I have no doubt my opinion of the following matter will upset some but in the same breath I am willing to wager none of those who will be upset will be drivers who are qualified and have years of seat time behind them and that have gone through the proper means of obtaining a racing license.
This weekend there was a fatality during the 24 Hours of Lemons at Altamont Raceway. As all of us know racing is in fact a dangerous sport and not to be taken lightly. Any racing fatality is sad and I want to personally extend my prayers and concern to the family and friends of all concerned.
Anyone that knows me knows I have been on the record for some time with great concern regarding the possibility of exactly such a tragedy with regards to the 24 Hours of Lemons. I have personally seen cars allowed to compete in other 24 Hours of Lemons events that I felt were way below any safety standards allowed by any reputable sanctioned racing organization and yet these drivers, many of whom have never raced in a sanctioned event were allowed to compete. Furthermore I have voiced my thoughts about the low level of requirements that are needed to obtain a license to compete in their events and the way they can be obtained in the 24 Hours of Lemons. The bottom line is all most anyone can “purchase” a racing license that will qualify them to run in the 24 Hours of Lemons. Anyone with any sense at all is aware that before anyone should be allowed to “Race at speed” with other cars they need to be properly supervised and taught how to safely race wheel to wheel long by a reputable sanctioned organization before being allowed on a track with others. Compounded with the fact that equipment and safety tech inspections are of such low standards during these events and you do not have to be a rocket scientist to understand why this tragedy took place.
Here is an except taken from the ELIGIBILITY regulations of the 24 Hours of Lemons from their own site http://www.24hoursoflemons.com/rules/
Driver Eligibility: All drivers must have a valid US or International driver’s license and a valid competition license (club memberships, rally licenses, and instructional licenses are not accepted). The ONLY acceptable competition licenses are: AMP, SCCA, FIA, NASA, NASCAR, CSRG, ARCA, WestCar, SRL, Legends/600, USAC, CASA, BCRA, BBORR, NCMA, MMRA, Barber Comp, CRA, ICSCC, HMSA, HSR, and SVRA. If you don’t have one of these, you’ll need to buy a 2008 comp-license waiver; these cost $50, are good for the 2008 calendar year, and are sold in the pits on Saturday morning before the race.
Yes, you read it correctly… If you don’t have any experience or a license just pay $50 and you are good to go. As someone who has raced in competition for years that makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck.
In this particular case I heard the coroner has reported that he had a heart attack behind the wheel. I would be very interested in learning if he had simply purchased one of 24 HOL license waivers or if he in fact held a valid racing license which requires a medical physical in order to compete. In either event it just proves all the more how much is lacking at this event and makes me ask, who’s going to be next?
The bottom line is someone lost their life and will forever be missed by their loved ones and family all because someone created a venue of racing where people were allowed to race on a track without being qualified and by being allowed to compete in “Low budget” cars. While racing on a budget is acceptable, racing with “cheap” equipment is not. The words “cheap” and “safe” do not equal acceptable racing. There can never be cheap safety equipment or low tech standards when it comes to one’s safety on a track; Period. Personally I would like to see an end to this sort of participation by such organizations at least until these issues are put to rest.
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I’m here to disagree with some of your points. I’ll keep it short, but just to point out some facts:
A NASCAR license is a membership…not a skills or physical evaluation.
The cars in this series are required to have safety equipent. There are many other sanctioning bodies and classes requiring the same or inferior equipment for classes, speeds, cars, venues, etc which exibit more extreme circumstances.
To blame this on lack of safety equipment or physical evaluation is poor logic.
And, might I ask…how does one go about getting “years of seat time” and what are your credentials to determine what a “proper means of obtaining a racing license?” I ask the latter rhetorically as I don’t feel that it is within your capacity to decide, alone, what is proper.
This was indeed a tragic event. I urge you, however to look at other entry level motorsports competetive events (drag racing, circle track, demolition derby, etc) with the same eye toward safety and find where the real shortcomings are. I’ve experienced many levels of motorsports from many veiwpoints. I can honestly say that 24 Hours of Lemons is NOT sub-par in the safety department.
You are certainly welcome to your POV; here’s mine from the viewpoint of a longtime motorcycle racer and avid autocrosser who is the ringleader, instigator, grand poobah or (insert your favorite term here) of a LeMons team:
My heart (and those of my teammates) goes out to the family and friends of this man. Just knowing that he had the sense of humour it takes to enter a LeMons race tells me I would very much have liked to drink a cold one with (after the race, of course).
The whole point of this race is silliness and fun. Turning it serious will ruin its whole reason for being. Having said that, safety is NOT thrown out the window. The speeds are limited for a reason and also new this year is a ‘no hit’ rule (no intentional contact or you are thrown out) which honestly takes some of the fun out of it but will make it safer. So it’s unfair to compare this to a race ‘at speed’, because it isn’t. The LeMons Web site describes it as being much like your morning commute, only without cupholders or sound deadening.
This year, the LeMons cage and safety gear requirements have been vastly upgraded. I know this first hand; we had to rework the cage in our entry completely in order to comply. In addition, safety gear is NOT counted toward the $500 total, the sky is the limit on roll cages (and there are stringent regs on tubing etc), seats, safety harnesses, tires (but they must be minimum 190 treadwear rated), wheels and brakes. At one point, the firesuit regulations were actually tougher than SCCA’s and were subsequently modified (downgraded, actually) to match those regulations.
Additionally, if you read SportsCar (the SCCA’s official publication) generally three or four times a year under ‘Checkered Flag’ you’ll read of an SCCA Club Race driver dying while racing from a previously undaignosed heart aliment, aneurysm, etc. In case you aren’t aware of the SCCA regs, from age 40-49 a Time Trial or Road Race driver must have a physical every five years, from 50-59 every two years, 60 -up it’s every year for license renewal. So if SCCA’s regs still allow for a few unknown heart patients to slip through, what would a one-shot physical have done in this incident?
Had this gentleman been driving in rush hour traffic at the same 50 MPH and suffered a heart attack, chances are a lot of innocent and completely unaware folks around him would have been in serious danger. At least this occurred under controlled conditions.
There are many forms of amateur racing which require no special licensing or physicals; I used to race motorcycle enduros, hare scrambles, motocross and GNCC. All you needed was a face and the entry fee. I saw people get hurt, badly (including myself); a distant acquaintance died because he hit a tree limb with his helmet at just the wrong angle. The licensing requirements for LeMons are clearly spelled out, as you pointed out; if someone does not feel comfortable being on the course with people who do not hold a long time competition license, they are certainly free to watch from the stands.
For me, this whole thing is a bit of a tough one. I fully understand the need for a fun event like Le Mons. Would I participate? A couple of years ago, I probably would have said yes, as perhaps I lacked some insight. Nowadays, probably not. The risks due to “other guy factors” are just too great for my family.
Does that mean that I’m swearing off motorsports? No, of course not. When I return to racing it will likely be in the more controlled setting of CASC/SCCA/NASA type events. The guys on track with me will either have years of experience or will have gone through a real series of training. They will not have shown up and paid 50 bucks.
As for the car, I believe there is a difference between grass roots, affordable racing and being cheap. This one is about to become a series topic here in The Garage.
As for the health of myself and other drivers, that will always be a bit of a grey area. Yes, most “proper” licenses require a physical. I will endeavor to get my fat ass into better shape before I race again. Even still, the ticker is always a potential weak point. I was fortunate to have been an acquaintance of Carl Merrill and was quite shocked that someone so vital and fit should die of a heart attack behind the wheel. Sometimes, stuff happens and I would rather die that way than stuck in traffic.
Do we need silly, fun. motorsports events? Of course we do, but perhaps racing isn’t the answer. Perhaps there is room for something like an expanded version of the 200? GRM challenge where there is fun, autocross, drag racing and even more fun.
Clem, you make a couple of good points, but I would suggest looking at some endurance racing record books before you ask Gary Faules “what are your credentials”.
Jensenman,
I would respectfully like to say I feel what you are trying to accomplish with the “make it affordable” type format you have chosen is commendable and in light of what recently took place it makes it difficult to keep this subject on a level playing field. I too would like to share my sincere heart-felt thoughts and prayers with the family and friends of those concerned.
The good news is you ARE making improvements with regards to safety. The bad news is regardless of what other clubs that might have low safety standards do with regards to safety and licensing that does not make it right and should not be used to model your organization. Take the proper steps and be above that. I remember a judge giving me a chewing out for speeding when I was 16 after I made a comment to him regarding what “other” people do. He asked me, “If you saw someone with a gun shoot someone walking down the street would you run home get your father’s gun and begin shooting people too? Would that make it right?”
In my opinion, because of the specific venue you personally are running you there is a need for you to be even more responsible than even the SCCA. The reason being, your venue is very attractive and for all general purposes a good way for beginners to get their feet wet so to speak and therefore attracts many inexperienced drivers many of them that have very little or no experience racing at all. On the flip side of the coin your venue could single-handedly be one of the best ways for newbies to get started. For that same reason it’s important not to take safety for granted.
On the other hand in my opinion you do take safety for granted as witnessed by some of the dangerous items found on many of the race cars. Just today I was looking at a battery installed in the cockpit of a car that ran your race at Altamont. It simply had an ordinary battery hold down bolt and no protective cover on the positive end and was not in a battery box. Cars with items such as street signs with razor sharp edges and protruding items sticking out are another concern I have with your event. Should anything have happened to that car that battery would have been a very dangerous projectile. Like so many other things on many of the cars it’s one of those things nobody worries about until…. It’s too late. It’s not too late for you to acquire stricter tech inspections via a more knowledgeable tech Nazi to help advise you as well as stricter licensing methods neither of which will create more expenses. Simply make sure basics like foreign objects, etc are adhered too.
Regarding your opinion on “at speed” comments are a bomb waiting to explode. What is a safe speed? And please spare me the stories about it could have happened to someone in commute traffic. Your responsibility is to make sure it does not happen to anyone on the track be it a rookie or veteran. I have a friend who was injured in a crash and for the last 20 years he has been confined to a wheelchair as he has been a quadriplegic ever since. He crashed while doing 35 miles per hour. Just because the SCCA has “numbers” that show how many drivers die as a result of a crash does not mean you still have 8 lives left of the preverbal cat with nine lives. It’s equally important to not take those deaths out of context. There is a huge difference between driving school, HPDE events, auto-X and road racing.
Your no hit rule is a good one but that does not take in to account that inexperienced drivers are still going to hit someone at times and when the other guy gets hit his car needs to be safe. If not the no hit rule is a day late.
I would think that of all people, having been injured racing, your personal experience should have shown you the need for better safety and tech requirements. Please consider improving your safety standards when it comes to “objects” that could injure someone as well as improving your licensing practices by getting someone more familiar with stricter tech requirements and then implement them. With all that you already have in place I would suggest a weekend school program once or twice a year at a affordable price to be required.
Clemsparks,
When debating with someone it is important to NOT make remarks that are taken out of context.
Your comment with regards to a NASCAR License are exactly that. Here is an exact quote from the NASCAR rule book…. “Every NASCAR Member who desires to participate in a NASCAR-sanctioned Event as a competitor must apply for, receive, and possess a valid, current NASCAR license authorizing participation in that capacity. Upon acceptance and thereafter, NASCAR may specify, limit or restrict the types of racing series, race cars, or race tracks in which a driver license-holder may participate.” If you honestly believe for a second that a NASCAR driver can get on a track at a major event without having worked his way through the proper methods of proving themselves then guess again. While they might be allowed to participate at a driving event they will not be racing at speed in major events where other’s lives may be put in harms way.
Like I mentioned to Jensenman, setting low safety standards just because some other groups does it does not make it right. You can not name any “respectable” racing organization that participates with such low requirements so why should the 24 HOL have them?
You said, “To blame this on lack of safety equipment or physical evaluation is poor logic.” Are you trying to tell me it’s ok to allow someone to die in his car as a result of a heart attack? Just “what if” he had in fact had a physical that might have found a prior condition? We wouldn’t even be having this discussion right now and his family would still be able to tell him how much they care for him. How can being safe be considered poor logic?
You asked, “And, might I ask…how does one go about getting “years of seat time” and what are your credentials to determine what a “proper means of obtaining a racing license?” Simple, the same way it has been done for years like the years I was an Olympic Shooter and the seat time that eventually led me to winning the TIMEX 12 hours of Thunderhill and the first to win the 25 Hours of Thunderhill in PS2 not to mention season championships and so on. By getting involved with an accredited organization or school and working your way up the ladder. Like any other sport, you “earn” the right to be there with practice, dedication and hard work. How do you feel about getting dressed up in a hockey uniform, give you a hockey stick and let you play with a pro team after you paid your 50 bucks? To me, that makes about as much sense.
With respect to your quote, “I ask the latter rhetorically as I don’t feel that it is within your capacity to decide, alone, what is proper.” I would tell you in such cases I do not make the final decisions. Thanks to those organizations who have years of experience dealing with exactly these sorts of issues and who have learned from their mistakes and those made by others it should not be necessary to re-learn. It’s times such as these that we need to thank those who sacrificed their lives and in doing so we have learned from their mistakes. A perfect example is the Snell Memorial Foundation just to name one. On the other hand I find it almost humorous you should doubt my capacity or my years of experience. Possibly you should do some reading before you make such statements.
In closing I do agree with you that this was indeed a tragic event and if I was as involved in the other racing venues that you mention I would stand on the same soap box. I am sure with some change the 24 Hours of Lemons can be what it was originally intended to be… A lot of fun racing that is kept within an affordable budget. But there can be no good argument for low standards when it comes to safety and licensing when it comes to racing. It is absolutely unacceptable.
Sincerely, Gary Faules
NASA Mentor Director
PS; You wrote, “what would a one-shot physical have done in this incident?” Does that mean you don’t feel he was worth the trouble? Last year when I raced in La Carrera Panamericana not only were we required to hold a recognized competition racing license (one that includes have had a physical) AND we had to be liscense with the FMAD (Federation of Mexican Automotive Deportivo) as well but we STILL had to have a brief physical the day before the race which consisted of two doctors checking our blood pressure and listening to our hearts. This year there was in fact a driver that was not aware he had any heart problems until they checked him out and it very well may have saved his life in the process not to mention someone else.
I have many competition licenses, SCTA, BNI, AFM, NHRA, AMA, NASCAR… none of which have required a physical. Only some required any sort of driving/riding test to prove ability.
This sort of racing goes on in every county fairground across the country on every Friday and Saturday night, and has since the beginning of motorsport.
To call into question the safety of this type of racing is to call into question every single enduro, demo derby, pure stock race and wednesday night run-what-ya-brung drag on the face of the globe.
To put it simply, crawl back into your padded safe room and put yer tin foil hat back on. That is the only way you will be safe.
for the rest of us we will live our lives and take our risks as we will, regardless of what the wall flowers say.
good day sir.
I need to clarify something: my only affiliation with the LeMons series is as a participant and team leader. I am not in any way an organizer, et cetera and i cannot speak for the organizers.
Mr. Faules, you misconstrued my ‘one time physical’ comment. To clarify: my point is that maybe a one time physical would have caught this problem, but maybe not. Either way, that would not have been the fault of the LeMons organizers. It does not mean I would value his life any less than my own. It also does not mean this fellow died as a result of ‘one bolt holding a battery in place’ or ’sharp edges everywhere’.
Any time a person straps on something that’s inherently dangerous (race car, motorcycle, airplane, parachute, snow skis, snowboard, you get the point) there is always the possibility they won’t come back in one piece. You either understand and accept that or you lay on the couch and munch potato chips.
Alan Galbraith,
My concern does not involve getting a membership with any of the groups you mention nor does it involve getting membership at any bowling allies. Lets clear something up here… a membership is one thing but a competition racing license licence is entirely different. Furthermore I am not talking about making a pass down a straight line on the salt flats, a drag strip or riding a motorcycle either. In order to race in competition with even the AFM all riders MUST take and pass an accredited AFM school. What I am talking about is not your macho man BS am I a tough guy or what attitude but rather my concern is about making sure “other” racers are protected and that newbews are taught how to do things in a safe manner. If the racing world had mentalities like the one you sport we would still be racing without seat belts, roll cages and we would be wearing little leather helmets.
I have always found it’s easy for someone to talk smack but it’s much harder to held accountable and be responsible.
Jensenman,
Thank you for clearing that up. After re-reading I see how I misinterpreted any affiliation.
I also appreciate the way in which you seem to be willing to debate rather than make childish post. We can all surely appreciate that tragedy’s such as the one that brought this debate on are spoken from the heart and often heated to say the least. In my opinion anyone who can act like a tough guy instead of attempting to find any single way to make all of our sports safer should not be allowed to be affiliated with any one of them. What we should all be debating is, is there anything at all we can do as racers, promoters, etc, to make our sport safer for all concerned. I know for a fact that many organizations have members who are doctors who are more than willing to offer their services for free.
Regarding risk, I can honestly tell you that I spend very little time laying on a sofa munching potato chips. On the other hand I’m the kind of guy that if I am getting onto a plane and see something falling off the wing I am going to be very vocal about it.
The bottom line is still this… If there was anything at all that could have been done that would have possibly prevented his demise we as racers we owe it to people like his family and others to make our sports as safe as we can. Anyone who does not share such compassion does not belong in the sport.
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