Better than vomiting on the track!!

 

The old guy before the uphill @ LRP takes a few naps in the afternoon during most events.

 

so is this end of a lot of insite and constructive comments

I for one would like not only NNJR but all event groups to know what their participants would like to see... if you do not express yourself then stop b------.. I would hope that all the suggestions were not venting but were constuctive comments to elicit action with the concept that they were willing to participate in communication to effectuate a common result for the betterment of most... after all it is your club

carroll
NNJR member- 1986
DE Tower Steward 3 years
200+ track days since 2001
PCA National Instructor - 2004
NNJR Instructor - 2005
Av. over 30 track days per year
Run/ instucted with 11 different PCA regions
Run/ instructed with 3 outside of PCA
PCA RL 2007

 

Thats for sure at Summit. Last summer some people were resorted to honking their horns to get their attention (unsuccessfully). Sometimes its annoying, but sometimes it can be dangerous too.

Sunday afternoon, this guy came showed up in a beautiful Lotus Exige. He went out on the track and every time he hit the gas, the exhaust belched flames. His rear end started to burn.The cars behind were honking like crazy, but one flagger after another payed no attention and didn't black flag him. He want all the way around with his rear on fire. By the time he got to the main straight, the rear end and engine were fully engaged. It was the PCA folks at Pit Out who saw it and flagged him down, red flagging the track as well. By then, what should have been some minor scorching if he had stopped in time was an engine bay ablaze. The engine was trashed. And it shouldn't have happened.

That stands in stark contrast to Pocono. I sat in the lunch room one day and listened to the track staff talking with pride about their work and how they kept the track safe.

 

I'm also impressed with the flaggers at Watkins Glen. I once left my sunroof open going out onto the track. When I got to the sole of the boot, I saw a nice "Sunroof" sign held out for me. Boy did I feel stupid, but also thankful that I had the opportunity to press a button to close it instead of getting black-flagged and missing out on a part of the session.

 

i was hesitant to post on this thread, but here goes.
The VIR event was good fun and the majority of NNJR people were well meaning and good natured (e.g. Russ). I have done many decent nnjr events which where fine as long as you adjust for the fact they have alot of people and are better geared towards lower run groups. If you are a more advanced driver odds are you will find their event a bit limiting b/c this is where they get a bit uptight (im trying to be polite).

There where several issues that where outrageous and offensive.
Knute and whoever else was overseeing the live track where rude, and completely 'off market' in their treatment of drivers. Same for the guy running tech whose name i dont really care to learn.
Several examples are -
a)almost the entire CVR advanced driving group being black flagged at one point (or banned for a day!!) for some type of 'aggressive driving'. This includes some very good drivers who are very track safe and polite, a well known shop owner and his partner, CVRs top instructor, etc. It really was comical. Afterall, its not like these are unknown people that just flew in from Mars. They are all known quantities as we overlap at many events. Instead they where treated like children needing a timeout.
b) not allowing some of the above to ride with students or take students out (they are all CVRs top instructors) b/c nnjr did not want to recognize them .. again it was a bad joke.
c) This is the best: a very good racer (and a very nice guy and great instructor) wanted to take his father out. He got permission after properly asking, the father signed everything needed. They get Dad strapped into a car w/harnesses etc and are on the grid in yellow. They get stopped b/c racerguy is only allowed out in red (e.g. the car is meant to drive in red). After they explain its safer to take Dad out in a lower speed group (how obvious is this?), they are told to try again next time, get Dad back in the car and then find Knute to ASK PERMISSION AGAIN at that point. It was beyond stupid. Fortunately the driver was level headed. Knute was using foul langugage in front of the driver's young child and was totally abusive. As an aside, if it were me, id be waiting for this dude 'after school'.
d) some people had a full day work assignment. I totally understand that a little work (perhaps 2-3 hours) faciliates meeting new people, but its non-standard to expect paying drivers to stand like idiots all day at a work station (e.g. check wrist bands, or whatev), many of which travled 500 miles to get down there.

sorry to ramble.
I personally had a nice event, but was offended that my CVR friends had to deal with such mistreatment. I understand its hard to run a full event, but it works for other clubs and most drivers were more than well meaning.

I really hope NNJR can make the needed changes so that their events are not the non-standard DEs. I have many nnjr friends and hope to continue to see them at the track. Perhaps a management change is needed since NNJR seems to be living in a time warp bubble.

 

I heard that at NNJR, the word is that CVR has a lot of "Cowboys" in Black and Red!! I'm just amazed I never got to meet Knute at all the previous NNJR events i've been too, he and I would have hit it right off...

 

I have never heard the "Cowboy" reference about CVR upper run groups, but maybe I just get the mushroom treatment!

 

I'd rather be a cowboy than slow

 

Yeehaw!

 

How about neither?

 

The folks at NNJR appear to be discussing this thread amongst themselves.

http://www.nnjr-pca.com/site/index.p...ewtopic&t=2411

 

Discussion is always good, but it seems like there is a lot of "if the *outsiders* (non NNJR members who are doing all the whining) don't like it, don't come" attitude coming out. I agree whole heartedly, and as much as I do like some of the people in NNJR (Bull, Anthony, Russ, Dave, Arlene, Ralph S, etc. ) i'm not going to work 4 (or 8) hours per DE when every other region I have run with requires 1 hour (or less, or none) per event per person. This "it gets you to meet people" logic doesn't work for me, I meet a LOT more people in the same 4 hours wandering around the paddock...honest.

 

Yes, it is as if some people think that DE attendees are a bunch of introverts sitting in their vehicles waiting for the next run.

 

I am going to hug all the Guys and Gals that run Potomac's DE program at the first event next March.

The stuff mentioned in this thread gets dealt with quickly and with diplomacy and decorum when it arises. We are all considered adults in good standing until we prove otherwise. Most of the recommendations made by drivers in this thread are SOP at a Potomac event. Top if off that Potomac's events are weekend events, one student per instructor, field less drivers per group, do not have work assignments or in any way make a person miss any track time. This is done at a price often less the most others including ones that require work in order to save $. I volunteer at Potomac events because I WANT to. I think Potomac takes pride in running a Safe and Fun event and I like to be a part of a well respected event and try and do my part to maintain the feel and function of the event. Don't loose sight of the goal we all have overall. FUN. You can have fun be safe and learn at at the same time. I have not had the pleasure of runing with NNJR and cannot and am not comenting on how they do things. I am only noting the good job that Potomac does day in and out year after year.

"It is how we have always done it" might be the words of those that fail to adapt.