One quick rant about SW.

[Jonny Hotnuts]

I dont complain about much but just wanted to get this off my chest.

The number of unauthorized vehicles in the pits, driving waaaay beyond the posted speed and not paying attention to where they are going is driving me nuts.
What is the point in having a guy checking vehicles coming into the pits if you can drive around the backside and come in from the back (*clearly the word is out on this one).

There were several times when bone headed tourist were driving though the pits, looking at the cars and the guy towing a race vehicle had to hit his brakes to avoid a collision.....including myself.....and then given a f-you look like they had the right of way or "oops, sorry" look.
I also noticed a bunch of kids driving motorcycles and quads through the pits (and going too fast).

Its only a matter of time when there will be a pit collision and while it may not be a fatality it will still be ugly.

If anyone agrees and has any power to do anything about this please pass on the though or implement changes to make the pits safer.

~JH



 

[Dr Goggles]

 Spectators walking along with their head turned around looking over their shoulder is my favorite....we are still allowed to drive race cars in the pits......If anyone knew how hard it was to see in our car let alone stop they wouldn't step onto the lake , let alone drive in the pits................

...............guy on an old Harley this year coming back into the pits nearly had a low-speed wash-out when he was baulked by a spectator vehicle driving up to congratulate him.

We have ,as you see , the same problems....... RACE VEHICLES HAVE RIGHT OF WAY........

[coloradodave]

They were driving me nuts, it was everywhere, the pits, the access roads even staging.
I always teach my kids to try and have a good point of awareness and these folks had no clue.
 

[pofg]

yup, we had a tourist try and wipe the liner off the trailer in the pits while we were backing into our space... came straight thru looking thru our pit to the long course.... came VERY close.

[836dstr]

"Caution Tape" is not a deterant unless you wrap up the offending "tourist" in it!

People on bikes riding down the middle of the Pit lanes are oblivious to what's coming up behind them.

Tom

[Glen]

Most of you know I stated several times prior to the meet about mini bikes, go carts and low profile vehicles not being allowed in the pits. This is hard to police and in general most of the jerks don;'t think the rules apply to them. SCTA/BNI tries to control it but the lack of common sense seems to get around the pits anyway.

[thundersalt]

We too encountered the same issues. I am glad we have a tow bar and not a strap or the car would have been in the back of my truck bumper several times. I suggest a full time pit patroll.

[mkilger]

yes full time pit patroll gets my vote good idea not bad coming from someone who drives a Ford LOL  ok a fast Ford

[thundersalt]

yes full time pit patroll gets my vote good idea not bad coming from someone who drives a Ford LOL  ok a fast Ford

Funny Mike. Not so fast this year. The Fairlane has identity issues, it thinks it's a roadster.

[DahMurf]

I didn't think the size of the bikes/scooters was the problem. I could very clearly see them as they darted out from an intersection at 25mph looking over their shoulder in the opposite direction! (multiple vehicles/people/times and I didn't spend that much time in the pits!) Luckily I was only driving a support vehicle without pushing/pulling anything. It's amazing how many people are willing to be in motion be it motorized or on foot without having any clue as to where they are going or the fact that they may be moving out in front of or otherwise blocking moving vehicles!

Hate to admit it but it may be time for roving patrol!

[hotrod]

Unfortunately some of this comes with the increase in popularity and bigger crowds.

Another area that needs more attention is the spectator lines along the return roads.

I set up my stuff on Friday behind the banners at the point marked "no spectators beyond this point" that I believe was intended to create a large easy to handle turnout for the folks at the fuel station. When I showed up on Saturday, someone had turned the no spectators beyond this point sign 90 degrees and placed it in line with the cone line along the edge of the spectator area, and a half a dozen huge RVs were set up in what should have been a no go zone.

The other really irritating issue along the return road is that some of the spectators think they are special and deserve to sit 10' forward of every one else. As a result you get a leap frog effect where some of these "special" spectators gradually creep out well in front of the marked line.

It would really help if someone would patrol that part of the return road early in the morning, up near the pits and fuel station and tell them they have to pull ALL their stuff back behind the cone line before racing will start.

There were also a lot of kids on small scooters and bikes zipping in and out between the spectator shelters and out into the return road. I was actually surprised no one got clipped by a car given how far some of them were zooming out into the return road path.

Once you let that sort of disregard for crowd control boundaries go for an extended period of time, people start ignoring all the signs and rules. Better to nip it in the bud early in the day so you don't have folks getting the impression that the crowd control rules  and boundaries don't matter. Several announcements on the low power AM radio station targeted at the spectators would also go a long ways in reminding folks that the cars have very limited visibility and when in tow cannot stop suddenly and therefore have absolute right of way over all other traffic.

Add in a plane using the entry road as a  taxiway and you have all sorts of things folks need to watch for.

Larry

[thundersalt]

I forgot about the plane. That's the first time I've seen a plane used as a pit vehicle.

[nrhs sales]

Sounds like a job for Linda!!!   

[don]

Ok I will pile on also. 2 Idiots on Harleys stopped in the middle of the pits in the middle of the road, talking! Bunch of harleys driving around the pits this year, I assumed they were coming back from Trailer week in Sturgis.
I thought that anyone could buy pits passes this year and get into the pits?
I was looking forward to the middle of the week when it would get better, it did not get better until Thursday.

[Bruno]

Way too many non race vehicles driving on the return road. This should be tow or push cars and race cars only  IMO.