jakermc

While I loved the event and seeing my old friends, I had the unfortunate experience of being in the wrong place at the wrong time - twice!

Here is a clip of me being hit in the non-PCA run Test & Tune on Thursday. After trailing the rear bumper of the much higher hp car for several laps, the video picks up the story where it appears he wants to take a defensive line on the front straight before remembering his hp advantage. Defensive line, in a Test & Tune? About a minute later he broadsides my driver's side door before turn 9.

https://vimeo.com/66473824

In the next clip I am rear-ended in the braking zone for T12 on Lap 1 of the first race. The other driver never reported to the black flag station but we were able to identify him from the view in my rear view mirror. When I found him, the exchange went like this:

Me: 'I'm the guy you hit, what happened out there?'
Him: 'Oh. Just run into a bunch of slower trafffic.'
Me: (Internal thought - you mean the guys who qualified ahead of you?)
Me: 'What did you expect entering a hairpin turn on Lap 1 of the race?'
Him: 'That was the first lap of my first race.'
Me: 'Well, you really need to anticipate that will happen for the first couple of laps. It will take a while for the field to thin out in a big race.'

I then begin looking at the front bumper of his car, looking to see what damage he had

Him: 'Oh, most of that is not from you. It's from last week'.

I had to walk away at that point, unable to communicate at the level this guy was operating at.

https://vimeo.com/66474343

jrgordonsenior

Frustrating to watch but par for the course. I know from racing in Texas a few years back (in your SB no less) that the drivers there are as good as any amateurs' I've raced with. That being said, the guy in the practice video appears to be incompetent and unqualified to drive in a club race environment. I'm not sure if he was just incompetent, or trying to make every turn into some type of late apex thing. It exemplifies the adage about a little knowledge being dangerous. Whomever signed that guy off needs to have his credentials yanked and the driver sent back to DE school.

The Gulf Blue car that rear ended you in his first club race can join the other guy back at the barn until he learns some basic car control skills and judgment. Please tell me he received a 13 (or 2) for the bump and for not reporting to the black flag station. If officials don't make a strong stand against incompetence we'll be just like NASCAR in no time....

997gt3north

i just watched your first video - wtf?

I can't even believe that is real.
Was he wasted or senile?

I cannot believe that he was on a racetrack and not in a complete beginner run group - he looks like he is actually mentally challenged.

dan212

You got punted hard enough to be spun out and the flaggers didn't notice and call attention? Thats kind of scary.

Jimbo951

2nd guy was driving flat out.

BostonDMD

What is going on in Texas? Unbelievable stuff.....

Veloce Raptor

Ther was some lackadaisical flagging out there last weekend. And a lot of people way over their heads on a "bucket list" track that is harder than it looks...

danielyonker

That's pretty funny, right there......

Cheyenne

It's hard to find a good radio station at that track.

Remember: Set your presets in the pits ahead of time!

multi21

I didn't read the entire script, but I had to go back after I saw the first video to make sure it wasn't a novice DE student, not a club racer... yikes....

Wish I could drive that track at least once in my lifetime

stujelly

that is a bummer. Doesn't sound like he handled his conversation with you very well. Too bad

jakermc

When I went to the control room with my contact paperwork I learned that they knew I had spun but did not know if it was on my own or if I had help. The contact point seems to have been downstream from the flagger and in a blind spot of the numerous track cameras. Bryan and Vicky were very helpful as we watched my video until we could pick up the car number in my mirror. Fairly certain he got a 13, but they don't really share that info. IMO, something stronger than a 13 should be done if you can't survive your first race (or first lap) without tagging someone. Clearly your head is not ready to race, they should be sent down to the minors for another year.

My driver's door is a big mess, rocker panel below it dented in, one wheel needing repair, rear bumper is destroyed, and may have damage to the headers as one muffler is shaking around but the clamps are tight.

Neither driver sought me out, neither bothered to look at the damage they did to my car, neither even apologized. I find this part the most troubling.

roketman

His line speaks for itself

tedean

...I fail to understand why there is no offer to pay for the damages to another car when the offender is clearly at fault. "Clearly" being the key word here. Why is there no group expectation and/or peer pressure upon the offender? Is this the culture in racing?

Astroman

I wonder why doesn't PCA share this info. When I was a surgery resident, one of my attendings used to say: "Public humiliation is the best teacher."