I know he was a rookie, but it was the first time I've seen that happen in too
many years of playing this game. I'm glad the folks upstream realized he had
stopped and put out their red flags.
--Pat K
Dennis and Sherry Armstrong wrote:
> 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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