So there has been good discussion on saftey broadcasts, and drivers bearing full responsibility for understanding the situation on track. Seems like we all agree.
But JB brought up a good point at the track that for the Proctor incident, it really seems like the Qually session should have been black flagged, especially when it was clear it was not a fast clean up and the car was sitting on the pit road in an impact zone.
Has anyone brought this up with NASA?
Jeff
CMC #19
www.AST-USA.com
Normally I'm in the tower and could address this question. (This is why I was looking for Glenn's perspective since he was up there.) Obviously decisions are made and Monday morning quarterbacking as to what did & didn't happen is tough, but I believe there was a perception that it was off the racing surface and on the pit return road. (There was no "track" cleanup required.) Just hearing that over a radio gives a good feeling that "all is ok". I think only after more info was gained did control provide more coverage with the flags.
In any case, NASA was aware and made some decisions. Just like Al's decision, having to do it again...we might have done things a bit different (full course yellow).
-=- T
I was outside the tower as was Glenn. When we first saw the flag we (or certainly I ) thought it was from Bryan going off in the launch and then driving almost to the next flag station taking a while to get back on track. Even being on the tower deck James car did not show up well. I feel so stupid because I did not realize (never thought about it) that a car could leave the track and go all the way across pit road. In my mind this is not good. I don't see much of a difference between a car sitting where James was and a slow taxi into the pits. We have a potential for a bad deal if someone goes off like James did while another car is taking it to the pits.
JJ
This is why I've always contended thet this track wasn'y very well thought out.
They revised this section and still didn't address this.
I have also pointed out that Eagle's Canyon entrance/exit is almost identical.
Is there a divider? Dunno.
also, we're always hearing driver awareness regarding the flags and the flag station. Teach yourself to look at every station and blah blah...
What training is provided for the flaggers? Folks in race control?
Just thinking out loud.
jb
Good points.
I'll add that MSRH did install closed circuit TV at the base of the start/finish and will have monitors in control for a lot of the blind spots. So "sight" for control will be improving.
-=- Todd
PS- Just like drivers, there are great cornerworkers and good cornerworkers. Ultimately they are vital to our racing, part of our family and have the same motorsports adrenaline flowing thru their veins.
American Iron Series - National Director
I'll tell you from my perspective... I was never scared about the wreck like I was when I got out of the car and several guys came by sliding arounding the corner.
I got the heck over the wall completely. It is a really bad place to have a car stranded and with those racing by you. :shock:
Like Jerry said... I expect someday an accident will happen there with just having a car on pit road when another comes in out of control.
James Proctor
http://www.jp-motorsports.com
once i noticed what happened to James, he had been there for some time. at that point i noticed there were no flags at all. i thought a lot of time had passed before flags were displayed. not once did i see any of the passing under yellow incidents (i was looking in the wrong place each time).
i did question Clifton as if it was possible the passing happened during a time when he thought the flags were out and when they actually came out. i remember some guys making more than one lap before the flags were displayed.
for me, i chalk this up to a learning experience. i need to learn where to look and what to look for during yellow moments.
as a group we were given a "freebie" at MSR-C a year or two ago. w/ the speech we were given just hours before this happened, Clifton had no other choice be to come down on us hard even if in our eyes the issue was handled differently than what we would wanted. this issue affected me as much as anyone if not more. if fact, it has ended any chance Team Pony Killers had for a season Championship. i still support Clifton's actions. if we all (or some of us) disagree w/ Clifton's actions, we need to sit down and talk about this w/ him. i'm sure Clifton will be glad to sit w/ us Friday night before MSR-C and spend some time explaining himself and his actions. some have questioned the type of flag displayed and the lack of severity placed on the incident. i too have pulled Clifton aside from time to time and asked him to explain why an issue got this flag or that flag. also keep in mind - he makes allot of quick decisions that allot of us are not qualified to make. don't question his actions if your not willing to sit in his place and make the same decisions he makes.
if you guys have video to back up possible problems w/ the way this was handled, give it up, or bring it to MSR-C w/ you.
Originally Posted by AllZWay
I know in the future I will haul ass to get off that part of pit road. Can you imagime driving along minding you own damn business at 20 MPH when a car does like James did and hits you in the side, not even being braced for it? We need a yellow out on every lap at that turn. I'm not joking. I did not realize how dangerous this was. James accident has opened my eyes on the danger at MSRH. And to think I used to take off my gloves, loosen my belts and lower the window net on pit road.
JJ
I understand the penalty for qual....but I don't understand the penalty for the race that had nothing to do with the accident and qual.
I would think if you knew the penalty was a DQ prior to racing....then I would just load up and not risk my car and waste the fuel racing that race at that point.
The result is the same either way.
James Proctor
http://www.jp-motorsports.com
the results are worse than loading up and going home. it’s a zero point DQ that’s not droppable. its zero in the seasons points tally. if you load up and go home, you can drop that 0.
Al asked for the same penalty handed out the day prior not even knowing what that was. he said to treat him as if he was anyother driver out there, then walked out of the room.
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