Falcon

this past weekend. Thankfully, no one was hurt.

Falcon

OK, now that you've seen in car video from the rolled over car and the punishment meted out by the NASA officials, take a look at the video from the other car involved (the one that got punished) and see what you think:

What just happened?

naschmitz

Wow. Looks like car 609 should have stayed in his lane.

ZoomFreakinZoom

The red car turned himself on the white car's front fender, because the red car tried to chop him off. I'd be pissed if I was the guy/girl/whoever in the white car for getting the rule book thrown at me. Just my $.02

drivinhard

If I was in the trailing car and got that penalty, I would have told them don't worry about me collecting 13 pts and being parked, I'll go race elsewhere.

100% the leading car's fault

Falcon

Yep, I agree. It looks like the red car turned into the white car who was track left already. I'd be pretty pissed off if I were the driver of the white car.

Heck, we've all raced close at a lot of tracks, but I've never had anyone steer into me on a straight. That move was a surprise, and then to have the rule book thrown at me would have been the icing on the cake.

geerookie

When we have a "racing incident" we review all the in car camera video that is available and then make a decision. Wonder why the guy in the white car didn't provide his video? Looks pretty clear cut and if you play them side by side time synced it is pretty obvious even from 609's video that he changed lanes!

rmackintosh

...I really am glad I don't race in a class that "likes" to bump draft like that....

And, yes, the 609 car has some issues coming all high and mighty on the other drivers knowledge of the rules after driving like a complete novice. He obviously KNEW the car was there as he gave him room in the corner several seconds earlier...sigh....

Han Solo

Whatever penalty they gave the white car they need to retract with a big ol apology.

Can't believe the driver of the 609 car went public blaming the other driver either.
http://www.nasaforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=103916

jtmck

Could we get some info on the ruling from the officials?
Not to dump on them or anyone for that matter, but to understand how the rules are interpeted.

Which figure in the rule book was violated?
Figure #8, I think would blame the red car.
Figure #7, I think would blame the white car.

The author refers to figure 12, I believe.
Personally I have never understood the figure #12 example in the rule book.

What should the white car have done?
What did the white car do wrong?

This could be a good opportunity to better understand the rules.

Thanks Jim M.

sperkins

Someone needs to post this on the NASA forum.
I can't wait to hear some of the responses.

jvp

IMHO, 609's line around the track basically sucked, period. A lot of rookie mistakes in most of those corners. Culminating in him shutting the door on that white car and causing the accident.

PushinTheLimit

I would've been highly pissed off if the Nasa officials came down on me for someone else being stupid.

dvandentop

wow just saw the white car in car vid, the 609 car clearly to blame for not checking mirrors or head up the butt LOL

sperkins

And then he blasts the other guy all over the internet.

RX-Ben

It seems like somebody did a terrible job of arguing their case.
Even if the lead driver had his mirrors covered in a metric ton of bird poo, he had to know the follower was there from the wretched aural harmony you experience from the driver's seat in one of those when another SE30 is in close proximity.
Almost as bad as a flat six.

ZoomFreakinZoom

I love how he leaves the white car room in the previous corner and then is like NAHHHHHH he wouldn't stay along side me. What a douchecaptain.

Han Solo

Comments on his You Tube video are burning him a new *** hole. I wonder how long before he takes it down?

RX-Ben

Good question. It seems like Fig 7 is implicated here, not sure if you can really say there was a pass coming out of the turn for 8 to be considered. If read expansively, you can pretty much do anything you want, including suddenly changing lanes, and the follower needs to give you space.
Fig 7 is a Darwinian rule, if you rely on it, you are probably going to not be racing for a bit b/c your car is totaled and everyone in the paddock will say mean things about you, or even worse, post mean things about you on the internet.
There was plenty going on here for the race director to have discretion to penalize the car in front (or simply not penalize the car in back) - lack of awareness, rough driving, poor judgment, front wheels of the following car were pretty darn close to driver of leading car/leading car should have known following car was there, just call it a racing incident, etc), the director certainly was not pigeon-holed, I don't think. Certainly not worth 6 points, I don't think.

Fig 12 makes no sense and is contradictory to the others. If you are seeking relief under Fig 7 or 12, your driving is pretty much going to be indefensible to most people looking at a video.

Crepitus

Self inflicted PIT maneuver