I stumbled over this today, and while it is a couple of years old, you guys might find it interesting reading.....
This was sent in a PM to the event director following an event.
Note that no names are mentioned.......
Thanks.....
[i]Another great event. Your service to the members is very greatly appreciated.
Food for thought.......
Number 1.:
Not as a criticism, as volunteers in every organization are often treated like employees by the members. I noted that in the second heat for group 4, dual-sidewinder/dual-year, NONE of the dual rears drivers participated. I believe that this was due to the hugely bad behavior of the dual-sidewinder drivers during the first heat taking the shortcut to bypass the esses in the back of the track so they would not have to take actual time to get around the dual rears they were catching.
They put everyone else at risk, and one of them spun in front of me in his excited hurry and almost got t-boned by me. He clearly was not an experienced racer, and is lucky that I am.
It is a shame that their bad behavior, besides being dangerous, ended up effectively penalizing others - rather than themselves.
I wonder if they could not have, as a group, been black-flagged for the day. It would certainly have been an appropriate penalty - and would have sent the right message.
Number 2.:
Xxx and his twin Yamaha very nearly caused me great injury. It happened in a flash, and I'm guessing that it was only my miraculously quick reflexes (developed over the last 19 consecutive years of racing at Blue Max?) that I danced over his front axle, landed on my feet and then extracted my right foot/leg from his churning right rear wheel.
Two thoughts in this regard.
First is that "experimental" karts like his may need greater scrutiny during tech. This MIGHT (only might) have caught his use of nylon wire ties to secure his carbs.
Second is that it might be a good idea to share the incident with the membership in the next newsletter, and remind everyone that a running kart can get away for a variety of reasons, and that standing in front of a running kart is probably not ever a good idea, even if it rolls up to where you were already standing. We should all instinctively recognize the potential danger, and at least step out of the line of fire - and reach out and pull others out of the line of fire as well.
Safety.
Safety.
Safety.
My very best regards,
Jim Waltz[/i]
This was sent in a PM to the event director following an event.
Note that no names are mentioned.......
Thanks.....
[i]Another great event. Your service to the members is very greatly appreciated.
Food for thought.......
Number 1.:
Not as a criticism, as volunteers in every organization are often treated like employees by the members. I noted that in the second heat for group 4, dual-sidewinder/dual-year, NONE of the dual rears drivers participated. I believe that this was due to the hugely bad behavior of the dual-sidewinder drivers during the first heat taking the shortcut to bypass the esses in the back of the track so they would not have to take actual time to get around the dual rears they were catching.
They put everyone else at risk, and one of them spun in front of me in his excited hurry and almost got t-boned by me. He clearly was not an experienced racer, and is lucky that I am.
It is a shame that their bad behavior, besides being dangerous, ended up effectively penalizing others - rather than themselves.
I wonder if they could not have, as a group, been black-flagged for the day. It would certainly have been an appropriate penalty - and would have sent the right message.
Number 2.:
Xxx and his twin Yamaha very nearly caused me great injury. It happened in a flash, and I'm guessing that it was only my miraculously quick reflexes (developed over the last 19 consecutive years of racing at Blue Max?) that I danced over his front axle, landed on my feet and then extracted my right foot/leg from his churning right rear wheel.
Two thoughts in this regard.
First is that "experimental" karts like his may need greater scrutiny during tech. This MIGHT (only might) have caught his use of nylon wire ties to secure his carbs.
Second is that it might be a good idea to share the incident with the membership in the next newsletter, and remind everyone that a running kart can get away for a variety of reasons, and that standing in front of a running kart is probably not ever a good idea, even if it rolls up to where you were already standing. We should all instinctively recognize the potential danger, and at least step out of the line of fire - and reach out and pull others out of the line of fire as well.
Safety.
Safety.
Safety.
My very best regards,
Jim Waltz[/i]
Jim Waltz, West Sacramento, CA
