At VARAC, we regularly (5 to 6 times a year) race in a mixed grid situation
when we run with the regional guys, and get one race slot for Vintage. We
have very few incidents - I can't think of any in 10 years - of an open
wheel car and a closed wheel car coming together. This doesn't mean it
isn't more dangerous than separate open and closed wheel grids - it does
mean that we talk about it a lot - ad nauseum to some - and we take a lot
of care with what we do.
I personally characterize the racing we do in mixed grid situations as
8/10th's running. Faster cars often come up behind a gaggle of slower
cars, the leader of the fast pack throws up his arm, and racing is
suspended until all the faster cars are by all the slower cars, usually on
the next straight. The net result is that even with the increased risk, we
seem to have fewer incidents in our regional mixed grid races than we do at
the big events were racing is more intense, and cars are gridded more
logically.
The biggest risk I've seen appears to be when F70 type cars - wings, slicks
and horsepower - are gridded with FJuniors and FFords. They have dramatic
differences in speeds, open wheels, and drivers with relatively more
intense attitudes that seem to result in more, more dangerous, incidents.
Brian
At 07:44 PM 09/15/1999 -0400, you wrote:
>I guess we have to face the reality of mixed grids for the sake of scheduling
>and track time, but mixed grids are inherrently more dangerous than grids of
>cars that act more similarly. Putting FF's and F500's in the same group mixes
>cars of vastly different speeds and is certainly more dangerous, but at least
>they are all open wheelers and the drivers are more likely to be of the same
>mind-set.
>
>The occasional occurrence of grouping open- and closed-wheel cars together is
>especially bad, since open wheel cars usually corner quicker but are
>usually not
>as fast on straights as the cars they are grouped with. There is a usually a
>difference in driver mentality as well, at least among the very good
>drivers. We
>mix these in the U.S. in enduros, but usually without incident, because in
>these
>races there seems to be a heightened awareness that the most important part on
>the car is the rear view mirror.
>
>The laws of physics dictate that mixing light and heavy cars will always
>result
>in more damage to the light car in a collision, but unfortunately, there
>usually
>just aren't enough cars to keep them separate. Unfortunate dilemma.
>
>Jeremy Braithwaite wrote:
>
> > Jack
> > Do you have any comment on mixing grids. Wre have endured the insanity of
> > mixing FF and F5000 in Australia and I suspect lightweight sports
> racers and
> > heavy production based sports cars is a similar no-no.
> >
> > regards
> >
> > Jeremy Braithwaite
> > Age & Treachery Racing Australia
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Jack W Drews <vinttr4@geneseo.net>
> > To: Tony Drews <tmccis@revealed.net>
> > Cc: Paul Meis <pmeis@bgsm.edu>; Vintage Race List
> > <vintage-race@autox.team.net>
> > Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 1999 11:39 PM
> > Subject: Re: Reflections on a racing incident
> >
> > >
> > > > Paul, I'm so happy you are OK, and very very sorry about your car.
> > >
> > > I'm also glad that someone besides me has said that Watkins Glen, and any
> > other
> > > track that puts immovable objects right next to the track, is dangerous.
> > This
> > > feature of The Glen sure intimidated me.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > > I had spent four years restoring is destroyed.
> > > > > I felt Death go past my right ear, close enough to smell the bad
> > breath on
> > > > > that Old Hag. She wispered as she went by: "Not this time.....but
> I'll
> > see
> > > > > you again some day".
> > > > > Carpe Diem, life is sweet.
> > > > > Paul Meis, Team Escargot
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > uncle jack
> > > TR4 - 10 mpg
> > > TR6 - 30 mpg
> > > (plus a few other differences)
> > >
> > >
> > >
>
>--
>uncle jack
>TR4 - 10 mpg
>TR6 - 30 mpg
>(plus a few other differences)
Brian Evans
Director, Global Sales
UUNET, An MCI WorldCom Company
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