Racer---X wrote:
>
> Have we all forgotten about personal responsibility? If the coure were all
> that bad, you could have 1. added some input on course design or 2. Loaded
> up and left. I have YET to hear from anyone doing either. As far as speed
> limits are concerned, was this billed as a Solo2 or a street solo? I have
> attended a few street solo's, solo trials, whatever you want to call them.
> Speeds for the faster cars were likely (make that easily) over 100MPH, and
> there was very little danger to the drivers and only slightly more to
> property. Yes, incidents are more likely at these events, but that's life.
> If you don'y want to take the chances, then DON'T
First off, you're right about personal responsibility. If you have a
concern regarding the safety of the event, -SAY SOMETHING-! Talk to the
event chair, or better yet, the safety steward. That is what they are
there for. If you then still have a concern about the safety, don't run.
No one is putting a gun to your head. Points race or no, it's not going
to kill you or damage your livelyhood by not running. Ego's can bruise
and heal.
Secondly, there are BIG differences between "Street Solo" and "Solo
Trials". Very big differences. And when you say speeds for the faster
cars were easilly in excess of 100mph, that certanly could apply to Solo
Trials, but Street Solos (at least SCCA street solo events) are
currently actually required to be -slower- than a regular Solo2. And I'm
going to assume for the argument, that all events pertaining to this
discussion are in fact SCCA sanctioned events. Other clubs have other
rules, and it's entirely up to them how they run their events.
Solo2 requires that the fastest stock and SP cars not normally exceed
the low 60's. While Street Solo courses are required to limit the
fastest car to 70mph. Not just stock or SP. Yes, it's possibly old
wording that hasn't been changed from the older solo2 wording, and it's
possibly there for a reason. Street Solos will almost always have
obstacles (such as curbs, light poles, fire hydrants or mail boxes)
closer to the course than 25 ft. Given that the majority of usable
street roads are not 65 ft wide or wider (That's the 15 ft minimum gate
width and the 25 ft minimum clearance on either side of the gate for
those who are counting.). I'm not saying street solos are inherently
dangerous though. A well designed street solo can be a whole lot of fun,
and still be plenty safe. As safe as sitting in your garage? Probably
not. But commuting to work is often more risky than sitting in your
garage. Well ok, some garages are in fact, dangerous. ;-)
And then there's Solo Trials, where the wording is for the fastest
stock and SP cars to not normally exceed 95 mph. Yes, it's really easy
for a Prepared or Mod car to hit tripple digits at a Solo Trials. But
the course requirements for Solo Trials are alot more rigorous than for
Solo2, and that's where the allowance for the higher speeds comes from.
But again, I want to itterate:
If you, the competitor, have a safety related concern, say something.
Talk to the event safety steward, or the event chair. If you say
nothing, and go out and play, it apparently didn't concern you that
greatly. If you say something, and it's still seeming unsafe, then don't
risk it. It's your car, and your body. We're really all doing this for
fun, even with our racer's image, it really is all just for fun.
Safety is not -just- the concern of the Safety Stewards (although it is
our obligation to be concerned), it is also your concern. Ultimately,
you're the one putting yourself at risk. You should, and -do-, have the
right to speak up about it.
-Josh2
--
Joshua Hadler '74 914 2.0 CSP/Bi - Hooligan Racing #29 - CONIVOR
'87 Quantum Syncro - aka stealth quattro
jhadler@rmi.net
http://rainbow.rmi.net/~jhadler/
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