At 08:02 AM 9/15/99 -0700, Randy Chase wrote:
>
>
>Jim Carr wrote:
>>
>> At first I thought you were referring to the ill wind that resulted
>> in the BS Ladies having a 4 second advantage over the BS open class
>> by virtue of running first on Tuesday. Pity the poor AS drivers
>> who started early but hit a cone on the first run.....
>
>Or worse. If one hits a cone on their first run with threatening clouds,
>that is just racing. One should know that the first run my have to
>count. What is worse, is what happened to Tom Harrington yesterday. Tom
>was gridded with a relatively low number in AS. He knew his first run
>might have to count. As he attacked he course, he came onto a down cone.
>He stopped, went back to grid. By the time he could take his re-run, the
>skies had opened up.
>
>It turns out that only the first people in grid in AS got in dry runs,
>so the times there are bit skewed.
>
>It must be very frustrating to spend all this time and money to be at
>Topeka, to think you really have a shot at winning, specially as a
>rookie, then to have it all gone because of some course worker's
>inattention. I know it's all part of racing and stuff happens...but that
>bites.
Which is why when I worked T&S at the 25th Nats ('97), I always reminded
the course workers to look for downed cones and to look behind the car, not
at it as it screams by. I understand that the excitement of Nationals can
be distracting, but working the course is a vital job, as are all the
positions that go into making an event work. Not paying attention can cost
someone the plaque and jacket.
Now, had I been there, I would either have been the 12th car (1 car away
from Matt Murray, like last year (Hi Matt) or taken Tom's place as the 21st
car out. Heck, I could be in the trophies... at least for 1 day.
A.J. "it's 2:45 Topeka time, AS ran 3rd, who won?!?" Rystad
1992 MR2T AS
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