Nationals 2015 Master Thread

[John Brown]

That was a lot closer than the video depicts... and I was closing in at appx 50-55 mph.

It screwed up the rest of my run.. I kept thinking if she had fell... Im not 100% sure I could have gotten outside her...

[integra55]

what I can't figure, is why didn't she stay were she was ?

[steverife]

I don't know who it is, but she was having a hard time getting to cones all heat. She also wasn't doing herself any favors as she was standing really far away from the cones she was covering.

[dewittpayne]

With flagging at SCCA club races, we don't throw someone into the deep end of the pool without at least some training, any more. It's also the corner chief's responsibility to make sure the workers on station are properly placed and aware of what they should be doing. You don't get to be a corner captain without even more training. We also have bunkers. Yes, there are more cars and they're often going a lot faster, but things like bunkers didn't get built until we lost some workers.

If there's a national chief safety steward, he or she needs to see this video. I'd send it to every member of the SEB too.

[John Brown]

Having a red flag on the OUTSIDE would have been the only way Id have seen it. I know we have Red flags on the inside of turns... but think about it... would you see it?

My camera is almost behind my pass seat.. that gave it a much clearer view of the inside of the course...

[steverife]

I wouldn't have wanted to stand on the outside of that corner.

...and John was already well into the station before it looked like an issue. She just did this exaggerated raising of the cone to signify that it was hit, then meticulously placed the cone in its spot, then ran across the course instead of away. People generally are more aware of oncoming cars.

One of the primary flaws that I see in our worker system at national events is we have too many able bodied people in positions like impound and grid and start and sometimes end up with people that don't move that well working course.

[flier129]

One of the primary flaws that I see in our worker system at national events is we have too many able bodied people in positions like impound and grid and start and sometimes end up with people that don't move that well working course.

This is why I always volunteer for shaggin cones at national events. I've been on corners where some guys admit that they have a bad *whatever* and I tell them not to worry about it and I'll grab some extra cones. So I had to cover multiple locations, almost in a full sprint to make it too. I use to be able to run fast..... now I'm fat and out of shape, but still faster than the average worker! I had one person stop for me and it wasn't even the closest call I've had lol.

[Dentspeed]

I've been out of it for a while, but my observation is that generally the autocross "royalty" doesn't shag cones ever. I think there should be some sort of rotating schedule. There are some jobs that only experienced people should do, such as timing and scoring, but I for one would like to see someone like Hollis, etc shag cones, but that prob won't happen.

[MikeKelly]

One of the primary flaws that I see in our worker system at national events is we have too many able bodied people in positions like impound and grid and start and sometimes end up with people that don't move that well working course.

Another issue I noticed is launching another competitor every 20 seconds at the nationals (actually more like 16~17 seconds on the JB run in question).

That's a really ambitious launch schedule - worker placement and performance have to be "perfect" for that to work.


And competitors can't hit many cones, or it becomes "unmanageable" real quick...

[jcox07]

If the workers were spread out like they were suppose to be, the national events have plenty of workers to be able to handle a car off every 15 seconds if done right.

[steverife]

McCrary and I worked the last heat the the Wilmington Tour, when they were worried about finishing and they were sending cars ever 13 seconds.

With the number of cars you need to push through a course, I don't think there is any way to not send them quickly. As a worker, you just have to hustle and use good judgement. I worked a station with Carpenter and a few other ES guys on the same course. A car took out the back wall on the course and drug the cones about 25 yards. We got it set up for the next car, who did the same thing. We didn't get everything set up for the 3rd car before we bailed.

[steverife]

If the workers were spread out like they were suppose to be, the national events have plenty of workers to be able to handle a car off every 15 seconds if done right.

That depends. We have 5 at our station this year and that was great, but we worked 1st heat Tues/Weds. I've worked huge stations with only 1 other guy when I had to work 5th heat Thurs/Friday. I also once worked a station at Blytheville with Rich Miller and 1 other guy. We had a series of offsets going out and a top of 2nd gear/bottom of 3rd gear 6 cone slalom coming back. We probably caused a dozen reruns.

Also, sometimes you get stations where there is nowhere safe to stand. That is how I felt it was for our station on the West Course. You had to have your back to cars charging at you.

[thrdeye]

Anyone happen to find a small seafoam green Clinique bag? I used it to keep contacts and butt wipes and such in. I can't seem to find it at all and the last time I would have had this would have been Nats.

[jcox07]

Check with Bucky he may have your butt wipe bag......lol