I would imagine most of you guys like racing. Do you all know that you too could be a corner worker (the guys in white). Although it's not for weak heart, it is definantly a great job in racing. While NASCAR stops racing for incidents, SCCA keeps going, and yes, goes out onto a "hot" track to take care of problems! Being a "corner worker" ("F"lagging "&" "C"ommunicating) is the best way to get close to the action. Obviously! If you would like to be an Official at races instead of just spectator, run to your local SCCA region and sign up! We almost always NEED more help. After you get some experience and are proficient enough, you could also work all the other "road" type events as well. Although F1, Cart, etc. are diiferent sanctioning bodies, they also use SCCA corner workers!
For those of you "in the know", this clip demonstrates why I think we could "waive" the yellow more often intead of "standing", although I'll bet the driver had already been by that point before. (because the truck was there). Do we know who the driver was???

 

How many of the guys passing judgement on the driver's skills have actually raced WITH OTHER CARS ON TRACK not in a SOLO situation? Driving fast on the street does not count, you are not racing against anyone but your own skill.
A yellow flag means that there is a dangerous situation ahead. The only thing you are required to do is not pass, you are still driving ***** out be it dry or wet. When you go off the track and the grass is wet you are nothing but a passenger regardless of driver skill. The only thing you can do is throw out an anchor and hope the car stops. I think that corner workers have bigger ***** than race car drivers. They put themselves in beyond scary situations with no protection other than their white clothing. I was getting trained to corner work for the Detroit Grand Prix and backed down. CART cars look more like knifes being thrown at you. Before I get flamed for wuzzing out of the corner station I should let you know that a TRANS AM car hit the station (concrete barrier) and moved it back about three feet and that is when I had enough.

 

I agree with racerMike. F&C is the best way to get started in racing. It will help you decided what class of racing you want to get into. AND,AND drivers buy you as much beer as you can handle once the racing is done.

 

Good plug Racermike . He's right. My wife and I do it on occasion. Lucky for us we live in central florida and have worked the Rolex24 as pit marshalls, and at Sebring. Wonderful group of dedicated people. Alot of fun, and better than the best seats $ can buy. And as an aspiring race driver or current race driver, you can learn alot by watching others. a Great education, and alot of fun!

 

I'm a National level SCCA racer and I stand by my statements.

 

Butt Lips

I apologize I missed your whole paragraph regarding the white flag and the slowing down.

Have we raced against each other?


Waterford Hills
Mid-Ohio
Grattan
Gingerman
Nelson Ledges
Blackhawk Farms

 

I'm a Midwest Division guy. The only one of those tracks I've run is MidO (Runoffs).

If my comments seem a little harsh, it's because my wife works F&C and was working that particular event. We all make driving mistakes and split second decisions that turn out to be bad ones, but extra care should always be taken when workers are in harms way.

 

Damn, you give almost enough clues that I think I should know who you are! Maybe I'm putting too much into BUTLIPS though You said you were "at" the event, were you driving? How about car color?
And who was the off-course by?
I got the video to play once, but I can't see it again. Not computer literate enough!
mdb

 

ok butlips,,,,,I have it narrowed down to 2.
Would you be CC jr. or JP??
Either way your dad knows me, but maybe not you!
I still want to know who went off,,,,and how do I get the damn thing to load again???
mdb

 

Buttlips

Even a bigger apology since your wife is a corner worker.
Comments were not harsh at all, you are right!!
My posting was directed more to those judging the driver and having never raced before.

We all have brainfarts (unless this guy has them more often than others) luckily nobody was hurt. There is only one Schumacher and even he broke his leg. Does not excuse the driver ignoring the slow down from the workers.

Racermike and Buttlips, Waterford Hills along with the Detroit SCCA region are holding a regional race at Waterford look at the website since I can't remember the date (www.waterfordhills.com), come out and play (home advantage...finally!!). Maybe, we'll see each other at Mid-Ohio next season.

 

Once again I read more into it the second time around.

Did you run EP or a GT class at the runoffs?

 

I really thought I could get to travel some this last year, but I didn't. Problem for me is that I do it all, from Solo, RoadRally, RallyCross, Racing, ClubRally, and I do "Race Management" at Gateway for all the BIG events! When there is the occasional "off" weekend, I try (but never succede) to catch up around the house.

 

You're right, I'm Chuck Clark. I run EP.

I used to have real name as my nickname on this site, but I lost it during one of the hackings and couldn't get it back because I didn't remember my password. So, when I was try to pick a new nickname, everything I could think of was taken. After the 4th or 5th taken name, I start thinking to myself "well kiss my ***" my brain somehow jumped to buttlips and here I am.

Yes, I was racing that day. The guy in the crash is a pretty new driver from somewhere around Dallas in the SW Division. I know he felt terrible about what happened, and got quite an *** chewing from the stewards.

 

OK, here's an interesting video from Hallett from my in-car camera

This was the first lap of a National race. I qualified first in EP, and 4th overall in the GT/Production field, less than a tenth of a second off the track record. I had a brake caliper fail and make for a very short day.


It's the last video on the link (the "hood pins" video is funny, too):

Hallett Video

 

Well I still can't figure out how to get to these things. Can't even duplicate what I did to see the crash the first time. Have to wait until the "operator" gets home to show me!
Chuck I'm the long haired guy in St. Louis that usually stops by to say hi, or honks going by the "Hoosier" rig. However for the past 2 years you would have probably seen me in the green 66 Mustang! I did NOT know your wife does F&C, or has she not worked here? Then again I had to miss a couple home dates too this year!

 

She hasn't worked Gateway in a while. She is the worker coordinator for all of the Heartland Park events. She also worked Hallett and MAM this year.

 

Well, of course! I'm feeling a little more stupid than usual today!!! I have got to remember to use the carb cleaner in a "well ventilated area". Since I don't get to travel much,,,,yeah that's my excuse. I know I haven't shared a coner with her though, and I have only gotten to HP twice and that was several years ago. I WAS all set up to go to MAM this year and something came up.

 

that hood pin vid was pretty funny. i could see myself pulling that one off more then once.

 

Help us out here, what video format is ".ram"? I want to see these vids!

 

Perhaps it was just an accident, just one of those things.

I didn't initially notice the yellow flags, so perhaps the driver should have paid a bit more attention and maybe slowed down due to a truck being in the runoff area.

I wouldn't really blame anyone based on that footage, and would just file it away as an accident, were luckily no one was hurt.

 

real player. at the top of the page is a link to d/l if free

 

I hate Real's website, it's so misleading, and you have to search for the button to dowload the free version They used to be so user-friendly.... oh well, I've got the free version now... all good

Jeff

 

Ahhhhhh ahahahahhahaa...... the hood pins... jeeze... Gotta love an RX-7 front-opening hood

Jeff

 

Yeah, it took me a few minutes to find it. Makes you think AOL owns it or something.

 

Oh man, that sucks. It cracked the windshield pretty good and he had to stomp the hood to get it back down

Is it mandatory to have in car cams or is it just something people do?