I was seventh! (movie link)

I've never raced in an event like that.

1. Why didn't the idiot let him roll after 6?

2. He is lucky no one blocked or clipped him for passing on the formation lap.

3. I had no idea that many cars are racing in an event like that.

 

Well, I feel for this guy. I've had my own run-ins with stewards. Mostly, they are underappreciated for their efforts, but, occasionally, you get one that you just want to run over like a pylon.

Now, I don't condone passing on the pace lap, so this driver should have been punished. But, short of an appeal after the race (and a mid-pack finish most likely), what remedy is there to this fellow?

Stewards hold so much control. I've been in situations where stewards were totally wrong, everyone agrees that they were wrong, but they couldn't or wouldn't correct their erroneous determination. There are appeals, but it's hard to second a guess an official long after the fact in some office or conference room. A lot of credibility is given to the official, and senior officials are generally loathe to undermine their opinions.

Maybe some stewards are on power trips. Undoubtedly, with all the stewards around the country, some of them have to be. I respect the work they do, but they also have to realize that they can, and do, make mistakes that have consequences for the racers.

CW

 

I think instead of sitting there yelling I'm seventh, I either would have called the stewards over to explain the situation or gotten out and not raced if i was going to be put in the back of a 73 car field because of thier mistake. Either way he did the wrong thing passing that many cars on the pace lap.

 

He's a fellow racer in the SCCA MARRS series (Brian Zalner). The track is VIR and it was a double regional. That particular race gets racers from three different regions. There were likely at least 60 cars on the grid for that race.

Regards,

Jon P. Kofod
www.flatoutracing.net

 

I agree with CornersWell as I have had similar things happen twice ... but I would have still raced and started at the back.

Why?, cause you do not have time to correct these sort of wrongs and thus the best you can do is race your balls off and sort it out on the track. Totally unfair and ofcourse I would and did try to sort it out before the race started but you just get no where.

Once I had my car confused with another car of similar colour. I should have started on the front row ... instead I was way back and this other car had my spot. I was pissed ... you bet and drove like a mad man and made up something like 10 places in the first race. Luckily the next race's grid was based on your finish positions in the first and thus I then passed another 5 or something cars to end up finishing third ... thus got my front row start for the last race. What happened? ... car broke on the grid of last race (but luckily was not hit from any other car).

Thus I can totally understand the passion involved ... but the marshalls are voluntares (sp?) usually (at my level), thus mistakes happen.
Pete

 

It was more then a mistake, IMO...........

She / he has his / her hand out letting everyone else go ahead. How could they have thought a car that close to the front should be put in the back? It looks like the person specifically didn't look back at the car to avoid eye contact. I understand these are just volunteers, but seems like this volunteer knew exactly what he / she (I can't tell) was doing.

 

The stewards get uptight with anyone not ready to go when told to. She probably thought this guy was not prepared so she let him have the rear of the pack as punishment. The best prevention for this is to be sure you are gridded correctly, it's hard to plea your case with a helmet on and race motors revving.