Neil:
good drivers need to be protected from their own competitive spirit. When
the "competitive fire" is high inside you (as it must have been for the
driver of "Babs") there is something inside that says "GO FOR IT"-- even if
conditions are ripe for disaster.
In those cases, the best hope for survival is a well-built vehicle. (Like
Seth Hammond's Lakester. Like Kenny Brack's CART racer.)
I think the SCTA construction safety rules reflect that philosophy, and are
technically pretty well on-target, for the most part.
Russ, #1226B
-----Original Message-----
From: Albaugh, Neil [mailto:albaugh_neil@ti.com]
Sent: Saturday, October 18, 2003 11:15 AM
To: 'Russel Mack'; 'land-speed@autox.team.net'
Subject: RE: rear suspention
Russ;
It sure does look scarey, even by 1927 standards! Lots of those old cars
were rolling deathtraps.
Despite the carping & complaining heard sometimes, the racing community has
made real progress in driver protection and making cars safer. Those early
drivers paid their dues, sometimes at a very high price. We all owe them for
what was learned by their examples.
Regards, Neil Tucson, AZ
-----Original Message-----
From: Russel Mack [mailto:rtmack@concentric.net]
Sent: Friday, October 17, 2003 8:00 PM
To: Albaugh, Neil; land-speed@autox.team.net
Subject: RE: rear suspention
Neil:
incredible car. Would love a chance to drive such a beast, but it'd take me
two years of work just to get the safety features up to my own standards.
As-is, the SCTA inspectors wouldn't allow it past the end of the blacktop!
Amazing how little they knew about driver protection back then, and how much
they knew about making speed. Notice that the "pitot-tube" ram inlet pipe
in one picture looks very much like pipes used on many aero-challanged
vehicles of the present (common on Bonneville roadsters, for example, and
I've even seen one on a bike). Russ, #1226B
-----Original Message-----
From: Albaugh, Neil [mailto:albaugh_neil@ti.com]
Sent: Friday, October 17, 2003 6:24 PM
To: 'Russel Mack'; 'land-speed@autox.team.net'
Subject: RE: rear suspention
|