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Road Atlanta - Thoughts on contact?


devomgd2

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During my stint at Road Atlanta, I only had one incident of contact that I saw or was in while in the car. Here is the video:

http://youtu.be/boUAdflr94E

What are the thoughts on this? Why did this happen? This seemed quite unnecessary to me. I never got a chance to reach out to these guys when at the track. I was hoping that they would come find us but it never happened.

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Where was the contact on the car, rear bumper to bumper first and then a smack on the left rear as he was trying to get under you ??? I guess he was trying the over/under move and it quite didn't work for him. He had lost the corner and should have just given up and followed you. IMO

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Well there are two thoughts on this… I saw a lot of very similar scenarios all day (not with the red Z, I am speaking in general) which is why I posted what I did in the other R.A. thread about slower traffic and big long straights…

Thought #1 – there were a lot of inexperienced drivers that were focused on the traffic in front of them and they simply weren’t aware of their surroundings. I’d like to think that is what happened in the beginning of your video on the first chop.

Thought #2 – (I’m bracing for the blowback from this one and Stiggy may want to get the popcorn ready) – possibly there were some of your SCCA-type folk who think you are only supposed to pass in ‘certain’ areas or in a certain manor and aren’t used to drivers using all of the racing surface or going 3 wide, so they felt offended and got overly defensive. Emotions during competition driving do strange things to peoples thought process.

I could write off the first incident as ‘racing’, that very same thing was happening to me all day. I’d be curious for an explanation on the second scenario, that did seem quite unnecessary if not deliberate.

"Odd stuff" is an appropriate description Team Infiniti...

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Where was the contact on the car, rear bumper to bumper first and then a smack on the left rear as he was trying to get under you ??? I guess he was trying the over/under move and it quite didn't work for him. He had lost the corner and should have just given up and followed you. IMO

It was a right rear tap first, then an over/under type move sweeping across our back bumper bending our exhaust 12 inches to the left and bending our rear toe hook.

Someone PM'd me with some team information. I hope to reach out to them soon to have a conversation.

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It was a right rear tap first, then an over/under type move sweeping across our back bumper bending our exhaust 12 inches to the left and bending our rear toe hook.

Someone PM'd me with some team information. I hope to reach out to them soon to have a conversation.

Yeah, he just blew it then. All different types out there in them cars ! Could have always been worse !
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devo - I know that this isn't a direct response to your post or question, but when I teach the Novice Class at the various ChumpCar events I attend, I always have the class repeat after me... "IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN!" It doesn't matter why. It could be unintentional, a driver error, revenge, red-mist, mid-judgement, a strategy that went really bad... whatever. The point is, ChumpCar doesn't condone or like contact, but we're also realistic to know that it's going to happen. Don't let it consume your race or your team's attitude.

Now, to answer your question -- you'll never really know.

John

This has not affected how I feel about the weekend AT ALL! Myself and the team had a blast, despite all of our equipment issues later in the day. (wiring harnes failure, hub failure, leading car 681 spinning into us, taking us out of the race) I am just trying to learn and work with other teams to hopefully make all of us better racers. I feel happy about the weekend no matter what. We were even in 2nd place 6.5 hours in. I could be really in the dumps on how far we fell, but I am not. That is racing.

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Going into 6 he took the left side to set up for the corner. He should have taken the left side earlier and not pinched down on you but it was still his line to take at that point. Going into 10a your inside line was very aggressive and there was no way you could maintain any type of speed from that position and still stay left on your line. As it turned out it looks as if you washed all the way across the track through two lines of traffic cutting in front of the cars maintaining their lines from 10a to 10b. What I can't tell from the video is if the red Nissan first hit caused you to wash across the track or if you just entered the turn with too much speed from not enough braking.

EDIT: Ok, now that I've watched it on my pc and not on my phone, I've changed my assessment. You're line into 10a was agressive and after you passed him in the braking zone you moved back to the right slightly, perhaps he thought you pushed him out to the right as well, regardless he shouldn't have hit you. As I look at it on my pc, it was his hit that pushed you to the right and to the outside of the turn. That was certainly avoidable contact and the Nissan has no excuse for contact.

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"IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN!" It doesn't matter why. It could be unintentional, a driver error, revenge, red-mist, mid-judgement, a strategy that went really bad... whatever. The point is, ChumpCar doesn't condone or like contact, but we're also realistic to know that it's going to happen.

John, Thank you for being a racer and understanding this - this is what sets Chumpcar apart from other series. On a whole, your series rules and your staff do a great job of keeping us knuckleheads safe but letting everyone "race".

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Pretty sure the out of control line through 10a/b was from the contact while braking in a straight line then again on turn-in...

I agree with this. Our car has amazing brakes. When by ourselves our there we can easly brake past the 100 mark going into 10a, lap after lap. I had brakes left over if I had to back out if someone took the line.

The car owner reached out to me via PM. Thank you for that publically. I just want to have a conversation/exchange about it is all.

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If I ever build a car, I am going to line the bumper/contact area's with gigantic pillows. I will name my team "Stay Puff" and have a giant picture of the stay puff man on the hood

14242167_120904223000.jpg

In regards to the move over to block you at the exit of the esses... I would pinpoint that to lack of checking mirrors.

I know with my car, granted we only got a few laps, we had no side mirror due to someone in a previous race ripping it off. I had a hard time entering 10a/b not knowing if a car was closing on me on the inside or not. I made the comment when I came back in the pits that I couldnt see poop coming up on the left behind me.

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  • The car owner reached out to me via PM. Thank you for that publically. I just want to have a conversation/exchange about it is all.

  • I dont know who contacted you as the car owner. But im the car owner.

  • the person driving at that time was our slowest driver. He was actually kicked out of our black car for being so slow at Daytona.

  • Im sure that the contact was accidental. We have big brakes on our cars also. He most likely realized that he had slowed down to much and let you by. then he tried to go with you and locked the front wheels and got into you. He is bad about destoying the front tires in one stint. But after seeing his skill at moving you out of the way maybe il let him drive our dirt car. he looked like an expert.

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  • I dont know who contacted you as the car owner. But im the car owner.
  • the person driving at that time was our slowest driver. He was actually kicked out of our black car for being so slow at Daytona.
  • Im sure that the contact was accidental. We have big brakes on our cars also. He most likely realized that he had slowed down to much and let you by. then he tried to go with you and locked the front wheels and got into you. He is bad about destoying the front tires in one stint. But after seeing his skill at moving you out of the way maybe il let him drive our dirt car. he looked like an expert.

His name was Dan but for some reason I cannot PM that exchange any more. It says it has been deleted. Thank you for the information. He was a little twitchy later on in the lap too before I passed him again. I let him go for a bit after the contact.

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His name was Dan but for some reason I cannot PM that exchange any more. It says it has been deleted. Thank you for the information. He was a little twitchy later on in the lap too before I passed him again. I let him go for a bit after the contact.

Dan is one of the faster guys that drives our cars. He"s british and he doesnt get the bump and run just yet. He famous for the (taking out / getting run over by) the TR6 in febuary at RA. Except for talking funny hes a good guy

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Let's face it y'all...doo-doo happens when you have 86 cars on a track that size, but for the most part everyone raced clean, and we all had a good time. Personally, I don't mind a little rubbing - hell, I just got done with a full season of mini-stock racing at Nashville where EVERYONE rubbed someone else - sometimes ending up with destroyed cars and tempers in the red zone. You guys are awesome racers and I'd love to come play in your sandbox again sometime!!

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Here's my contact with the #83 VW Fox. http://youtu.be/zYwX1oLkl5s?t=2m39s

Before I looked at the video I thought it had totally been my fault. In fact I even tracked down the driver to apologize for going three wide under the bridge, however after looking the video, I was as far right as I could have been at that point without being in the grass. It was the Red Honda who came right and pinched the VW into me. However, I should have been more patient and followed the VW under the bridge staying 2 wide.

This move a lap earlier could have spelled disaster, the #83 divebombed the apex out of my blind spot without having position on me. It would have taken both of us out for the day if I hadn't seen him at the last split second. I should have had better situational awareness but he could have more patience for a pass he didn't have the speed to pull off at that point.

http://youtu.be/zYwX1oLkl5s?t=51s

I'm interested in what the Chump opinion is. Discuss

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