my friend told me that no passangers in the car while running in speedtrialusa events. (california) due to the accident at california speedway. is this true?

 

It's actually due to the accident a few months back during a Speedtrial event at SOW where the guy went off and hit the corner worker barrier on the front straight...he apparently had his girlfriend in the car. Both had to be airlifted out...yada yada yada...you've all probably heard the story a million times. Anyway, at a POC event about a month ago, they mentioned the incident in the driver meeting, and the President of the club informed us that the STI driver was still in a coma...don't know how much truth there is to that. His girlfriend is apparently recovered or recovering...a very unfortunate situation. Tommy has had some bad luck with some events, and he's simply trying to minimize the "unfortunate incidents". I can't think of a better way to do that than to not allow passengers.....that improves the odds by 50% right there.

Here's hopes for a recovery for the STI driver

 

The last time I attended a SpeedtrialUSA event this past May, only the advanced group was allowed to have a passenger. The coordinators could have changed it since then, though.

All I know is ever since that RSX flipped at Big Willow in '03, there have been no STUSA events there since. Driver and passenger were hurt. I don't blame them.

 

STUSA has added the 'no passenger rule' to their webpage. It does take away some of the fun but it is safer.

 

humm. so is it only the STUSA events with no passangers, or all events? humm.. true, it is 50% safer if something does happen. but it kind of takes away the whole "family fun" part of racing. I guess its good but its bad.

and what about training? i would think it would be a good idea to get some 'passanger' seat time before you drive 'solo' on a track...

 

You can have an instructor ride with you but no friends as passengers.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by lastturn &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">humm. so is it only the STUSA events with no passangers, or all events?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Technically, no events at Buttonwillow or Willow Springs are supposed to have passengers "according" to the contracts the event promoters sign w/ the track. Only instructors are allowed, but a lot of organizations slack in enforcing the no passenger rule.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by lastturn &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">humm. so is it only the STUSA events with no passangers, or all events? humm.. true, it is 50% safer if something does happen. but it kind of takes away the whole "family fun" part of racing. I guess its good but its bad.

and what about training? i would think it would be a good idea to get some 'passanger' seat time before you drive 'solo' on a track...</TD></TR></TABLE>

Taking your friends/girlfriends/etc out to show off your "skillz" at a racetrack when you're not an advanced student/instructor is a very, very bad idea for many reasons.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by .RJ &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Taking your friends/girlfriends/etc out to show off your "skillz" at a racetrack when you're not an advanced student/instructor is a very, very bad idea for many reasons.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I agree. No good will ever come of that.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by .RJ &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Taking your friends/girlfriends/etc out to show off your "skillz" at a racetrack when you're not an advanced student/instructor is a very, very bad idea for many reasons.</TD></TR></TABLE>

For the same reasons that so many states now have graduated driver's licenses that prohibit kids from taking passengers in their cars, particularly after dark. I didn't learn about it until I moved to the Southeast but down here they call it, "Hey - y'all watch this." The same goes for video cameras and stop watches at DEs, spectator corners on rallies, and prize money at a Spec Miata race...

K

 

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

Taking your friends/girlfriends/etc out to show off your "skillz" at a racetrack when you're not an advanced student/instructor is a very, very bad idea for many reasons.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Sorry "RJ"...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Knestis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> and prize money at a Spec Miata race...</TD></TR></TABLE>

ROFL.

As usual, I agree with Kirk (and RJ). I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to take anybody in my car for a full pace session - even when I take students out, I dial it WAY back.

 

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

Taking your friends/girlfriends/etc out to show off your "skillz" at a racetrack when you're not an advanced student/instructor is a very, very bad idea for many reasons.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Well said ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRR Jay. I couldn't agree more with you. Instructors are fine but I wouldn't really even consider allowing "advanced" students out. It still can get the red mist going.

Z

 

Zephyr, was it with you that I got the red mist behind a Miata? It was either you or Phillip...either way, yeah, that would've been bad if whichever one of you hadn't been there to tell me to calm the hell down.

 

I don't think that it was me but if it was I probably would have said that. When we were at VIR you were very well behaved. A little too reserved for my liking and that was what we worked on.

Bad things can happen when you get a novice/intermediate driver in a high HP car without a proper instructor and even worse things WILL happen if they are showin of their skillz fo da homies.

Z

 

FWIW I have seen several nasty crashes in the instructor only groups before. The risk is still there, however it's probably lower.

 

sure, there can be crashes in any group, but it is less likely in the more advanced groups, as they GENERALLY have more skill and experience. it is also less likely without a passenger in the car as a distraction.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Safir &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">sure, there can be crashes in any group, but it is less likely in the more advanced groups, as they GENERALLY have more skill and experience. it is also less likely without a passenger in the car as a distraction. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I see more crashes in the advanced/instructor group than the student groups. People are going faster, pushing the envelope further and while most of the time they have the experience level to bail their *** out, sometimes **** happens. The students usually have an instructor in the car keeping a leash on them if the **** is about to hit the fan, but as always, sometimes **** happens.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Safir &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> but it is less likely in the more advanced groups, as they GENERALLY have more skill and experience. . </TD></TR></TABLE>

The advanced group is also where you have a most of the asshats swinging their sacks all day.... the guys that think they should be in the advanced group because they did a canyon run once and didn't roll down a cliff. Most of the outfits that I've run with generally try to humble people a bit during the drivers meeting..and emphasize that HPDEs are supposed to be FUN...not competitive...in an attempt to encourage the drivers to abort if they think they are headed for a questionable situation instead of trying to hang on to it....because there is no prize at the end. Nobody can win. Of course...all of this is being said sitting in front of my computer, and sometimes things change when the helmet goes on.

 

I've had only 3 Advanced HPDEs (HPDE3 here), but in all of them there's only ever been 1 or 2 asshats (and it's been the same 1 or 2 people every time, a husband and wife). Everybody else has been fantastic, from a skill level and attitude standpoint.

 

If it wasn't for passenger ride-alongs, I probably never would have started doing track events in the first place. The bug got me when I rode along in a friend's NSX for a session, and knew that I had to do that. If it wasn't for that.... I would have probably been able to retire in my 40s instead of blowing all of my money on this crap!

 

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

and prize money at a Spec Miata race...

K</TD></TR></TABLE>

What would be different?
These guys go 3 wide on fuggin test days.

Scott, who thinks its hard to go beyond "everybody is running into everybody."