H3 Racing
Member
Being newbies to the dirt track scene as competitors, it's possible this topic has been ragged on in this forum and others until a heated argument ensues and it ends up going away, but in observation of the death of Bryan Clausen this past weekend, and as a car owner and father of a driver, I'd be remiss to not bring this topic to the front of the conversation.
The issue we see as racers that we didn't necessarily pay attention to as fans, is the lag in response time between the time an incident occurs that would warrant a caution, and the time the flags and lights are thrown. If we acknowledge that most operating tracks today have systems that were deemed adequate for the speed and skill levels of the cars and drivers of that era, which I would speculate to be in most cases from the decade of the 80's, is it reasonable to assume then that they are still adequate for the speed and skill level of the cars and drivers of today? Recognizing there are many subjective variables in qualifying an answer to this question, I'll express my opinion on the question asked as "No", they are not.
So, rather than burden every track with a one size fits all solution, my thoughts are most conditions can be improved on with some basic improvements to the existing system. So using our home track at Pevely with it's inside wall which can be difficult to see ahead of, or spot a spun out car against, is it as easy as placing more caution lights around the perimeter of the track so no matter where you are positioned in the field you have an immediate visual? Do you supplement the Official Starter/Flagman who typically initiates the caution by radio to the track side flagmen and throwing the caution light switch by adding two spotters in a skybox that have switches and radios of their own, each responsible for one set of turns and a straightaway? Seem extreme? Maybe, but in a hobby sport full of extremes with our equipment and approach to compete, the element of safety always seems to lag behind until we're forced to react, in lieu of being proactive.
Next topic: "Expense burden to the track owners." This is a big enough issue for me, that I'm willing to get behind it with whatever support I can provide my home track in the best interest of everyone that races there. I'd like to think that would be a shared sentiment across the racing community, nationally.
I don't know the math involved with the lag times on cautions, but I know it's real because I witness it every weekend we race, and more than any other element we face in this sport, it is the single biggest threat to the survival of our drivers, current and future, IMO.
Let's talk.
The issue we see as racers that we didn't necessarily pay attention to as fans, is the lag in response time between the time an incident occurs that would warrant a caution, and the time the flags and lights are thrown. If we acknowledge that most operating tracks today have systems that were deemed adequate for the speed and skill levels of the cars and drivers of that era, which I would speculate to be in most cases from the decade of the 80's, is it reasonable to assume then that they are still adequate for the speed and skill level of the cars and drivers of today? Recognizing there are many subjective variables in qualifying an answer to this question, I'll express my opinion on the question asked as "No", they are not.
So, rather than burden every track with a one size fits all solution, my thoughts are most conditions can be improved on with some basic improvements to the existing system. So using our home track at Pevely with it's inside wall which can be difficult to see ahead of, or spot a spun out car against, is it as easy as placing more caution lights around the perimeter of the track so no matter where you are positioned in the field you have an immediate visual? Do you supplement the Official Starter/Flagman who typically initiates the caution by radio to the track side flagmen and throwing the caution light switch by adding two spotters in a skybox that have switches and radios of their own, each responsible for one set of turns and a straightaway? Seem extreme? Maybe, but in a hobby sport full of extremes with our equipment and approach to compete, the element of safety always seems to lag behind until we're forced to react, in lieu of being proactive.
Next topic: "Expense burden to the track owners." This is a big enough issue for me, that I'm willing to get behind it with whatever support I can provide my home track in the best interest of everyone that races there. I'd like to think that would be a shared sentiment across the racing community, nationally.
I don't know the math involved with the lag times on cautions, but I know it's real because I witness it every weekend we race, and more than any other element we face in this sport, it is the single biggest threat to the survival of our drivers, current and future, IMO.
Let's talk.