What you have done is understandable, but I've seen several people with their arm out the window from the end of the gators coming down the hill almost to the sign/crosswalk, and riding on the edge of the track at the same time, it's flat out CRAZY!!!!!

The problem here is if you dont have enough car, or enough *****, people close on you real fast here and people panic and throw their arms out the window for the whole turn. I did panic one time when running time trials and Cory Friedman came out of no where in their rolex car and was on my tail, but I was still going way too fast to try and point him by while turning, so I waited till after apex, he hung back, got a run and went by.

A quick point on the way down the hill is all it takes, if you're at the apex of 12 with your arm out the window, that's just insane, especially if the people coming up behind you have made you go faster than you would have ordinarily. I just think a blinker here would be tons easier.

I dont see why both cant be utilized, although I know people mistakenly hit the blinkers sometimes and that could cause confusion, but I've also gotten a fake point by where the person had their arm halfway out the window and I started to pass, then they snatched it back like they didnt mean to, so you can screw up either one.

 

i understand trying to use the blinkers, but what about when people forget to turn them off or have the blinker going on the wrong side. 1 arm out the window at turn 12 is crazy to do at road atlanta. most DE's only allow passing on straights, so it takes some patience from the passer and the person getting passed to wait for after the apex and track out to give the signal.

 

That's a good point, but if you cant put your blinker on the side it should be on, you shouldnt be on a track.

 

I dont see the problem with giving a point by mid turn. The group I run with allows passes anywhere with a pointby. The one time I was at RA, I always gave pointbys at the apex of 12 so the car(s) behind me could get on with the pass as soon as we hit the straight. Of course Im also one of the people in slow cars so maybe that has something to do with it. Personally I think that blinkers would over complicate a system that doesnt seem to need any fixing.

 

If you can't get your hand out the window for the second it takes to give a signal, you are over your head. With a hand signal, you can specify the number of cars that can pass (around here, GT3s travel in packs), but it's not as easy with blinkers.

 

I drive a "slow" car in red. While I know they're coming, I don't like to take may hands off the wheel mid-turn.

I'd prefer open passing in that case. Just go ahead and take it.

 

I think I see a business opportunity to sell bumper stickers with that saying on it at the track so that BKS and other fast drovers don't get their panties in a twist

 

Some clubs do (or did anyway) use turn signals. I ran with Nordstern PCA at Road America five or six years ago and thats how it it was done. It was my first time there so it was still a little hairy trying to give a pass in the Kink without running out of track.

We also used turn signals during the night sessions during the 48 hrs DE at Sebring a few weeks ago. Almost invariably I would first see a hand signal and then the turn signal though. Old habits are hard to break.

 

If we went by that kind of criteria, it would eliminate 50% of the DE attendees.

 

World's best point-by:

 

I wish we could use blinkers too and keep the windows up with the air on!

However I have come up on people at the track that have there blinker on, hand must have hit the blinker stalk during a turn and still have to wait 1/2 way around Sebring for a point by.

 

Been there, done that (the pointy-by, not the being an uber-cool racer). But I do get help from a friend here.




I tried both blinkers and the conventional point-bys. The BMW Club of Canada when running at Mosport use blinkers. I find it easier to use hands.

In the beginner groups the car giving the signal must back off and just stay straight. So getting one hand off the wheel is not a hazard. And in the higher groups people should be able to handle the situation otherwise what the hell are they doing the the higher run group?

It's not just race cars that cause problems with blinkers. Newer cars insist on blinking three times even if the indicator stalk was just briefly pushed. Letting multiple cars pass becomes confusing. I also found it difficult to spot the blinker in bright sun, especially on older cars.

 

What's a point by???

 

Do you know the Sandlappers (BMW) have tried for years to tell the PCA DEs to use flashers - on the track... lol

 

And no one has mentioned BMW club protocol (out here, anyway) of having the flashers on if it's an instructor car. No, there is no separate instructor group. But that's them, and their "fear of car" teaching method.

(Something I thought of, maybe I'll put it in another new topic.........how different West Coast DE's seem to be. And I mean that in a good, very unrestricted way.)