- This topic has 60 replies, 16 voices, and was last updated 20 years, 11 months ago by
.
- Posts
Believe me, not enough grip was never the issue.
I was doing everything I could the to loosen up, but never found enough to keep all four on the ground at all times. Once after coming off the track, waiting for the scales, my kart became stuck to the ground. I almost fell over yank on it to free it.
It was nice to have the stick coming off the front straight but I needed a little more slip through the chicanes. I guess you can?t have it both ways.
@Freezeman wrote:
Don’t even think about blameing any of the carnage we had to a low track grip issue. When we all have to run on a good hard compound tire, that would seperate the men from the boys, or the women from the girls, then you might have an issue.
I know many karts were a little tight, some even two wheeling.
If you think our tracks have a low grip problem, what are you going to do when you rain race?“It looked like from my view someone two wheeled it and ran over him”
I bet at least the guy that was two wheelen it didn’t think the grip level was too slick.
Well, if it’s rainin’, I’m svinst ta put knobbies on and go muddin’ through the infield :cheers:
Thanks to Stacy, Angie, Leroy and the Gang at GJ. Very well run except for a couple of things.
*transponder issues for the Senior/Masters heat
*young’ins with the flags
*agressive drivers
*would like to have seen more spacing between the Seniors and Masters at the start.
*20 laps is too much for the masters final—12 or 15 is enough.I didn’t notice any grip problems with my CRG-Kali–it plain stuck and if it wasn’t for a gone battery in the final I would have finished higher.
Very enjoyable racing with Mike, Jack and Randall-close/tight and respecful racing-great job guys
Great bunch of Masters!
Mike and Rich, I agree with what you have pointed out, however, Rich,
you need to run back to back classes for 40 laps, then 20 will seem like it’s just a walk in the park (ha, ha).Thanks to Angie, Rusty, Dennis and the Cooks with the whole gang for pulling off the first race of the new season.
I wish I could be at Bandimere for the next one, however, The Track will be set up on Colfax for Cinco de Mayo promoting the Denver Grand Prix.Good luck to all!
Jim
After attending this past sundays race at gjms, I could not believe how rough the driving was. I talked to some people who where from Utah, their son ran tag sr, they couldnt believe the racing here. They told me that every track they attened the first thing the owners do at the drivers meeting is stress that this is a non contact sport and no monkey business will be tolerated. Maybe the track owners in colorado should take this approach, quit worring about grip and cheaters, they should worry about the welfair of their racers.
Sinceraly,
Ellee mae, #8 senior 4 cycleC:
A “reiteration” at the next DM will amount to pretty much what we’ve seen every weekend for years.
It’s not an issue of understanding – exept for the kids, maybe. I’ve flagged enough to know that. I’ve seen drivers with “N” plates barelling through yellow corners as if they had the track to themselves. I’ve seen people passing under yellow. I’ve seen people flip off a flagman showing them a full black and keep on driving. I’ve seen people get pissed for mechanical blacks. I’ve seen drivers stop in the middle of the track to yell at a corner worker. I’ve had drivers threaten physical violence over a flagging decision.
In every case, the driver should have and probably did know better.
Just about everyone coming into karting knows, more or less, what flags like the yellow mean. I can see getting confused over conduct under a red, or what a red/yellow or meatball might mean, but yellow? i don’t think so.
It’s not a question of restating rules. It’s a question of people respecting the flag when and where it is displayed.
Enforcing rules regarding yellow will help. Get serious about it. Disrespect a yellow – pack your stuff and go home. Done for the day. Don’t even stay to watch. See ya.
To do that, you need a couple things. First, you have to have flaggers who know what they’re doing. If you’re running around scrounging up flaggers on the morning of the race, you can for get about good corner work. Next have anough corner worlers so you can have two in a corner. SCCA uses three and there’s a damnned good reason for it. TRAIN and use the same flaggers all the time. Give them good, effective communications equipment and train them how it should be used and when.
Then offer these workers a modicum of respect and appreciation. Bruce McGrath is probably the best person I know when it comes to that. He always gives a thumps up or a point to the corners on a cool-down lap and would look you up after the race to say thanx. That goes a long way. And you should hunt down and severely beat anyone who thinks that corners shouldn’t get a break, mid-day, to get out of the sun and something to eat. I’ve had racers INSIST that the corner workers should be left out on the track on a 90+ degree day, without a break so they can keep racing. Real nice people. These people are SCUM and shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near a race track.
It’s gonna cost. It will cost a lot. Radio equipment alone might run as high as $20K. It will be a pain. Someone has to find the CWs and train them and make sure they get to the track on time.
But it’s a matter of safety. Ask Duff what a hard crash feels like. If you want, I can dig out the records of what my crash cost all together (I could have purchased enough top-shelf radio equipment to outfit 20 people). Do you like funerals?
And do you like fairness?
You’re not going to have any it without good, well-coordinated, and effective corner work. That and racers paying attention and showing some respect.
You won’t get any of it at the next drivers meeting, unless everyone concerned makes up their minds now.
@cgordon wrote:
I think Mike is right about getting people to watch the flags. I was passed by two karts under a waving yellow flag while there was a stationary kart on the outside of the corner. Besides being against the rules, it’s an obvious safety issue. It’s also unfair. I didn’t make an issue of it yesterday since my kart was running so poorly, but if I had lost a good position that way I would have lodged a protest.
The rules for yellow flags should be reiterated at the next driver’s meeting.
Elle May, Unfortunatly I have to agree with you, we take full responsibility for what took place. As track owners we need to make safety first, I think this weekend was a wakeup call to all of us, we are so lucky know one was seriously hurt.. Our next event you will see major changes, with both my kids being involved in 2 of the serious accidents it is heartbraking to watch something like that happen, so I can personaly relate to what you are saying, again sorry for the rough weekend….
Chaz,
I totally agree. The whole purpose of having a series Race Director, Tech Inspector, yada yada yada, was to have consistency in the series. I would think that it would have been put out there before the series began, to get a flagging crew together, in order to have the consistency the karters want and deserve. I am available depending on my work schedule. You know how to reach me if need be.
I am glad to hear that noone was seriously injured and let’s not have a repeat of this for the rest of the series. If we all do our part, I know this will be achieved.Race Safe,
IanFirst, look for our update on the race at our new website soon.
Second, props to everyone attending the race.
As far as accidents I’ve made a strange observation this year. I’ve been to quite a few opening races this year around the country. There have been a lot of incidents early this year. In Indiana there were two ambulance trips and 4 insurance claims on one race from a track that has 4 claims all year. Two things, the planets must be aligned, and its early. Early season races can see this. This isn’t a Colorado “problem” it happens all over.
While the promoters of an event are there to provide services there are certain things they would expect racers coming to a REGIONAL event to understand, and rightly so. There are responsibilites we as racers and parents of racers need to take on our own. One is coming in knowing how flags work and what to do. If there are questions track personnel will help with a smile on. BUt, at that level it should be understood that racers need to prepare themselves, not a track officials responsibility.
I agree there seemed to be too much of what I describe as aggressive driving. Not giving up corners that were obviously lost and forcing an issue to the point of a crash. It wasn’t a matter of being rough driving, just over agressive.
I don’t think its a huge issue. KArts on their tops tend to be a self policing situation and people will chill for fear of them being on their top. As the season winds on it will settle down , always does.
Thanks again to everyone.
Rich,
I wished for 20 lap finals and I still want to stick to that! Of course, I didn’t finish one lap so I can’t really speak for 20 now can I. Better start running and training for the 20’s…
8)
Regarding the Junior 1 Class:
As a Junior 1 parent, I glad to say I am now thankful that we missed this particular event since my son might have been involved in one of the mishaps and if my wife would have seen this, it would have created a very difficult situation.
Soap box stance: I would like to reiterate what I have said before that SKUSA-CSC should have picked just one motor package for the Junior 1 class and in my opinion, that debate should have been put to a voted by those who race in that class. Off the soap box now?. Anyway, since that isn?t going to happen and if CSC insists on running them all together the next best thing to do for safety is to grid them by qualify time and NOT by class and for the heat race by the order in which they finished (they are still scored as they are now). It ain?t a perfect solution, but I believe it would be safer than the current method.my thoughts,
Todd, thanks for the imput.. It was tough on us as a track owner when we have only seen 2 upside down in 2 1/2 years of operation… We are going to implement a training class for kids and beginners every Sat, prior to an event with handouts available defining what each flag means and what to do when a driver receives a yellow, red, blue etc…
The question I have about all of this is why were two of the largest classes forced to race with another group? Most of the problems in the TAG senior/Master race could have been avoided if each individual group had their own race. Just ask Donal, AJ, Dennis ………. In the end, it took more time picking all the pieces up than it would have if we would have had individual races for these two groups. The TAG master group had an option of racing with the TAG jr group or the Sr group. I can’t understand why we didn’t have an option of our own race.
All the talk about the flags and racers being held accountable is great and all, but how can you race if in almost every corner there is a yellow but the track wasn’t under a full yellow???????? By the last few laps of the the TAG Sr/Master race, there were karts everywhere. You had the pickup kart truck on the track and the karts were not even slowed down. Yeah sure they should have been but they weren’t. Why not throw a complete course yellow and get it under control and cleaned up??
Never-the-less, GJMS sure is a fun place to race. Thanks to all the crew and support cast for a great weekend. Hopefully,Bandimere will allow us to run the various TAG classes seperately.
Tom
It’s encouraging to read some the positive responses to this weekend’s incidents. That’s what draws us to and keeps us in the sport, even after seeing the accidents.
I didn’t get a good look at all the karts being towed in, but I thought the Jr 1 crashes in the main were all up front in MiniMax. Were any of the Animals or K80’s involved? Point is, I don’t think a different gridding system alone will make it much safer (though I don’t disagree with Don on gridding by time). Coaching and enforcement of the rules will have a much greater impact.
Anyone serious about getting J1 Speed here yet – soon?
Another suggestion is to have an occasional red flag drill to keep racers (and corner workers) sharp on the proper procedures.
Todd, another uncontrollable factor, besides the stars and the early season, might be watching too many NASCAR ads over the winter.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.