racerx69
Gear Jammer/IBEW Retired
In all the years that I have been involved in Conference racing I have never seen a single race weekend where at least one driver did not attend the mandatory driver's meeting. The meeting(s) are for the benefit of everyone involved, and the cavalier attitude that some drivers take towards their participation in a race weekend has always concerned me.
It is as if some people feel that they cannot be bothered with such things.
The same goes for behavior on track and in the paddock.
Far too many times I have seen drivers traveling through the paddock way too fast. Not a good thing.
Far too many times I have witnessed poor behavior on the track, passing under yellow, failing to observe and respond to flags from the turn stations, etc.
I volunteered many times as a instructor at the IRDC driving schools. Every person who registers for the school is given a clear set of rules and expectations to help them prepare for the school. I cannot recall a single time when I did not have to tell a student that his or her car was not ready for the on track sessions. Clearly they did not read the information provided to them, and take it seriously. A trunk full of stuff, the spare and jack laying loose, floor mats still in the car, glovebox overflowing with crap.
During my novice period I fulfilled my work requirements, including tech inspections. I recall there were many drivers who presented cars that were not ready for competition. It cannot be because they were not provided with the information they needed, but because they failed to do their part to be ready to go.
Over the years I would volunteer now and then, performing tech inspections to help out. For some reason, things just do not change. Drivers would bring their car and gear for inspection, and not be ready to go. And often they would try to get by without correcting whatever it was that had to be done so they could compete safely.
Sometimes I wonder why there are always a few drivers who seem to have the attitude that the rules are for every one else but them. The rules are in place for the safety of every one, the drivers, their friends and family who come along to help and spectate, and of course the turn workers and many other folks who give so freely of their time so we can go out and play on the track.
As far as implementing stricter and more expensive penalties goes, I really doubt it would be effective. I have seen this tried many times over the years, yet the problems persist. There seems to be some odd thing about human behavior where some of us just never get it. Conference has a clearly defined set of guidelines established to deal with enforcement of the rules, and what happens when one of us breaks them. Section 8 of the rulebook is quite clear, but many times I found myself wondering if the only people who read it were the stewards.
The way I see it, if fifteen minutes (or so) of your time each day is too much to ensure that every one has a safe and enjoyable weekend, then may be you shouldn't be part of the Conference experience. The rules, and the procedures are in place to ensure that we all can have a good time, a safe time, and everyone can go home on Sunday, ready for another week of that dirty four letter word, WORK.
It is as if some people feel that they cannot be bothered with such things.
The same goes for behavior on track and in the paddock.
Far too many times I have seen drivers traveling through the paddock way too fast. Not a good thing.
Far too many times I have witnessed poor behavior on the track, passing under yellow, failing to observe and respond to flags from the turn stations, etc.
I volunteered many times as a instructor at the IRDC driving schools. Every person who registers for the school is given a clear set of rules and expectations to help them prepare for the school. I cannot recall a single time when I did not have to tell a student that his or her car was not ready for the on track sessions. Clearly they did not read the information provided to them, and take it seriously. A trunk full of stuff, the spare and jack laying loose, floor mats still in the car, glovebox overflowing with crap.
During my novice period I fulfilled my work requirements, including tech inspections. I recall there were many drivers who presented cars that were not ready for competition. It cannot be because they were not provided with the information they needed, but because they failed to do their part to be ready to go.
Over the years I would volunteer now and then, performing tech inspections to help out. For some reason, things just do not change. Drivers would bring their car and gear for inspection, and not be ready to go. And often they would try to get by without correcting whatever it was that had to be done so they could compete safely.
Sometimes I wonder why there are always a few drivers who seem to have the attitude that the rules are for every one else but them. The rules are in place for the safety of every one, the drivers, their friends and family who come along to help and spectate, and of course the turn workers and many other folks who give so freely of their time so we can go out and play on the track.
As far as implementing stricter and more expensive penalties goes, I really doubt it would be effective. I have seen this tried many times over the years, yet the problems persist. There seems to be some odd thing about human behavior where some of us just never get it. Conference has a clearly defined set of guidelines established to deal with enforcement of the rules, and what happens when one of us breaks them. Section 8 of the rulebook is quite clear, but many times I found myself wondering if the only people who read it were the stewards.
The way I see it, if fifteen minutes (or so) of your time each day is too much to ensure that every one has a safe and enjoyable weekend, then may be you shouldn't be part of the Conference experience. The rules, and the procedures are in place to ensure that we all can have a good time, a safe time, and everyone can go home on Sunday, ready for another week of that dirty four letter word, WORK.