the times to hold your speed (and the line) and the times
to point faster cars by. As Mike Jackson pointed out, there will be
people that you trust to go through corners in close quarters with and
there will be those that you will hold yourself in reserve for. If
drivers always did the right thing, there would never be any contact!
But, being human, we sometimes err...
One side note on another mailing about "retaking the line"; it is the
over-taking driver's responsibility to find a safe and appropriate line
around the slower car who should hold the line!!! This is a question of
predictability - the example I always remember was that used by Reggie
Smith in a drivers' school. Liken driving to trying to predict the path
of a rolling football to that of a rolling bowling ball; the football is
very unpredictable while the bowling ball's trajectory can be easily
projected. As a driver, be a bowling ball. The overtaking driver will
have a far better chance of making the pass clean if they know where you
are going to drive, i.e. the "line". Once drivers start going off line
and then "retaking" it, the probability of a poor result begins
increasing dramatically...
To finish up the topic of close driving, having covered one of the
secrets that makes it relatively safe, it can be one of the most
exhilarating (sp?) events in your life! But this is most true when you
have confidence not only in your own abilities but in the judgment and
abilities of the other drivers around you. We are fortunate in South
Florida to have several/many of these drivers. Surprisingly, many of
them race with SCCA vintage more than any other club... Go figure...
(If you're really interested, I can tell you why in a separate Email..)
Good luck and don't give up on the dream just yet!
*8o)
John A. Rollins, Vintage Race Coordinator
Florida Region, SCCA
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