Author Topic: Tech Question... from a Tech Inspector no less!  (Read 14348 times)

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Offline NathanStewart

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Re: Tech Question... from a Tech Inspector no less!
« Reply #30 on: December 28, 2010, 05:05:08 PM »
I agree with DW, lets try and stay close to what the rule books indicates, it might be OK for once in a while to put a speed restriction on a race car, but let not over do it with too many cars.  This year I did the timing on the Special Course for the first 2 days of racing at Speed Week and I had 148 rookies to time, watch and verify their speeds back to the starters and check their turn outs and sometimes how they deployed their chutes. So yes the tower can watch as requested by the starters to monitor a speed (time) for rare occasions, but it should be used as a minimum!! I feel its safer to have the required equipment (chute/fire bottles, etc) for that vehicles record status. Having a required chute on a race car at any speeds over 160mph at El Mirage is very important to prevent the race car from going out the "backdoor" and hitting a person (spectator) or child on a motorcycle!! One hit like that and we are done at EL Mirage!! Bonneville doesn't really have this situation, but lets stay with the rules in the Rule Book,  Dave

Dave, the way I read it I'm not so sure that Dan is saying that we should follow what the rule book says now.  I may be wrong (aka probably am wrong) but I think he's saying that if the book doesn't follow what we're actually doing then we should change the book and to me that makes sense.  I think it makes sense to do the practical and realistic thing and to force a competitor to build his car, for example, like it's going to go 275 mph when he's really interested in going 140 mph, is not practical, realistic, or pragmatic.  To say that we can only do what the book says to do is kind of like sticking our heads in the sand (or salt or silt) and ignoring what's real.  We tech inspectors are all humans and we can think on our feet and make sound decision based on knowledge and experience. 

If we see that a car is safely built for a certain speed that is below the requirements of the class record, we let them run which I think is the practical, realistic, and right thing to do.  This may come to a shock to some, but not everyone running on the salt is out there to "race" or compete for a record.  Some people still see Bonneville and land speed racing in general as the amateur's last stand in racing and some people spend a lot of time and money to come out and run just for the fun of it and I really respect that.  I don't see a real reason to strong arm people into doing something that they probably don't need to do just because the rule book says to.  We're all smarter than that and I must not be the only one who feels this way because we're using the speed limit system now as it is. 

Dave, I was on the sending end of things for the rookies and I can honestly say that I made an effort to guide/assist and then follow up with nearly every rookie that went down the special course.  I'd say we had an extremely effective and efficient system going with the way we tracked the rookies and in doing so I don't think we created any more hassle or used any more time than normal.  What we were doing worked and worked well IMO.

Just my $.02.
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Offline gas pumper

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Re: Tech Question... from a Tech Inspector no less!
« Reply #31 on: December 29, 2010, 10:10:01 PM »
Well said Nathan. The NHRA could learn a lot from you.

I've only been out to race with you guys once (so far) and I thought the whole tech and impound areas were very well run. Keep up the good work.
Crew for 608 AA/GL.
Crew for The Flying Seven, 7207, XO/GCT, V4/FCT Loring.

Offline RichFox

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Re: Tech Question... from a Tech Inspector no less!
« Reply #32 on: December 30, 2010, 08:10:49 AM »
Nathan, That is more logic than I have ever seen in one post on any board. I'm going to have to rest for a while to recover.