06-20-2017, 05:03 PM
Short and sweet - and consistent with what I have been saying since being involved in a very dangerous "not-allowed" "Texas Start" at my very first vintage event - and have with great disgust declined to participate in my group at more recent VKA events where the group makeup included very fast karts and not-so-fast karts, and the fast guys were guilty of very, very bad behavior.
VKA's posted information says we are not racing. That's not true.
VKA's rules about contact are generally not enforced.
I belong to a karting club that had a fatality some years ago. It devastated the club leadership.
If I were the insurance underwriter (and I do expert witness work for these folks), and you came to me with a fatality, I would look at the data provided, conclude (pretty obviously) that we were actually racing, and I would deny coverage.
Some conclusions I have drawn:
1. VKA had ought to be sure that while they are purporting to run "demonstration" events, that they are indeed races and should be insured as such. VKA leadership may have this already in hand.
2. We need to enforce the rules, whether we call them rules or not. Inappropriately aggressive drivers need to be black flagged, not just for a session, but for an entire event. Repeated black flags should get them banned from events for a year.
3. Each of us should chose carefully who we drive with on the track, be it "practice" or a mock heat.
4. Make-up of classes and even practice sessions should be organized to minimize the "speed shear" (differential in speed of types of karts). Even if we just did alternating "fast" and "slow" groups it would be a good thing.
5. If you really have the need to actually race, then do what I do, dammit. Join a local club, get a modern race kart and actually race. This is my 20th consecutive year racing modern karts at my home karting club. If I can do, so can you.
My humble opinion. And we all know what opinions are like.......
Ciao, my friends.
VKA's posted information says we are not racing. That's not true.
VKA's rules about contact are generally not enforced.
I belong to a karting club that had a fatality some years ago. It devastated the club leadership.
If I were the insurance underwriter (and I do expert witness work for these folks), and you came to me with a fatality, I would look at the data provided, conclude (pretty obviously) that we were actually racing, and I would deny coverage.
Some conclusions I have drawn:
1. VKA had ought to be sure that while they are purporting to run "demonstration" events, that they are indeed races and should be insured as such. VKA leadership may have this already in hand.
2. We need to enforce the rules, whether we call them rules or not. Inappropriately aggressive drivers need to be black flagged, not just for a session, but for an entire event. Repeated black flags should get them banned from events for a year.
3. Each of us should chose carefully who we drive with on the track, be it "practice" or a mock heat.
4. Make-up of classes and even practice sessions should be organized to minimize the "speed shear" (differential in speed of types of karts). Even if we just did alternating "fast" and "slow" groups it would be a good thing.
5. If you really have the need to actually race, then do what I do, dammit. Join a local club, get a modern race kart and actually race. This is my 20th consecutive year racing modern karts at my home karting club. If I can do, so can you.
My humble opinion. And we all know what opinions are like.......
Ciao, my friends.
Jim Waltz, West Sacramento, CA