Same as last year--loudest "opiners" are the ones who were not there but who still feel it is their duty to speak out. As for those who were there--valid remarks and I haven't read anything to contest them.
I engaged in all of the venues...and then some. From giving a spirited ride to the NBC newscaster, to the autocross, the cruises and the events on Sunday, including the "drag" and autocross runs with the Sheriff's deputy. Here's my take...
Everything worked as advertised...IF DV's rules were followed. But I have some specific recommendations for next year.
--When Rolling Thunder and I started the burnouts last year, we pulled forward away from the crowd by at least 100 feet. I followed that same format for myself this year...despite some course workers trying to stop me from doing that. It was my duty to ignore their error, and I did. My first run went a bit sideways due to the crown in the road, and I shut it down immediately. I adjusted for that in subsequent runs, and basically did burnouts through first gear only. I also had the cops get the morons on the right side out of there--when Turk and I lined up for the SHORT side by side demo. As for running during the band playing, some of that was caused by the course workers not knowing/stopping it. DV Jr. tried and finally reached those of us who didn't know it was time to stop--should've had radios to tell the course workers in hindsight. Moronic statements implying that running while the band played was on purpose are....moronic.
--The Friday autocross course was obviously too short (cut down from the original layout due to the OSU parking nazis). In my humble opinion as an SCCA Solo II Safety Steward for the past 10 years and a course designer, it was too short, but it was designed to keep speeds down at the end. I wished some of the built design functions had been used at the airport. I only ran the Friday autocross a few times--once for the pure pleasure of making DV cry for his mommie
, simply because it was too short and because I felt the street tires I was running (like most everyone else) were not up to the task from a safety standpoint.
--The airport layouts were fine. I would've designed in a quick couple of turns at the beginning of the autocross to prevent the burnouts going on, and probably a decreasing slalom to slow folks down before the sweepers--but generally speaking, it was just fine.
--The "drag" area should've simply been classified as a burnout area--way too short for anything else. I watched Jack's entire run--it was obvious before he passed the cones that he wasn't gonna slow down. I presummed it was a stuck throttle, but the fact is--if a problem at such high speeds was gonna happen--the venue was thankfully one that allowed for it. Thank God Jack was not hurt, and the hell with the car. But at least there was a place to run off into without danger to others.
--We should've been wearing helmets--including the riders--at the airports. I was wearing mine--I was the only one in the group around me, and I stupidly took mine off. I regret that. We were told to bring them--we should've used them.
--To me, the most dangerous situation was the caravan from the Speedway. Folks moving too quickly and then slamming on the brakes! I did not run the caravan the next day because of this. As with the other venues--if DV's rules would simply be followed, there would be no problem.
IMHO and FUIYDLI
