RTTH VII Rules/Ideas

[01badz28]

I wasn't speaking about RTTH specifically, but since you mention it, there was a crash when they ran the autocross at the oval track. I didn't run that day because I had no desire to get on an oval track with my street car. It turned out relatively minor, but could have easily been worse. SCCA used to have guidelines about speeds, but I don't know if they still use them. The problem for them was that a 60mph course appropriate for a Miata became 100mph when done by a Z06. I'm not trying to be a killjoy, but it is not accurate to depict other race organizations as having made their rules to stifle fun. Fifty years ago the SCCA was all about fun, and the rules were minimal even by RTT_ standards. Things changed because they learned about safety and competition, not for some nefarious reasons.

I'm not arguing with you about the purpose of the safety regs at all. They serve a purpose. Sometimes you can have an overzealous SS that can ruin your day, however.

I was there for that one. The thing about 411 is that SCCA Solo safety guidelines typically won't allow for an autocross to be run on a prepared race surface like 411. Nashville gets special dispensation to run on the oval, but they have to avoid the banked part of the oval where the walls are. Thats why ETRSCCA never ran at 411, and the events that were there were put on by other organizations without such considerations.

Every autocross accident that has involved serious property damage since I got started (2004) has usually involved the following: 1) Mustang, Camaro, or a Corvette (and the Chevelle you mentioned earlier); 2) Street tires; 3) Inexperienced and aggressive driver. Whenever you have a high performance car, you raise the risk of having an incident due to the increased speeds involved. The best an event organizer to do is make the course as safe as possible and have a plan in place if an accident takes place. You'll never be able to 'idiot proof' a motorsports events - you will just have a bigger idiot show up.



With respect to RTTH, we have several competitors (myself included) that run R-compounds. We just aren't competing for the trophies at the end of the day.

[barraza]

You'll never be able to 'idiot proof' a motorsports events - you will just have a bigger idiot show up.

With respect to RTTH, we have several competitors (myself included) that run R-compounds. We just aren't competing for the trophies at the end of the day.

That course at 411 was poorly designed. I know you will never idiot proof an event, but RTT_ events appeal to novice competitors, and course designers need to take that into consideration. Many of these cars have hugely more HP than at a typical event, and thus require more runoff room, and checks to insure speed doesn't get out of control. Especially if allowances are made for safety strictness.

The issue with R-compound rubber is to reduce the cost for everyone. Competitors shouldn't feel that they need special tires to compete.

I don't want to sound like I am criticizing these events because I'm not. I think they are a great way to introduce people to autocrossing. They are also a great way for people with older, heavily modified cars to compete, without being place in classes with racecars like they would be at a normal SCCA event. I'm just saying that eventually rules will have to be put in to keep things fun, instead of about who can spend the most money and hire the best driver. I also think there are huge differences between autocrossing and events at a real racetrack. You screw up at an autocross, you should have a bent ego or at most a bent fender. Screw up at the optima race or Road America, and without proper safety equipment - you may be dead.

[01badz28]

That course at 411 was poorly designed.

Prior to the Chevelle going into the wall, the last car to hit a wall there was a 911 approximately 10 years prior. Considering both PCA and the SVT Cobra Club ran 3-5 events every year there (with the same course layout), I'd say two accidents in ten years is a pretty good safety record. Those events also had a good number of new and novice drivers, as autocross and track events is not the focus of either organization.

Motor racing at any level isn't safe, all you can do is try to mitigate the damages.

[barraza]

Prior to the Chevelle going into the wall, the last car to hit a wall there was a 911 approximately 10 years prior. Considering both PCA and the SVT Cobra Club ran 3-5 events every year there (with the same course layout), I'd say two accidents in ten years is a pretty good safety record. Those events also had a good number of new and novice drivers, as autocross and track events is not the focus of either organization.

Motor racing at any level isn't safe, all you can do is try to mitigate the damages.

Actually, I think it was a nova that hit the wall, or was there another?

I would call any autocross that results in a car hitting a wall a colossal failure. Unless the accident was a result of a part failure. Simple driving errors shouldn't result in contact with walls in an autocross. The course design had a straight high speed section pointed directly at the outer wall of the oval. An appropriate design would have had a chicane of some type before getting out onto the oval. Just because no one hit it recently doesn't make it a good design. Yes, there is some risk in everything, but you don't design a autocross with a wall at the outside of a braking zone. It was a poor design.