Course safety ?

[Captthundarr]

Well said Chris. 

[wheelrdealer]

I second that we'll said.

Chris

[Uncle Jimbo]

Well said Chris - I would say a third vote here.
It's always encouraging to see constructive conversation between the LSR Community, the car guys and the bikers talking good common sense together.

Think positive, be positive, and positive things will happen.   
Jimbo

[bucketlist]

Rick - your post #64 says it all.  " ...Many of the youngins go buy a sport bike and just want to go fast.  I think they have not yet learned the intimacy of building your machine and knowing every single nut & bolt on it.  I would suggest no mater what class the sport guys like, they should disassemble - in stages their machines, put it back together, and really start to get to know it....

Carroll Smith said the only reason a race car came to you assembled was to improve the chances of getting all the parts to you. He insisted on a complete disassembly to the last bolt so everything was fitted, finished, torqued, etc properly.

[Uncle Jimbo]

Good one Bucketlist - Carroll Smith and my mentor and Crew Chief Warner Riley must have gone to the same school.   He has taught me the same thought process of inspecting everything, from top to bottom. All moving parts must be "happy" together, and every nut and bolt torqued to specs, and then checked again the day before leaving for a venue. Take nothing for granted.
It's made me a better shade tree mechanic - at least I like to think so.   

Jimbo

[zipcar]

Joe has it handled and I think this link has served it's purpose. Why not try to work with ECTA and even volunteer for something at one of the events.The newbys have a lot to learn and not yelling at a official is a good start.
Joe thanks for the update.

I'm glad this thread jumped out at me . Safety is more important than feelings.
Anyway I am wondering if there are concerns on how close the speeding cars and bikes are to the timing tower, parked cars , spectators, at Wilmington.
 It appears to me the distance is about half a racing lane and 300 feet of grass where the racers are at top speed.
 I was kinda surprised ,but I didn't spend any time on google earth for perspective . I assume the organizers (whom I  appreciate)  know what can happen  at speed and have a margin of safety.
 Feel free to tell me how wrong I am to see this as a matter of concern.

[Truckedup]

I'm glad this thread jumped out at me . Safety is more important than feelings.
Anyway I am wondering if there are concerns on how close the speeding cars and bikes are to the timing tower, parked cars , spectators, at Wilmington.
 It appears to me the distance is about half a racing lane and 300 feet of grass where the racers are at top speed.
 I was kinda surprised ,but I didn't spend any time on google earth for perspective . I assume the organizers (whom I  appreciate)  know what can happen  at speed and have a margin of safety.
 Feel free to tell me how wrong I am to see this as a matter of concern.

 You're not wrong...but...racing is dangerous and I believe all of us know that and accept it. Part of the experience is being close to the race vehicles despite the potential danger.
   Or we can spectate from such a distance it become a video game....My opinion of course.

[Milwaukee Midget]

Welcome aboard!  Be sure to sign up at the office (Introduce Yourself thread - top of the forum).

That’s a tough one to figure.  Most race tracks have guard rails.  Seeing as Wilmington is still used for aircraft, guardrails are out of the question.

Comparisons are somewhat valuable.  With a 2 ½ foot guard rail and a snow fence, on the Moraine Sweep going into turn 5 at Road America, spectators are kept at a distance of about 50 ft.  It would not be unusual for a car to be traveling that section of track at speeds similar to what one would expect at Wilmington.
 
Drag racing puts a spectator into similarly close proximity, albeit with more protections.  Given the violent accelerations of a typical top fuel dragster, I don’t know that that is enough.

To my way of thinking, 300 feet seems prudent for paved LSR.

I think it’s a lot more likely to get hospitalized by a foul ball at Fenway than to be hit by an LSR car anywhere.

[Plan B]

Have you heard the one about sleeping dogs .... ?  I recall something about leaving them alone.

LSR has been chugging merrily along, as is, since the beginning of the last century.
What we don't need are guardrails, catch fences, grandstands or a Budwieser hospitality tent.

There was an incident (minor) last year .... adjustments were made .... good enough.
If you're uncomfortable down at the big end, don't go there.

Vehicle safety is the absolute top priority with ECTA and all the other LSR organizations I've seen or been involved with.

In a society full of prying eyes and ears, and people who just like to cause trouble, let's take care of our own little tribe and not give them anything to bitch about.

The less said, the better.

Just sayin' ..........................

[Glen]

FYI @ El Mirage the timing tower is 800 ft from trap lights.
The spectators are 200 ft behind the tower. At Bonneville the timing trailer is between two courses at 1000 ft to each course. All spectators are on the pit side of the #1 long course.  They are different venues of course but over the years the separation has been moved a few times. The Airports have restrictions much different then the lakes and salt. I stated earlier that it be  a advantage to have a couple of course stewards on the other side of the track to help the tower if something is seen on the course that's visible from the tower.

[RichFox]

LSR has been chugging merrily along, as is, since the beginning of the last century.
What we don't need are guardrails, catch fences, grandstands or a Budwieser hospitality tent.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have been in the Budwieser hospitality tent and I can tell you that one at Bonneville would be great.

[Milwaukee Midget]

LSR has been chugging merrily along, as is, since the beginning of the last century.
What we don't need are guardrails, catch fences, grandstands or a Budwieser hospitality tent.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have been in the Budwieser hospitality tent and I can tell you that one at Bonneville would be great.

Budweiser does buy nice tents . . .

[Plan B]

I've been invited to the tent also ...

Thumbs up on the tent and the beer ...

thumbs down on the people in the tent who don't know and don't care what's going on outside the tent ...

but that all comes with the $$$ I guess ...

I think you all understood my original point ... 

 

[Uncle Jimbo]

Trucketup - PlanB - I agree with your thoughts as well as Milwaukee's

"...racing is dangerous and I believe all of us know that and accept it. Part of the experience is being close to the race vehicles despite the potential danger.
   Or we can spectate from such a distance it become a video game...."
Same goes for the sleeping dog.
Needless wringing of hands, and worrying about hypothetical what ifs at this point, doesn't fit in my book.  Having been to Maxton, Wilmington, LTA, & the salt for nine years I have had no reservations about how each of those venues is run.  Each has a great staff & a great Rookie Orientation, as well as the important morning Drivers Meetings.  

If everyone attended the Drivers/Riders meetings, paid attention, and then followed all procedures, this thread most likely would never have been started.  

Now  as a closing for me - if somebody doesn't want to be close to the action, they can just set up a pit or spectate wherever they think its safe enough for them, the pit areas of all these venues have plenty of room.

Go fast - stop safe    
Jimbo

P.S  S&S has a very nice "hospitality tent/trailer" also. I mean to tell ya - they put out the food and snacks. How do say pro bono ?

[Truckedup]

 More examples of danger and personality responsibility .....September meet early Sunday morning in the dark was  two lines of race vehicles half a mile long.Roaring engines being warmed up,adjustments being made by flashlight,the smell of racing gas and alcohol, light less race vehicles maneuvering into line  .There I am a retired electrical contractor warming up the engine on a bike I built from piles of parts with simple hand tools on our way to bumping up my class record. This was a high point in my life as a dog and I don't believe this experience exists at too many race tracks any longer.LSR,especially Wilmington is the last stand for amateur builders to race and spectators to see action up close. I wasn't the only guy excited by  the chaos.... no one got run over that I know of....