Anyone in NoVA interested in some happy hour tonight? (yeah, late notice, prolly won't happen)

 

where

(most blatant hijack ever)

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by elgorey &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">where

(most blatant hijack ever)</TD></TR></TABLE>



I dunno, I'm in Herndon, so preferably something around there

 

?

I could use a and some bench racing. Carpool in herndon maybe? Pick a time.

joel

 

I'm off at 5 and am willing to meet anywhere, let me know where's best for y'all.

 

too short of notice for today, installing shocks tomorrow, friday anyone?

 

Speaking as another grid worker I think it's safe to say we were all disappointed in the concessions that were made to BSR for Hyperfest. I wasn't present for the meeting where these were spelled out so I don't know why they were made, or why we had to abide by BSR's decisions, but none of us liked them. No numbers on cars, half of them without tech stickers, allowing shorts, short sleeves, and certain instructors not wearing helmets, it was mayhem. Personally I think I could have hopped in any car wearing nothing but a jock strap and a helmet and BSR would let me out on track.

I personally kicked a few people off grid at the beginning of Saturday before the chief of the BSR instructors informed me that students could wear shorts and short sleeves. I held up a couple of shotgun ride along cars on Sat for instructors not wearing helmets before I was informed that they didn't have to wear them if they don't want to. Many of us were questioning why were even there.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Dragon &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Speaking as another grid worker I think it's safe to say we were all disappointed in the concessions that were made to BSR for Hyperfest. I wasn't present for the meeting where these were spelled out so I don't know why they were made, or why we had to abide by BSR's decisions, but none of us liked them. No numbers on cars, half of them without tech stickers, allowing shorts, short sleeves, and certain instructors not wearing helmets, it was mayhem. Personally I think I could have hopped in any car wearing nothing but a jock strap and a helmet and BSR would let me out on track.

I personally kicked a few people off grid at the beginning of Saturday before the chief of the BSR instructors informed me that students could wear shorts and short sleeves. I held up a couple of shotgun ride along cars on Sat for instructors not wearing helmets before I was informed that they didn't have to wear them if they don't want to. Many of us were questioning why were even there. </TD></TR></TABLE>

As the THIRD Grid person to be in this thread I too 2nd this. We did not like having all the regular rules being broken but it was not GRIDS CALL that said, Hey all students and instructors can wear whatever they want.

I even remember a guy in an Audi Wagon on Saturday that was wearing a wife beater. Did we like this NO but we had no choice because it was CLEARED through DON BARRECK, if you people have a problem with the rules of this past weekend, I suggest you need to call BSR and speak with DON BARRECK. EVERY time a grid worker tried to stop something DON BARRECK would clear it anyway so eventually we gave up, BECAUSE it was like beating a dead horse. SO DO NOT BLAME GRID, WE DID WHAT WE COULD THAT WE HAD CONTROL OF. Everything else needs to be taken up with DON BARRECK.

 

I wore shorts and a short sleeved shirt, after I realized we were allowed to.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by FURBALL B-16 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

As the THIRD Grid person to be in this thread I too 2nd this.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Your were the fourth.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Dragon &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> I could have hopped in any car wearing nothing but a jock strap and a helmet </TD></TR></TABLE>
thanks for that mental image
I was eating dinner

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JMU1337 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Your were the fourth.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Sorry Mike, I was pissed at the time because people are blaming grid for these actions.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by elgorey &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I was eating dinner</TD></TR></TABLE>

While wearing a jock strap?

 

I drove my red EVO in the second Hyperdrive on Saturday wearing....a wife beater and shorts.

I brought pants and a long sleeve tee, but since nobody objected, I never changed clothes.

no jock strap though

 

Did they let you unroll that pack of cigarettes from your sleeve and light up on the front straight?

I remember seeing your car. Was this your first time on a track?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by NASAlaura &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">As far as touring laps go, I know the frustration of BSR as far as dealing with people breaking the touring/cruise lap rules. I am usually the one who sells the touring laps and monitors them at grid at our normal NASA-VA Events. Despite the fact that the drivers are told personally by me that they cannot pass, must stay at a reasonable distance behind the car in front of them, and must not lag behind so they can speed up......there is usually someone trying to get away with those things. And we do black flag the people that do. Based on what the announcer says, it sounds as though the black flag was brought out during Hyperfest touring laps for those infractions as well, but I did not witness that.</TD></TR></TABLE>


The only instance I know of was a boosted black Supra passing some other cars on the front straight during touring laps (on Sat IIRC.) I saw it happen, radioed Don Barrack, and he called a black-flag-all. We then told EVERY SINGLE DRIVER individually that there was NO PASSING, then let them back out. For all following touring lap sessions we not only told drivers "NO PASSING" when we collected their on-track passes, but we also prominently displayed a "NO PASSING" message on a dry erase board at pit-out. This seemed to work fine after the first instance. I do believe Don handled the rogue Supra owner himself.

FWIW,

Jon

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by XR4racer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Since somebody made the point to boast that not a single car left the grid without a helmet, I decided to share the fact that I personally know that to be BS, because I watched two student cars enter the track without helmets... the grid workers watched them go, and even did a double take.. for some reason.</TD></TR></TABLE>


When??? IMHO the only time this could've possibly happened was when drifters were heading down (behind a BSR pace car) to line up in T4 for their drifting attempts... At which point we would've previously made sure they had a helmet in the car AND told them to put it on.

As I said, nobody got by me without a helmet that I recall, and I'd bet my *** the same went for Chuck, Mike, and/or Matt. If someone snuck by without a helmet and one of us did a double-take as they drove onto a hot track, I feel certain we were on the radio about 2 seconds later telling control, at which point the flaggers would be monitoring the offender(s) like flies on **** (at least until Don Barrack told us it was ok.)

I'm done now,

Jon
who's been to SCCA Crash & Burn School twice
and takes his volunteer pit/grid work very seriously
because it's our job to make sure people are as safe
as the rules for a particular event require them to be

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by XR4racer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Sounds a bit like our HC race..


..to lighten the mood.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Good mood lightener! We weren't quite *that* far back...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by XR4racer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">That's Good, but I did see more than just Don on track without a helmet, and there WERE participants during some of the activities, on track without a helmet... Look at the pictures.. I WAS there. If I was working CONTROL... and I have been on many occasions, NOBODY would be allowed on track without Long Sleeves, Long pants, and a helmet, unless they were on orientation/parade laps. That is the level of safety that should be minimum at a track event. </TD></TR></TABLE>
i can promise you that at no time was anyone--other thatn don barrick--on tarack at speed without a helmet.....guys, you have to remember that this was a joint event, and sometimes there are rules allowed that wouldn't necessarilly be allowed...administratively, we did not have ultimate CONTROL

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by emwavey &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Does this look like a guy doing a touring lap?
http://www.pbase.com/image/18821173

From my perspective as a spectator it didn't. So that is why I will respectively wait to hear back for the BSR dude before I write another inaccurate account.

I totally agree it is my responsibility to change this to portray it accurately.</TD></TR></TABLE>
yes, it does look like a touring lap

 

That front wheel is a little suspect....

Brian
-who just got a new stick and is looking for that darned dead horse

 

LMAO!

 

I feel I must close with something...

My article was not written to start a helmet argument. It was really to highlight an activity that I think is extremely worthwhile. If anything I expected to get flamed by the SCCA guys for suggesting they do something like this. This string has definitely answered my questions about why folks weren't wearing helmets. I did not know that their were two separate ways folks could drive their car on the track, ie HyperDrive and Curise Laps. Only seeing part of the track and witnessing a pass without a point-by out of turn nine made me cringe. However like I said I only saw part of the track and am comforted to know that this dude was black flagged. I wrongly figured this was like an HPDE. In writing hastily I chose an improper string of words to express my wonder of why folks weren't wearing helmets... it sounded like a judgment, but it was really just a question.

Also I substitued the photo that I seemed like an excellent drift shot... I was close and got an in focus shot. Apparently this was a HyperDrive, but I wasn't sure so I changed it. The photo of the Honda isn't as good, but I know it was definitely part of the Drift segment. On the roll of film they were right next to each other.

I'm kind of pissed that this turned into a augment of a sort, and I'm mostly dissapointed with myself.

Again my intent was just to take some pictures, write up a little article and share them with you all, not to start a war. Jon, thank you for sharing your knowledge of what transpired. I know you to be a most excellent dude.

Does anyone know a good receipe for humble pie?

edited for grammar


Modified by emwavey at 4:49 PM 7/11/2003

 

Freedom of the press... You reported what you saw.
You shouldn't be so quick to let others influence your expression or opinions.
The best reporters/writers/photographers aren't swayed by big money or power or politics. They seek the truth, and report what they find.
In any case, thanks for the interesting thread... made a few days at work go by quicker. It's finally Friday... here, have a beer.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by XR4racer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Freedom of the press... You reported what you saw.
You shouldn't be so quick to let others influence your expression or opinions.
The best reporters/writers/photographers aren't swayed by big money or power or politics. They seek the truth, and report what they find.
In any case, thanks for the interesting thread... made a few days at work go by quicker. It's finally Friday... here, have a beer. </TD></TR></TABLE>

He did seek the truth, but unfortunately was wrong. Some of us tried to correct him and all hell broke loose.