So I'm curious, what makes Koni Challenge so popular and full of cars, while stuff like
09-22-2008, 04:14 PM
#21
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That sucks. I'm just back at home for a week working on putting together a good GT deal for 09.
Looking forward to VIR. It's one of these tracks that I never think much of when I'm away from it, but really enjoy once I'm there. Hopefully we have some nice weather though; I enjoy it somewhat less when it's 45 degrees and pouring rain!
09-23-2008, 07:10 PM
#29
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you try telling me at 500 yards with sun glare coming out of a turn
who has the higher closing speed? oh yeah as corner workers are a dying breed, you have to keep an eye on your turn to make sure the drivers play nice.
Majority of the time, the class of the car will determine who has the better acceleration out of a turn.
But hey, keep Koni the way it is, and I'll keep holding on to the blue flag and not showing it. Unless of course you're able to find me another 15 people so I can staff 3 per turn and not 2 per turn. Or perhaps you'd just rather not have us at all.
Majority of the time, the class of the car will determine who has the better acceleration out of a turn.
But hey, keep Koni the way it is, and I'll keep holding on to the blue flag and not showing it. Unless of course you're able to find me another 15 people so I can staff 3 per turn and not 2 per turn. Or perhaps you'd just rather not have us at all.
09-24-2008, 08:51 AM
#30
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OMG. Freak out much? If any series official read your freak out and complaint, they'd likely not
have you work a race for them again ever again.
Threatening that if a series doesn't require color changes or put identifiers on their cars, you're going to withhold flags? You should not be in driver safety, that's for sure. As a team executive and with drivers in many series who race at Miller facility, I am alarmed by the absolute stupidity of your post.
Seriously, I wish I knew your name so I could inform Alan Wilson at Miller this weekend, where I am going back. Hopefully you drove your b5 S4 last weekend and one of the corner workers will know you. At least your face is visible in your sig photo.
If you can't tell the closing speed of a vehicle without seeing a chassis type, you definitely shouldn't be flagging. If the corner speed isn't that evident, it isn't worthy of throwing a blue flag for.
Additionally, who flags at 1,500 feet? At more than a 1/4 mile, your flag isn't even visible to a racer. You can't tell the speed difference between two or more cars that are 15 feet long and 3+ feet tall, but you expect a driver to see a flat the size of a placemat at the same distance?
Worrying about class differences for your flagging is absolutely unprofessional and the wrong way to flag, period. As one of the racers who podium'd told you right here, the Cobalts and GTi's (as well as the Minis and Subarus, all had roughly the same speeds (higher in the corners against many cars) than the higher class GS cars.
Get it? Often greater speeds in corners, equal on the straights. Who needs a flag there?
Hell, about 10 ST cars were faster all day than about 15 GS cars at Miller. Any you want to waive flags on class types?
KONI, like SWC, Rolex GT, DP's and ALMS, have tons of gentleman racers. Tons of rental drivers who are not fast. Pobst , Lally, Stanton, Pumpelly, etc would outlap many of these guys in a Rolex GT car at most tracks. Where does class come into this scenario?
At Watkins this year, the APR GTI's were faster than a majority of the GS cars and Pobst was having to break up the esses to avoid rear ending Porsche's and Mustangs.
Another example of why class flagging would be stupid is the C5R vs the R8 in it's last years in ALMS. The R8 was so limited, the C5R's would pass it on any major straight.
And to think corner workers always get so animated when a driver in heavy traffic/fight doesn't just move over for a passing flag, yet no series rules require it. It's simply an advisement.
As for my ability to pick speed, yes, I have to do it for my job more than you do. 300 days per year on tracks all over the world. I don't even have the benefit of working at the same track/turn. I have to adjust every weekend. I have to do it at great distances, with slow shutter speeds and perfect pan speeds or my images won't be sharp. 1" off, right or left, and my image is ruined. I have to identify my clients cars from way out, more often than not before a corner worker even moves a flag.
If you can't handle the speed differences, visually, and you are flagging cars on series class, you definitely should not be working corners at any pro event.
You should be embarrassed by your post. Forget the facts, demeanor regarding this is ridiculous.
Our drivers, team management and KONI will flip over your post.
Mike S
PS - As for corner workers being a dying breed, yes, that is true. But no driver (DE or racer) wants someone incompetent in a corner that will cause them an issue or risk their life. Racing is dangerous and stressful enough to the drivers. To have erroneous flags thrown due to classes just angers them in the car. I know, I hear about it when they get out of the cars and often even on the radio. The amount of corner worker horror stories I've seen or been told by drivers is astounding. I, personally, have seen corner workers cause many, many accidents, including a HUGE one at WGI this year in KONI at the top of the esses. Corner workers should be paid more and the riff-raff weeded out, just like referees/safety people in other sports (as that's essentially what they are).
Threatening that if a series doesn't require color changes or put identifiers on their cars, you're going to withhold flags? You should not be in driver safety, that's for sure. As a team executive and with drivers in many series who race at Miller facility, I am alarmed by the absolute stupidity of your post.
Seriously, I wish I knew your name so I could inform Alan Wilson at Miller this weekend, where I am going back. Hopefully you drove your b5 S4 last weekend and one of the corner workers will know you. At least your face is visible in your sig photo.
If you can't tell the closing speed of a vehicle without seeing a chassis type, you definitely shouldn't be flagging. If the corner speed isn't that evident, it isn't worthy of throwing a blue flag for.
Additionally, who flags at 1,500 feet? At more than a 1/4 mile, your flag isn't even visible to a racer. You can't tell the speed difference between two or more cars that are 15 feet long and 3+ feet tall, but you expect a driver to see a flat the size of a placemat at the same distance?
Worrying about class differences for your flagging is absolutely unprofessional and the wrong way to flag, period. As one of the racers who podium'd told you right here, the Cobalts and GTi's (as well as the Minis and Subarus, all had roughly the same speeds (higher in the corners against many cars) than the higher class GS cars.
Get it? Often greater speeds in corners, equal on the straights. Who needs a flag there?
Hell, about 10 ST cars were faster all day than about 15 GS cars at Miller. Any you want to waive flags on class types?
KONI, like SWC, Rolex GT, DP's and ALMS, have tons of gentleman racers. Tons of rental drivers who are not fast. Pobst , Lally, Stanton, Pumpelly, etc would outlap many of these guys in a Rolex GT car at most tracks. Where does class come into this scenario?
At Watkins this year, the APR GTI's were faster than a majority of the GS cars and Pobst was having to break up the esses to avoid rear ending Porsche's and Mustangs.
Another example of why class flagging would be stupid is the C5R vs the R8 in it's last years in ALMS. The R8 was so limited, the C5R's would pass it on any major straight.
And to think corner workers always get so animated when a driver in heavy traffic/fight doesn't just move over for a passing flag, yet no series rules require it. It's simply an advisement.
As for my ability to pick speed, yes, I have to do it for my job more than you do. 300 days per year on tracks all over the world. I don't even have the benefit of working at the same track/turn. I have to adjust every weekend. I have to do it at great distances, with slow shutter speeds and perfect pan speeds or my images won't be sharp. 1" off, right or left, and my image is ruined. I have to identify my clients cars from way out, more often than not before a corner worker even moves a flag.
If you can't handle the speed differences, visually, and you are flagging cars on series class, you definitely should not be working corners at any pro event.
You should be embarrassed by your post. Forget the facts, demeanor regarding this is ridiculous.
Our drivers, team management and KONI will flip over your post.
Mike S
PS - As for corner workers being a dying breed, yes, that is true. But no driver (DE or racer) wants someone incompetent in a corner that will cause them an issue or risk their life. Racing is dangerous and stressful enough to the drivers. To have erroneous flags thrown due to classes just angers them in the car. I know, I hear about it when they get out of the cars and often even on the radio. The amount of corner worker horror stories I've seen or been told by drivers is astounding. I, personally, have seen corner workers cause many, many accidents, including a HUGE one at WGI this year in KONI at the top of the esses. Corner workers should be paid more and the riff-raff weeded out, just like referees/safety people in other sports (as that's essentially what they are).