My COTA Experience: A Porsche Pinata Production
05-20-2013, 11:40 AM
#31
It may just be me, but I thought there were *a lot* of incidents over the PCA weekend and the T&T was just a warm up. I don't recall it being this bad at TWS. Heck, even the yellow DE group managed to break the track for 2 hours Sunday afternoon. I bet the cumulative damage bill for the weekend to fix track damage was six figures.
Also, weren't all the T&T drivers "race" drivers? The DE folks were not invited and IIRC one had to be confirmed for the club race to be eligible for the T&T.
Looking forward to getting back to TWS in a few weeks.
-Mike
05-20-2013, 11:51 AM
#32
The Penguin King
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
I am pretty sure it was the guy's first lap on COTA, and he had no-one to follow. Massive tunnel vision, and had no idea there was someone nearby. There was a lot of pressure on the racers to learn the track quickly in the limited time they had on track.....he was probably super amped and out of his normal mind. You gotta give those guys a wide buffer, or wait until they get a chance to breath and see you in their mirror. You do gotta wonder though that a racer is supposed to have superior awareness compared to your high-end DEer....so, no excuse I guess.
BUT, what I can't understand is that after the session he didn't attempt to make amends - that is the most troubling thing.
BUT, what I can't understand is that after the session he didn't attempt to make amends - that is the most troubling thing.
As far as not coming by to find the camera car, he may have tried for all we know. COTA is a big place. Camera car was in a garage. The other driver was in the support paddock.
05-20-2013, 12:22 PM
#33
I think things will quiet down once COTA becomes an annual event and dispenses with this "once in a lifetime" BS.
-Mike
05-20-2013, 12:24 PM
#34
The Penguin King
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
05-20-2013, 01:02 PM
#35
Racer
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 258
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I am pretty sure it was the guy's first lap on COTA, and he had no-one to follow. Massive tunnel vision, and had no idea there was someone nearby. There was a lot of pressure on the racers to learn the track quickly in the limited time they had on track.....he was probably super amped and out of his normal mind. You gotta give those guys a wide buffer, or wait until they get a chance to breath and see you in their mirror. You do gotta wonder though that a racer is supposed to have superior awareness compared to your high-end DEer....so, no excuse I guess.
During the T&T, I actually wasn't trying to pass when I got hit, just trying to stay on the proper line as opposed to following him all over the track. When he went wide after T8, I tried to wait to see what he would do, thinking he had two options: a) slow down, gather the car up, and slide in behind me or b) stay on the inside and drive towards the apex, in which case I would have turned in after him. I did not think option c was on the board: swerve across the track into my door. I never did attempt to turn-in, I just stayed to the far right waiting for him to decide what to do. Still confused as to how he could not see me, I bet he was totally out of control after over correcting. Not sure what else I could have done absent completely parking the car in the corner.
In the laps preceding this one he never gave me a point by despite me hounding his bumper in the corners, he would merely blast down the long straights and we'd repeat the process. I think the attempt at a defensive line going up the front straight gives a good indication of the mind set this guy had. Rude and under skilled is no way to go through life.
In the laps preceding this one he never gave me a point by despite me hounding his bumper in the corners, he would merely blast down the long straights and we'd repeat the process. I think the attempt at a defensive line going up the front straight gives a good indication of the mind set this guy had. Rude and under skilled is no way to go through life.
I've seen this guy drive and race at TWS and he is no novice, but he was clearly lost on his first day at COTA.
Last edited by Doug007; 05-20-2013 at 05:31 PM.
05-20-2013, 01:13 PM
#36
Rennlist Member
First video- Crazy....I would of been 1000 times more careful deciding when/where to pass him just by the look of his driving....
Second video- That is just BS- I would of had more than choice words for him.
Second video- That is just BS- I would of had more than choice words for him.
05-20-2013, 02:12 PM
#37
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
I then asked him to go back to his driver, explain the real cause of the incident, and then bring him back to my pit so he could watch the video and learn something. While watching he acknowledged fault to his crew chief (not directly to me) and then the two of them discussed the correct line using my car as the example. They then asked to watch several laps of the video so he could coach his driver on the line, thanked me sharing the video and left. No apology or discussion of the damage. In fact the driver never even engaged me directly after we were introduced.
It happened on the 10th lap of the session, not the first. If he wanted someone to follow all he had to do was point me by as I had been behind him for several laps at this point. He knew I was there and did not want me in front of him despite this being a T&T. Again, note the strange path he takes on the front straight - he moves off line in what appears to be an attempt to protect the inside.
In hindsight, yes I could have parked the car in the corner in an attempt to avoid contact. But parking on a race track is usually a bad bet, I erred on the side of him being able to avoid a car hugging the rumble strips on the opposite side of the track. Lesson learned, if this ever happens again I'll resort to the DE tactic of driving through the pits.
I agree with Plavan, the 2nd guy needs to be abused more.
He actually seemed to think the whole thing was funny. I had to walk away because I could see that it was going to get very ugly if I didn't.
05-20-2013, 02:36 PM
#38
Rennlist Member
His crew chief came to me with a head full of steam, immediately placing blame on me (based on what his driver told him). I then calmly explained what happened and then offered to pull the video to show him what happened. We then watched the video together and he agreed his driver was at fault.
I then asked him to go back to his driver, explain the real cause of the incident, and then bring him back to my pit so he could watch the video and learn something. While watching he acknowledged fault to his crew chief (not directly to me) and then the two of them discussed the correct line using my car as the example. They then asked to watch several laps of the video so he could coach his driver on the line, thanked me sharing the video and left. No apology or discussion of the damage. In fact the driver never even engaged me directly after we were introduced.
It happened on the 10th lap of the session, not the first. If he wanted someone to follow all he had to do was point me by as I had been behind him for several laps at this point. He knew I was there and did not want me in front of him despite this being a T&T. Again, note the strange path he takes on the front straight - he moves off line in what appears to be an attempt to protect the inside.
In hindsight, yes I could have parked the car in the corner in an attempt to avoid contact. But parking on a race track is usually a bad bet, I erred on the side of him being able to avoid a car hugging the rumble strips on the opposite side of the track. Lesson learned, if this ever happens again I'll resort to the DE tactic of driving through the pits.
I agree with Plavan, the 2nd guy needs to be abused more.
He actually seemed to think the whole thing was funny. I had to walk away because I could see that it was going to get very ugly if I didn't.
I then asked him to go back to his driver, explain the real cause of the incident, and then bring him back to my pit so he could watch the video and learn something. While watching he acknowledged fault to his crew chief (not directly to me) and then the two of them discussed the correct line using my car as the example. They then asked to watch several laps of the video so he could coach his driver on the line, thanked me sharing the video and left. No apology or discussion of the damage. In fact the driver never even engaged me directly after we were introduced.
It happened on the 10th lap of the session, not the first. If he wanted someone to follow all he had to do was point me by as I had been behind him for several laps at this point. He knew I was there and did not want me in front of him despite this being a T&T. Again, note the strange path he takes on the front straight - he moves off line in what appears to be an attempt to protect the inside.
In hindsight, yes I could have parked the car in the corner in an attempt to avoid contact. But parking on a race track is usually a bad bet, I erred on the side of him being able to avoid a car hugging the rumble strips on the opposite side of the track. Lesson learned, if this ever happens again I'll resort to the DE tactic of driving through the pits.
I agree with Plavan, the 2nd guy needs to be abused more.
He actually seemed to think the whole thing was funny. I had to walk away because I could see that it was going to get very ugly if I didn't.
So disappointing on so many levels...
05-20-2013, 02:37 PM
#39
Nordschleife Master
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Deep Downtown Carrier, OK
Posts: 5,297
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes
on
6 Posts
I'm really doing my best to keep my mouth shut here....the driving is bad enough (I disagree with those who indicate that the first driver was merely sussing out the track - this is no excuse at all for his erratic path(s) and on-track behavior)...but the actions after both incidents are absolutely inexcusable.
05-20-2013, 02:52 PM
#40
The Penguin King
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
His crew chief came to me with a head full of steam, immediately placing blame on me (based on what his driver told him). I then calmly explained what happened and then offered to pull the video to show him what happened. We then watched the video together and he agreed his driver was at fault.
I then asked him to go back to his driver, explain the real cause of the incident, and then bring him back to my pit so he could watch the video and learn something. While watching he acknowledged fault to his crew chief (not directly to me) and then the two of them discussed the correct line using my car as the example. They then asked to watch several laps of the video so he could coach his driver on the line, thanked me sharing the video and left. No apology or discussion of the damage. In fact the driver never even engaged me directly after we were introduced.
It happened on the 10th lap of the session, not the first. If he wanted someone to follow all he had to do was point me by as I had been behind him for several laps at this point. He knew I was there and did not want me in front of him despite this being a T&T. Again, note the strange path he takes on the front straight - he moves off line in what appears to be an attempt to protect the inside.
In hindsight, yes I could have parked the car in the corner in an attempt to avoid contact. But parking on a race track is usually a bad bet, I erred on the side of him being able to avoid a car hugging the rumble strips on the opposite side of the track. Lesson learned, if this ever happens again I'll resort to the DE tactic of driving through the pits.
I agree with Plavan, the 2nd guy needs to be abused more.
He actually seemed to think the whole thing was funny. I had to walk away because I could see that it was going to get very ugly if I didn't.
I then asked him to go back to his driver, explain the real cause of the incident, and then bring him back to my pit so he could watch the video and learn something. While watching he acknowledged fault to his crew chief (not directly to me) and then the two of them discussed the correct line using my car as the example. They then asked to watch several laps of the video so he could coach his driver on the line, thanked me sharing the video and left. No apology or discussion of the damage. In fact the driver never even engaged me directly after we were introduced.
It happened on the 10th lap of the session, not the first. If he wanted someone to follow all he had to do was point me by as I had been behind him for several laps at this point. He knew I was there and did not want me in front of him despite this being a T&T. Again, note the strange path he takes on the front straight - he moves off line in what appears to be an attempt to protect the inside.
In hindsight, yes I could have parked the car in the corner in an attempt to avoid contact. But parking on a race track is usually a bad bet, I erred on the side of him being able to avoid a car hugging the rumble strips on the opposite side of the track. Lesson learned, if this ever happens again I'll resort to the DE tactic of driving through the pits.
I agree with Plavan, the 2nd guy needs to be abused more.
He actually seemed to think the whole thing was funny. I had to walk away because I could see that it was going to get very ugly if I didn't.
05-20-2013, 02:54 PM
#41
Drifting
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: The great Republic of Texas
Posts: 2,097
Likes: 0
Received 7 Likes
on
4 Posts
I mean we all came up through DE and got licensed, I would expect the basics to be mastered even if the speed is not there.
Sorry to hear about your experience. Heard similar horror stories from other guys who attended the event. Kinda glad I missed it.
05-20-2013, 03:05 PM
#42
-Mike
05-20-2013, 04:11 PM
#44
I'm really doing my best to keep my mouth shut here....the driving is bad enough (I disagree with those who indicate that the first driver was merely sussing out the track - this is no excuse at all for his erratic path(s) and on-track behavior)...but the actions after both incidents are absolutely inexcusable.
To me it looked like he had his hands (and mind) full with trying to figure out where he was going around those turns. AKA "Lost where he was on the track and what was coming up next" Bet he never saw you in his mirrors until he hit your door Rob.
No good excuse, but I would take a guess it was a guy that never goes to many tracks and was having a real hard time with being lost....
05-20-2013, 04:18 PM
#45
Rennlist Member
I agree with Bryan. I bet he didn't see you until he hit you.
Do you need a refresher course on your wrestling moves? Maybe time to get your singlet out of storage.
Do you need a refresher course on your wrestling moves? Maybe time to get your singlet out of storage.