Skip, List,
On any high speed run the safety crews are moving toward the estimated
stopping area for the car as the car is still on the course. If you can
tell me exactly where they will stop we will have people there as well. The
ambulance crew is in the ambulance with the engine running as an extra fast
car goes by. Ed and Chris are moving down the return road area where it
moves toward the path of the car at speed. So are Dave and Carol with the
extraction equipment and Dennis with the Cold Fire. The reason we have our
course watchers on the left side of the course is to allow them a better
chance of reaching a problem quickly from the side of the course where the
car should be going if there is a problem. That along with everyone else on
the move puts a large number of people at the site of a problem in the
shortest amount of time. We are covering about six square miles of course
and surroundings from the 3 1/2 on. If a car goes out of that "box" our
best crews are already on their way at high speed and the FM radio is
advising others of the circumstances. The black panels with the observer in
the scissors lift were our improvement for this year to allow better course
control.
After Tom Burkland's 122 mph roll over I pulled across the return road at
the 5 and stopped pure spectators from going down there. The Shearer's were
there almost as soon as the car stopped moving. We had all the people we
needed at the car almost immediately. The radio communications worked, we
knew he walked to the ambulance and we knew we had the right people there
because of the communications. I don't know that you can ask for more than
that. If we had needed anything else we could have had it there within
minutes but I can't think of anything else we would have needed.
There would be many more upset racers if someone ran over the timing wires
after almost every run and eventually damaged them. Believe me, this has
been thought out and fine tuned by everyone concerned and has resulted in
many sleepless nights while people thought out potential problems. This is
as good as it can reasonably get. I'll stack our people up against the best
in the business. They also cover the SCTA/BNI meets on the salt as well as
the occasional private meet. They are at every club meeting during the year
for feedback, always open to workable suggestions for improvement.
Wes
on 10/1/01 1:06 PM, glen barrett at speedtimer@charter.net wrote:
> Skip
> I was only noting the differences and the time frame required to handle
> incidents. I think both assoc. do a great job. The first timers need as much
> input as they can get. After the rookies meeting I doubt if anyone of them
> can remember what was said when the engine fires and they are getting their
> first ever run down the long black line. So much has to go though the mind
> that first time. No one wants to screw up or have an accident. We only want
> a fast and safe event. There have been times when I or another official has
> gone to a driver after their first run and discussed what we saw and
> hopefully how to correct the issue at hand.
>
> One other issue that happens every year is that when someone qualifies for
> the long course they forget which way to turn out. This always sends the
> E-Crews running.
> Just part of the learning curve.
>
> What's this noise that the car is for sale, new one in the works already.
> Glen
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Higginbotham Land Speed Racing" <saltrat@pro-blend.com>
> To: "glen barrett" <speedtimer@charter.net>; <land-speed@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Monday, October 01, 2001 11:54 AM
> Subject: Re: Procedures-Drivers-Logic
>
>
>> Glen,
>> I was referring to a 'single course event' with my comments to Wes. I
>> believe that the arrangement at Speedweek is as good as it gets for
>> supporting two courses. The distance to the "scene" is indeed the problem
>> as I have experienced from the driver's seat of an 'emergency' vehicle.
>> By the way, over the weekend I saw a Winston Cup driver sit in his car
>> waiting for help for over one minute.....I doubt that it took Cris and Ed
>> that long to get to Tom......a whole minute is a LONG time....just look at
>> the clock and imagine that you are in trouble and need help!
>> Our deal on single and double courses isn't so bad. I just want the time
> to
>> be shorter between incident and rescue, if required.
>> I intend NO criticism at anybody here!!!!!!!!!
>> Skip
>>
>>
>> At 08:56 AM 10/1/01 -0700, you wrote:
>>> Skip & List
>>> At the SCTA-BNI speedweek event with two courses the patrols are down the
>>> center of the two. The emergency equipment is located at the 2 1/2 mile
> by
>>> the timing trailer and the fire truck is at the three mile in the center.
> We
>>> have two rovers, on the long course is Chris & Ed Shearer with fire
> fighting
>>> equipment on board.On the short course is Dave Kohler. These rovers are
> in
>>> the normal turn out area for that course. As we have two observers in the
>>> trailer every run is closely watched and in the event something goes
> wrong
>>> all equipment is rolled to the incident if it occurs.
>>>
>>> The big problem in land speed racing is the distance we have to travel to
>>> the emergency. Unlike closed courses with big budgets and lots of
> equipment
>>> we don't have that luxury.
>>>
>>> Our safety record is as good as any other form of motor sport and each
>>> incident is a lesson learned and in many cases a new rule written if
>>> required. We all want and do read the mail regarding safety and racing
>>> related subjects.
>>>
>>> Please keep them coming.
>>>
>>> Glen
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Higginbotham Land Speed Racing" <saltrat@pro-blend.com>
>>> To: "wspotter" <wester6935@home.com>; <land-speed@autox.team.net>
>>> Sent: Monday, October 01, 2001 7:39 AM
>>> Subject: Re: Procedures-Drivers-Logic
>>>
>>>
>>>> Wes,
>>>> I still don't like turning the car away from emergency equipment when
> an
>>>> emergency occurs.....
>>>>
>>>> logical? I know that there has been lots of discussion about this.
>>>>
>>>> We could put the emergency equipment on the left side? I refer to fire,
>>>> ambulance, jaws, etc.
>>>> Skip (trade-offs, trade-offs)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> At 07:16 AM 10/1/01 -0700, you wrote:
>>>>> List,
>>>>>
>>>>> As the quality of the salt surface improves there will be more
> prominent
>>>>> pressure ridges and that will require smoothed exits from the marked
>>> course.
>>>>> One thing Gary Allen had us do at World of Speed was to drag exit
> paths
>>> away
>>>>> from the course immediately AFTER the mile markers. This gave the
>>> drivers a
>>>>> target area to look at for exits. There were several appreciative
>>> comments
>>>>> that I heard from experienced racers. It did make sense to use
> something
>>>>> that was on the course anyway as a landmark for drivers with limited
>>>>> visibility.
>>>>>
>>>>> With one course, turning off to the right for normal exits and to the
>>> left
>>>>> with problems makes sense when you remember we have wire strung along
> the
>>>>> left side of the course for the timing eyes. Also the spectators are
>>> kept
>>>>> off the right side of the course so it cuts down on traffic problems.
>>>>> Course watchers are on the left side and the turnoff in their
> direction
>>>>> shortens emergency response times. If it's logical it works better.
>>>>>
>>>>> Wes
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