To all,
I believe Uncle Jack's description to be correct for most (I said most)
drivers in races put on by VSCDA. I also agree that I see more yahoos per
capita at any SVRA race I've participated in.
At the Vintage Grand prix Au Grattan, I nearly caused an expensive
situation. My Sprite is set up very loose, which results in a "tail out"
driving style that some find entertaining, others I'm sure, find annoying.
At Grattan, my new double bearing rear hub set up was leaking badly...
resulting in a 007 like oil deposit on my own rear tires. We tore it apart
after every session in an attempt to solve the problem.
Ealier in the weekend, a group of sports racers, near the end of the race,
were lapping their way through the field. There were 2 cars ahead of me that
I was trying to pass as the leaders came up from behind. I felt bad that I
was holding the leaders up as I was racing for position in my own group.
So, the next race, the sports racers again came through the field of mostly
production cars. This time, prioir to entering the esses, I gave my friend
John Golanty in his Elva (?) a serious point as I wanted him to pass before
we got into the corners. John came up into my periphial vision, to the
right, on the inside. I had taken an outside line, with the intention that
I'd compensate after he was safely by. John decided (based on a good look at
my tail out driving style) that he wouldn't execute the pass. So all of a
sudden, he's not where I expected him to be... my car is sideways (more than
usual) because where I intended to go is now filled with Elva... and only
due to great driving and a sense of self preservation, did John avoid
punting the shit out of me.
I think every group has its notorious blockers, or those guys with fast
straight line cars who can't find their ass with both hands when it comes to
corners. You learn to expect it... to compensate... and to get around safely
when you can. I suppose its even more annoying for those former
professionals that are used to the hard charge, to have to deal with these
situations... but its our game... our rules... and if they want to play,
they've got the same rules to comply with as we do. It's more difficult when
you're unfamiliar with those you're racing with. We've got a group of guys
that we're all comfortable with... and seldom will you see more than a
"clear coat" between us as we put on a show.
I think vintage racing's days of 7/10ths or 8/10ths of maximum speed are
over... probably have been over for 4 or 5 years. I'm not sure if all would
agree, but from what I see, this is the case. Most are driving their cars
almost... and I mean almost... like they stole it. We've had a pretty good
record in the VSCDA in the last few years about contact between cars because
of an aggressive application of the rules by our Driver's Committee.
My .02.
WST
Flounder
Team Thicko
----- Original Message -----
From: <jdesanti@inficon.com>
To: <vintage-race@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 1999 7:12 AM
Subject: Re: Passing
>
>
>
> Uncle Jack must live in a "Dream World" - I have found no such courtesy
in
> SVRA.
> Any one out there care to tell me they have? I know they preach it but I
have
> not seen it.
> Then again I am a consistant backmarker and may be my fellow backmarkers
don't
> know the courtesy's of vintage racing.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Jack W Drews <vinttr4@geneseo.net> on 08/30/99 08:44:23 PM
>
> Please respond to Jack W Drews <vinttr4@geneseo.net>
>
> To: vintage-race@autox.team.net
> cc: (bcc: John Desantis/Leybold)
> Subject: Passing
>
>
>
>
> I wrote out my comments regarding the Monterrey debacle, left them in
> the "unsent messages" folder, and trashed them. What a disappointment
> that a driver of Moss's stature would try a Zanardi-like maneuver that
> could not possibly succeed, and in someone else's extremely rare car, to
> boot.. I saw the incident and its replays. All of us racers
> occasionally pull a truly stupid maneuver and that was his (choose one)
> senior moment or ego moment, I guess.
>
> However, the whole thing brings to mind a subject near and dear to my
> heart -- namely, the proper code of ethics for passing:
>
> 1. Punting another car out of the way is forbidden and should be
> punished.
> 2. Blocking a clearly faster overtaking car is not done (I'm talking
> here about a car that is lapping you, or a clearly faster car that for
> whatever reason is behind you -- like a Corvette behind a Sprite or a n
> XKE behind my TR4.
> 3. Blocking another car of the same speed is bad manners and bad
> sportsmanship -- unless it is on the last lap and is for finishing
> position.
> 4. For cars of nearly equal speed, fighting for position, whose corner
> is it? It's really simple -- if the overtaking car CAN BE SEEN WITH
> PERIPHERAL VISION by the overtaken driver, the corner belongs to the
> overtaking car. This means that the overtaking car must have its front
> fender at least halfway alongside the overtaken car.
> 5. If the overtaking car is 'kinda' alongside, say its front fender is
> abreast of the overtaken car's rear fender, the corner belongs to the
> car in front -- the driver can't necessarily see the passing car, and
> the passing car has no right to the leading car's line.
>
> These are the practices followed by respected drivers in every auto
> racing venue.
>
> Okay, go ahead.
>
> --
> uncle jack
> TR4 - 10 mpg
> TR6 - 30 mpg
> (plus a few other differences)
>
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