Rick DeMan

DE?? Point by?? ....the whole thing is just a bunch of crap....I mean come on we all drove to the track on the highway passing people with out a point by..!! we all made it and no one crashed..right??

TheOtherEric

Are you saying you actually pass without point by's? Ummm, that would certainly explain why you were banned. EVERY car club would ban you for that behavior at a DE.

A lot of talk here about "agressive" DE driving. Come on, there's no such thing. Either you're following the rules, or you're not: 1. Leave sufficient distance between you and cars in front. 2. Don't pass until the point-by. 3. Pass in the permitted zones. If you repeatedly ignore those rules, you get banned.

fatbillybob

Tom,

NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED!

It's PCA's loss. Now you have more time to race with someone else. You don't need PCA they need you.

PedroNole

Tom-

Sorry to just be chiming in at page 6 but here's my .02.

1) I don't drive at DE's. If you're serious about racing, go racing, don't go to DE's. If you do go to instruct, make it a social thing and just instruct. I've gone to two DE's recently and just instructed. There are PLENTY of racing dates available.

2) As Geoffrey said, nothing really good comes from taking this online. I know it seems like you're "bringing it to poker night" when you post it on here and you think your buddies are gonna gather around you and say "yeah, f-'em." A few do but look what happens when one leaves the room, picks up the phone and calls the CTI.... Beware of faceless friends online....

3) Find another avenue for driving if you're not racing and not invited to Suncoast Region. Go to Chin, Gold Coast, NASA DE's, etc. Forget Suncoast. I have a particular group myself that I just don't care to spend much time with as well. My solution....I don't spend time there. Go seek friends elsewhere. Now...If you have to be talked to at one of these other places as well, all of us on here will know for sure that it's the knucklehead behind the wheel...

4) "Old" guys (as I'm becoming every day) are people too... I think some of guys on here that took offense to the "elderly" comment could teach us all a lot about race craft.

sbelles

Actually, no; some clubs/run groups allow open passing at DEs. I've run with Tom at such venues and he's always been curtious. I'm sure that's not what he's saying though. I think he meant to say that he often doesn't get anticipatory point-bys because his closing speed is so great.

LDadrenaline

yes, that is what he meant. I can attest that there are no passes without point-bys. I think in the regular DE groups like PCA people arent used to running with fully prepped race cars and arent looking to predict giving a pass soon enough. Me on the other hand running a miata, I've definitely learned to start preparing point-bys over a straightaway away.

Now in the 911 that's a different story

iLLM3

Absolutely ridiculous.. Tom, move on, who cares... Definitely sucks since it's a long establishment with them, but after all of this I would never go back to their event if I were you, F em... Come to VIR this weekend

Bob Rouleau

Being banned for airing the subject ... poor form.

race911

I can't remember the last time I ran a DE that didn't have an open session. Do we usually give a point (and a lift) out of courtesy? I sure try to, always. But as usual there are the mirror blind who just won't/are incapable of doing so. So it's nice to know I can pass where my experience allows me to safely execute one. Never had a problem that comes to mind.

mooty

not all DE are like that.
many groups have open passing group where you dont need point by and you can pass anywhere. of course, you need to use your brain, certain turns are not meant to be passing zones.

race911

So trying you on the run up to 5 last Friday was iffy????

mooty

^ dont worry, i trust you enough to know you will stay on your side of the track and not track out into me. there are others who would dive bomb me and then track out into my side!

sweanders

I thought about this discussion today during my morning walk and this whole "passing zone" BS is making me laugh a little inside.

A race track is by definition a passing zone.

tkerrmd

No Eric I was being sarcastic!!! of course I dont pass without a point bye and I ALWAYS FOLLOW THE RULES!! that is why this IS BS. I am now not allowed to teach for this region because of my atititude??? I have the best most positive atititude of ANYONE.

kick me out for anything but dont tell me I am a "bad" instructor.

Gary R.

Sheesh....