Oh cut the guy some slack. He was a rookie and it was
his first event.
----------
> From: Pat Kelly <lollipop@ricochet.net>
> To: Donald R McKenna <donbarbmckenna@earthlink.net>
> Cc: Carl Merritt <cmerritt@ati.com>; ba-autox@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: Course design and surface
> Date: March 13, 2000 8:30 PM
>
> And then there was the guy who smacked a bunch of cones just before the
finish
> lights, got out of his car and picked them up. Sort of an added dimension
of
> scary as there was another car coming that had to be red flagged.
> --Pat K
>
> Donald R McKenna wrote:
>
> > This is a serious message.
> >
> > Carl Merrit wrote:
> >
> > >At the beginning of group 6, when I was working the finish S, I
started out
> > >with more than 10 spare cones (I went and collected a big pile from
the
> > >timing slip guy). By the end of the run group, I had just one left!
> >
> > Carl, I notced you "stocking-up" on cones as I came off course after
working
> > the 5th group. It was obvious, from my working vantage point, that you
were
> > going to need the spares.
> >
> > >
> > >Charlie's point is well taken, with the need to slow the cars down
before
> > >the finish because there just isn't proper shutdown room at Oakland.
But
> > >something about that finishing S was just brutally difficult for many
> > >people, and I would say it was probably more difficult than necessary
to
> > >slow people down (In my humble back-seat-driver
> > >never-designed-a-course-before opinion).
> >
> > I think there's some merit to the several observations about the cone
> > congestion at Saturday's finish corners. Although there was an unusual
> > number of cones hit, with the attendant delays resulting from the
various
> > reactions, I think a more important issue is the safety of the finish
area.
> >
> > NOW HERE"S THE "HARD-ASS" PART OF THIS MESSAGE.
> >
> > Its clear to me that you can't completely safety-proof every finish
design
> > and Saturday's WAS designed to slow folks down. However we all have an
> > obligation to get out of the throttle at the finish line, not some time
> > AFTER the finish. There were too many folks on Saturday who pulled
maneuvers
> > at the finish that did nothing to enhance their times but resulted in
spins
> > or off-course excursions that are/were potentially dangerous to workers
and
> > spectators, in addition to the resultant event delays.
> >
> > The above comment is for those who had trouble getting stopped, or who
spun
> > after the lights. If you are one of those folks figure out how you're
not
> > going to let that happen again. Its part of the learning process to
develop
> > techniques that don't impose on others ( like hitting bunches of cones)
> >
> > I think its an obligation, for all of us in the finish area, to ONLY
use as
> > much power as you KNOW you can control when you abruptly lift at the
finish
> > line.
> >
> > We've all had spins, its part of the learning process but, practice the
> > limits out on the course where the consequences are more benign rather
than
> > at the finish where the stakes are higher.
> >
> > Don
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