ukrbmw

What an idiot.

It's unfortunate that cost to entry with those cars are so low. I'm in NC and you can get one for 15-18K, which is capable of running a 2 minute flat lap at VIR (which is simply amazing for that kind of money). So people get them and have no idea what they are doing.

wanna911

The first race on Saturday with NASA had about 5 laps under double yellow because a car was stuck in the gravel, the car actually rejoined the race, but the race was pretty much over once they restarted it. Maybe they should implement a PBOC type deal where the truck comes out while the racing is still going?

jrgordonsenior

One of the funniest incidents that happened all weekend was when I came out to grid for qualifying. There was a big black Texaco Havoline Dodge Charger already in line and I could see stickers on his slicks. I walked up to his window and asked if he was going hot on the outlap as I had noticed his stickers. He was in his mid 60's and gruffy. Without looking at me he said no, but I'm still probably faster than you inthat little thing.

I fought the urge to tell him to f#@k off and asked 'so how much HP does this beast put out and what lap times are you turning sir'? He said 600 to the wheels and low 53's on the practice slicks but I expect to break 50 with the fresh tires.

I said wow, well I've got 256 to the wheels and I'm turning low 47's on old tires and expect to be in the 45's with stickers. Then I just turned and walked back to my car to get ready. I blew by him the instant we hit the track and never looked back. I met my goal, he didn't qualifying 8 cars behind me....

Veloce Raptor

LMFAO!

wanna911

HAHAH Foot in Mouth Syndrome!!!

dew-e

I think every organization has the ability to run a "bad" weekend from time to time. Even the best drivers and groups have issues. I've run multiple back to back events with CHIN motorsports and never seen a single serious issue, and then one day last year i think we had four or five cars all hit the turn 16 inside wall. Almost all of them high power muscle cars.

Same thing with PBOC. I ran with them for a long time and never saw a lot of serious issues. Last year at winterfest they have some really bad accidents, and they have had some really bad incidents at Barber. Mostly in the race and solo groups.

PCA de's in Florida tend to be the safest based on incidents, but we had an event two years ago at PBIR where some cars left the track with damage from wall contact. I think one of the incidents was because a driver did not make sure his quick disconnect was properly fastened and it came loose coming through a corner.

I've done several recent NASA events with the FL region and found them to be really well run events. I didn't make their last event homestead, and unfortunately, they had a lot of on track issues due to mostly mechanic issues, oil spills, blown motors, timing chains, etc...

All in all, I think CHIN does the best job at getting the events back on schedule and spreading the pain across everybody. PBOC race groups always get their fully allotted green flag time and the other groups suffer. I've always had great time at pure PCA DE's, and at NASA I've not seen a lot of lost track time but have seen some extended cleanup from race groups. My advice to anybody is that if you are running DE only, you will almost always get more track time at DE only events. The race groups tend to have more issues, and the DE crowd tends to lose track time as a result. I've been told that in BMWCCA events the racers can be more apt to lose time than the DE participants. I think it really comes down to how a group wants to run the event as to who loses out when on-track incidents do occur. If you don't like the way a particular group handles it, there will usually be others that are more to your liking.

JerryW

I run with NASA and PCA. No issues with NASA - but I'm in the same region as Mike. Sometimes they are a bit too eager to register cars (been in race run groups for practice of 80+). Always a chance for ignorant drivers to show up - but that applies to any group I've run with.

Generally I find NASA events to be well run and safe

Ritter v4.0

Most of the cars off seemed to be Mustangs- not to indict Ford or their drovers.

Don't get me wrong, I actually had a pretty good time taking the overall in Fri's enduro and first in class in Sat's sprint. I sat out Sun's sprint after qualifying fourth from the front with a fried wheel bearing- that kinda sucked.

Folks were very nice- except for a Spec E30 dewd who left a neatly typed "RESERVED FOR SPEC E30!!" sign by my car. NASA told me I was ok where I was so . . .whatever. Maybe it was also sacred Indian burial ground- and/or where E30's go to die.

Though I didn't complain, the head of the GTS group actually proffered at the end not to judge them by the w/e, but I just wondered what others' experiences were.

I will say objectively, with PBOC you typically get 90 mins per day vs. 60 with NASA. Just saying.

originalmotorhead

I will say that in my "6" (yes count em six) races that I've ran in NASA GreatLakes/Midwest region. All 6 have had crashes in practice and races and they were all MIATAS. Therefore I am a MIATA hater !



Tom

mglobe

I have to respectfully disagree on this point. All I have to do is look at the carnage in a typical SM race (with no 13/13) compared to GTS races in NASA to deduce that 13/13 helps.

Circuit Motorsports

I've seen the same type of carnage in a GT3 Cup group that I've seen in SM groups.

The SM group at the race I ran this weekend was clean. The only bent metal I saw was from a single car incident who nudged some tires.

SM vs. GTS isn't a great comparison IMO. Cars with similar power and handling vs. cars with varied power and handling almost always has the cars with similar power and handling having more incidents.

docwyte

I've run with NASA Rocky Mtn for 6 years now and can't think of a major incident happening. Every so often someone goes off and there's some bent metal, but it's the exception rather than the rule.

People are very polite and give you plenty of space...

M758

I have over 100 races with NASA and have seems crashes during that time. I thnk you will agree that running that many tracks you will see some nasty wrecks.

However I don't see NASA races as having more crashes than PCA races at least here in Az. In fact I have seem more cars badly damged at PCA races that at NASA races. Part of that is due to the drivers. Most of us NASA guys run the same tracks over and over 10+ races in season and we get to know the tracks well. We know where it safe to go off and where it is not. A lot of the PCA guys are not as familiar with tracks and they are the ones that seem to get into incidents. The NASA regulars that run PCA don't get into much stuff.

Now compring a NASA day to PCA DE day is pointless. NASA has 4 DE levels and inident rate is different in all 4. There are more incidents in the higher groups because the drivers a pushing hard. Now by incidents I mean things that might toss gravel on track or bring out tow vehicle. Around here we have great percent of novice in PCA than at NASA. Even so most of the PCA "Regulars" are NASA "Regulars" too.

In my expereince 13/13 provides a false sense of protection. It still takes good driving decisions to prevent contact. NASA Az does not condone any contact. Rubbing is not racing here and all contact must be reported. However unlike 13/13 groups the nature and degree of contact is evalauted individualy to determine the proper actions. We also have contact log to capture repeat offenders too. So no 13/13, but we are not a free for all either.

Also track design is big factor in the number of tows and double yellows. Some tracks allow driver some room for minor errors without really needing to get towed back or a yellow. Others by their design are more prone to this.

Jarez Mifkin

Every NASA Road Atlanta event I've been to seams to have more carnage than not. The sessions are always cut short and the carnage is always high. Don't know what it is with those guys and Road Atlanta, but they don't mesh...

Ritter v4.0

Maybe its the track. Perhaps they should go back to the old design and remove 10a/10b. Then you'd just need to sight the landing into 12.