[DMVR] Unsafe activity at a Solo II

[Sam & Greg Scharnberg]

Bill:

You are correct about the danger to the vehicle, driver and workers.  We 
try to minimize this but it can not be eliminated.  3,000 lbs or more in 
motion has the potential to cause damage.  We have seen curbs hit, fences 
hit, and cars rolled and totalled.  In all of the cases I am aware of, the 
driver made a costly mistake but was not ostracized for "bad behavior".

The one thing that is not acceptable is danger to Spectators!

Most of the time when someone was "talked to", it involved leaving the 
course and entering an area containing other cars and spectators at what 
was considered an unsafe speed.  In a few cases, someone made a mistake on 
the course and then proceeded to "drift in circles" with lots of smoke 
endangering workers.

Of course all of this is just my opinion.

Greg Scharnberg
(Been sideways at 80 mph)

At 11:27 AM 2/4/2004 -0600, Bill Hart wrote:
>>It is unsafe behavior and we have seen it before.  Red flag and told to stop
>>
>>If the unsafe behavior is repeated then the person is told to leave.
>
>This sort of brings up a sore point that I've discussed with a few people.
>
>I'm in no way condoning drifting, unless it involves large masses of solid 
>water, BUT:
>
>Isn't driving at the limits (yours or the cars) whether it's a controlled 
>environment or not inherently dangerous ?
>
>Yes, the risks can be minimized, but there's still an element of danger to 
>everyone and everything around.
>
>Going to a driving event is  a place where you can push the car and 
>yourself to the limits and explore behavior when you are at these limits 
>without endangering the general public.
>
>I have attended fewer and fewer DMVR events over the last few years 
>because of statements like the above that make you wonder when you are 
>going to be called because you tried something different and it didn't 
>work.  No, I've never been "talked to" about my driving style or anything, 
>but there's always the raised eyebrows and the feeling of "doing something 
>wrong" when you botch a corner and end up with a smokey exit through the 
>gates .
>
>When the general feeling of the driver's meeting is "If you want to screw 
>around, go out to the street," I just can't get on board with that.  There 
>are varying degrees of course, but to a certain degree isn't that what 
>we're all there for ?
>
>Just my $.02
>Bill