Open passing in level 3

[e30Racer]

I completely agree Ricky! It needs to be looked at as an option for regions, not a mandate for all.

[nicktcr]

Saw this video and thought of this thread...don't mind the lambo, watch til the end...what was that about situational awareness again?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xFLjk88HBwg

[bimmertech]

Saw this video and thought of this thread...don't mind the lambo, watch til the end...what was that about situational awareness again?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=xFLjk88HBwg

Then there's this view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqyFbUj3cYM

[JohnW8]

Saw this video and thought of this thread...don't mind the lambo, watch til the end...what was that about situational awareness again?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=xFLjk88HBwg

Obviously he gave him room and it was a pass on the straight but i think the organizers have an issue with closing speeds among the classes on track... Sheesh.
I bet it took him and extra 10 minutes to get out of the car, ya know with prying the seat cushion out of his butt and all.

[kilgojr]

all in all, that is a club race...they are fighting for track position, not a timed lap. As cool as the video (both of them) are, TT puts the differential of speed classes much greater apart then what is happening on that video.

With that said, I almost shat myself the first time I saw the in car from the mx5.

[farrout]

Given his 240KPH showing (148MPH), he probably had 25-30 MPH over the MX5? Big stones to thread the gap like he did. Lots of faith that the two other drivers knew he was coming and would not close the gap. I could not see any blue flags being waved.

I see that speed differential coming at me all the time when we have a FA or STOHR or CSR in the group at a Regional. They are really tough to see and you have to have a blue flag to really know that someone is closing on you.

You raise some good points about having a 5th Level being a Level 3 with open passing. I think HCs shoud be their own level since they have nothing in common with a flat track event.

Maybe we could try an open passing with a point-by for those that want it. I would not want to create so many other groups that it would cost everyone a lot of track time. The real factor is that we would need experienced corner workers who know how and when to wave the Blue Flag. Usually, our TT events are a little short on corner workers and experience.

[Welacey]

Looks as though we shall keep the point by rule as per Ted on the CCR forum.

[Cholewa]

Usually, our TT events are a little short on corner workers and experience.

You can teach someone pretty easily to wave a blue flag when they see a car coming fast.

And you can easily update them with them fancy radios too!

[chuck schultz]

Thank you, Michael, for reminding me:

Everybody's been talking about inexperienced corner workers in this discussion. I need to state that the last two events we've had at TGPR have had some of the most eager, fast-learning volunteers I've seen. All it took was a quick, disorganized speech in the morning, with some situational coaching from the tower later in the day, and everybody seemed sharp enough that I wouldn't have worried to go out on track with them observing and communicating. They were interested and, therefore, fully engaged in the process.

The challenge for next year is to either get the same group back again, or find some more new faces to help those of this year's crew who got addicted during worker laps to enjoy the event as drivers.

[JohnW8]

If my car isn't able to attend an event I love working a corner. It's fun to watch and the closest thing to being on track. I think in this thread the concern was over the number of workers and their experience level should open passing come about. For what we do currently we have a great group of workers. We'd just need more of them to watch both sides of a worker station if the intensity level should increase with open passing sessions.

I'm proud of our folks that volunteer to work a corner. We need more of them and some willing to take on licensed positions as well.
Scrutineers, Registrars, etc etc.

[chuck schultz]

Back to the original subject:

Based on my observations working events with other clubs, I'm convinced that open passing in TT would _not_ be significantly more intense than our current procedure of only passing with a point-by. It's pretty well accepted by those who do run in open-passing TTs already, that, if you catch somebody, you've already thrown away your lap. Then, as you pass someone, you're ruining their lap, too. This means there is no hurry for the overtaking car, since it is _not_ a pass for position, and the overtaken car should be as cooperative as possible, including giving a point when able, so they can both go on to run the next lap unimpeded.

Remember, you're only racing against the clock, with lots of laps to try to do your best over the course of the weekend, and you are grouped and gridded according to speed potential and/or current best results for the weekend. Passing is almost nonexistent, even with dozens of cars on course at one time at Road Atlanta. This works especially well when the fast cars go slowly enough to bunch up the field for most of the out lap, giving them the greatest number of laps before catching the slowest cars. Some groups even put out a standing yellow for that lap, to make sure nobody passes a faster car while while the driver is getting that car warmed up.

[e30Racer]

The following quoted section is an update from Joe Olivera on the CCRSCCA forums. Joe is a rep for the SEDIV TTAC.

"I have an update for everyone on the December TTAC call. You will not be seeing this officially until the published in January, February edition of Fastrack, since there is a one month lag time from the meeting to the publishing due to the Fastrack deadline basically falling at the time of the TTAC call.

After much discussion, there was a motion made to leave the passing rules as they presently are. The motion also included looking at the present wording in an attempt to clarify what is already there. The motion passed unanimously. The passing rules will not change.

I thank everyone for their input on this issue. More than 90% of the feedback received was from SEDiv."

[Cholewa]

SEDiv Representin!