I don't think Eric was endangering anyone. I'd rather he get his rocks off on the course than on the street anyway. I'm sure he nearly killed everyone he passed (sideways) on the way home though. :( He was bragging to me about how cops have "had a word with him" about his drifting the spaghetti bowl. I suggested he hit up a couple school zones.

Because a malicious SSS could abuse such power for their own benefit or to the detriment or benefit of other competitors.

Your theory that a WRC driver at 11/10s on the same course magically makes them safer than the 17 year old is the perfect example.

A WRC driver is likely to being going twice as fast and if he does have an off it is likely to be spectacular. This is potentially as big if not a much bigger danger than a 17 year old getting a little sideways going 1/2 the speed but still on course.

You are making a biased judgment of the drivers, not about the overall safety of the course which is what your job is. Make the course safe for ALL competitors.

Despite how awesome it'd be to watch, I'd still be inclined, were SSS my job, to ask Petter Solberg to not drift the Auto-x course, in Dean's proposed situation.


my$0.02

The overall safety of the course is inherently tied to the drivers running on that course. If one driver, for whatever reason (skill, car, driving style, etc) isn't safe on the course, then the course isn't safe, which gives the SSS all the impetus needed to request that the event staff correct the situation for face event termination.

If you have a SSS that's abusing their power, then you protest the event, and have the national office drop that SSS's license and invalidate the event's results.

I just wanted to say that despite the frustrated tones I'm perceiving with Dean and Scott's arguments (past and future), I enjoy the read. It's refreshing to have voices both extremes of the discusion. Keep it up.

I'm not trying to be extreme. I'm just saying that as a Safety Steward, my number 1 responsibility is the safety of everyone involved. If I see something that rubs me wrong, I'm going to do something about it regardless of the letter of the law. If someone thinks I'm attempting to manipulate the event to my own advantage, so be it. I'd rather deal with that than have someone get hit because I didn't act.

Yes it is, and as a SSS you have agreed to make sure it is safe for pure novices in XM cars, Karts, Jr. karts and people that are richer than smart in stupid fast exotics. You are expected to take those potential competitors into mind when approving a course and placing corner workers.

If you do that job and drivers stay on the course, then you have done your job and you should have no reason to take further actions.

Only in the event that an unforeseen safety issue arises do you need to take further action. A driver drifting or even exiting the course on a given element should not be such an event IMHO as you should have considered that in the first place. I know I have done the later in the past and will now add the former to my thought process until there is a clear ruling that drifting is not permitted.

Being out of control and spinning, repeatedly exiting the course or even doing so once at a substantial velocity is such an event and deserves event official's attention and even that should be limited to asking that they remain on course and/or offering them an instructor if the desire in a polite and professional manner.As I have said, due to the way the rules are written giving them very limited authority, that is unlikely to be necessary.

Okay, now what about the situation we're actually talking about: when a driver intentionally drives in an unsafe manner? I guess I better take that into consideration and never approve any course, you know because I have no authority to ensure the safety of the event once the day has started. :roll:

No, I am saying the SSS is supposed to do the majority of his job before the event starts which includes ensuring the course is as safe as possible for ALL competitors in ALL classes given the possibilities of Novices in any class, "drifters" reasonable off course excursions, etc... If you do, then there should seldom be an extreme circumstance that needs to be dealt with during the event.

If in your judgment a driver who is drifting within the boundaries of the course is unsafe, you didn't do your bloody job right before the event, and you have no recourse with that driver for not doing your job earlier!!! Your only authority is to move worker stations, have the course modified or cancel the event, period. Those are the rules!

Any chance we can move the entire Eric and SSS discussion out of the SCC article thread?