Mark wrote>>
<I'm sure everyone thinks I'm a wus and whiner or whatever, but bottom
line
<I don't think it should be possible to hit something if you make a
<mistake in an autox. Now, if I make a mistake, don't bail out and try
to
<save it and then smack something, its my fault. If I make a mistake,
<spin, and hit something, that's the course designer's fault.
No, if you make a mistake and hit something it's your fault, you are over
your head and you should have backed out of it a long time before. Nobody
is making you go so fast in a section that you get into that much
trouble.
<I don't care much about speed and agree with what a few folks have
written
<regarding safe high speed courses. Bottom line, in my mind, is that a
<course isn't safe unless a driver can make a mistake (while on line) and
<slide or spin to a halt without hitting something.
Of course this is your opinion. However, that isn't the way the SCCA
rules are written. There is always the possibility that something could
get hit. If SCCA took the position that you think it should then we would
only be running on HUGE lots with 100 yard buffer areas between the
course and hittable objects. Also, we could throw out helmets and
seatbelts because we are now running such safe events! But that isn't
real world.
<That isn't the only
<factor, but its a pretty major one. A driver should have to make at
<least two mistakes (start to spin and try to save it when they should
give
<it up, etc.) to hit something. If your lot doesn't allow that, then
find
<a different lot.
Maybe you need to find a safer sport like concours or car shows if you
want to stay with auto related activities. Take all the danger out of
autocross and we have a totally different sport, like lawn bowling or
tiddlywinks.
Ben Thatcher
Atlanta S2 co-chair
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