Chuck,
I also have been in a similar situation. A SRF car did not see me as I was
preparing to make a pass on the inside of him as we went into a turn (or
he
didn't care). I had to hit the brakes or hit the dirt. After that day, I
have vowed never to race in a group that has SRF's in it. I would rather
pack my car back on the trailer and go home.
Richard
----- Original Message -----
From: "Chuck McAbee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "BOD SCCA" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "SCCA Comp Board" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>;
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>;
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>;
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 6:25 PM
Subject: [F500] SRF - F500 - FV Race Grouping Unsafe
The Daytona Classic National was conducted May 5-6 at Daytona
International
Speedway. National Race Group One consisted of 36 Spec Racer Fords
(weight
1670 pounds), 4 Formula V's (weight 1025 pounds) and 12 Formula 500's
(weight 800-825 pounds). While this race group may be permitted with the
letter of the GCR, it is patentedly unsafe if based on nothing but the
sheer physics of the mass of the cars involved. An SRF at 1670 pounds
has
over twice the mass of an F500 at 825 pounds and 1.6 times the mass of a
FV.
In addition to the difference in mass of the cars, the size and body
dimensions of an SRF makes it difficult if not impossible for a SRF to
see
either a F500 to FV that may be trying to overtake them, if they were of
a
mind to look in the first place. In most of the events I have
participated
in in my 19 years of club racing, SRF have either run by themselves or
with
the other Sports Racing classes.
Creating a race group of SRF-FV-F500 is an invitation to disaster, and
disaster nearly occurred at the Bus Stop at Daytona during the first
qualifying session, when I slowed and moved to avoid a competitor that
had
been spun at the entrance to the Bus Stop, I (F500 #16) was rear ended by
an
SRF (#15) that, from the video, was moving at a speed that indicates that
he
was not paying attention to actions taking place ahead of him. It is
fortunate that I received no injuries more serious than a severely
bruised
shoulder and back. However, had the impacting car struck a few more
inches
to drivers right, the results could have been severely catastrophic. The
following link is to video taken from my car showing the severity of the
impact.
http://s165.photobucket.com/albums/u80/mmi16_racing/?action=view
<http://s165.photobucket.com/albums/u80/mmi16_racing/?action=view¤t=20
07DaytonaQ1Short.flv> ¤t=2007DaytonaQ1Short.flv
During recent years Central Florida Region, despite numerous complaints
from
the competitors involved has seen fit to run SRF combined with the small
Formula cars F500 & FV. Central Florida Region is the only region in
SEDIV
that has been running this unsafe grouping. This has caused many small
formula drivers to go elsewhere for their fun, where they can run in
relative safety with their own, similar sized, competitors. All the
complaints to Central Florida Region, to date, have fallen on deaf ears.
So long as the GCR does not prohibit the formulation of wholly unsafe
race
groupings, Regional race organizers will continue to put together race
groups that are a disaster waiting to happen.
Chuck McAbee
Nat. Lic. 148167
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
