Nice letter in RRW, Ed.

[RCR_531]

Keep them coming Marshall. I am glad to see your shop looks as bad as mine. See ya at Daytona

[G 97]

Word

[Court Jester]

I think that most folks consider their own safety before they think about the well being of the guy they're passing. I don't think they do it so much in a poor manner, but rather they have enough stuff going on in their head that they don't really give it a whole lot of thought. There's a lot of things we don't think about on the track though. Which I think is a lot of the addiction to the sport. If we all really thought about the dangers while we were out there, most of us would be sitting on the side lines. Off the track, I think about it and I'm scared to death. I wake up from having dreams of high siding into walls, getting ran over, just crazy stuff. Once I get on the bike though, the things I worry about simply disappears. Unfortunately, a lot of us (my self included) allow the thought of the possible abilities (or lack there of) of the guy in front of us to disappear as well.   
I can't say that I've ever had a wreck that was really anyone else's fault but my own. I've learned to just hold steady through a turn if I see a wheel somewhere. I've been spooked pretty bad getting lapped by two experts fighting for the lead on the last of my very first race. Touching elbows kind of close. I had my pretty blue learning curves shirt on and everything. If I hadn't already been so tense and clinched up with it being my first race, I think I'd have shit myself. I figured they were both going for the lead and only thought about getting around me. I'm sure they didn't do it with the intent to freak me out or nearly cause me to wreck. With their experience, they just saw it as safe. I personally wasn't prepared for it. They didn't apologize, and I really didn't expect them to. But if someone wrecked me doing something I thought was stupid, they'd better pray I get hurt really damn bad. But that doesn't mean they thought it was stupid when they did it.
I'm sure I've made a few passes that others may not have felt were totally safe, but again. In my personal opinion, I thought they were. By the same token, I've had guys come up to me after the race or a track day session and apologize for a pass they made. But each time I had to ask who they were and where it happened because to me it wasn't enough  to stick in my mind. Just another guy passing me. I did have a guy come up on the inside in turn three on the first lap at mam. I had my elbow on his belly pan for a few seconds. At the time i was cursing him, but I didn't wreck, I held my line, he held his, and all was good. Looking back now, I think it was cool as hell. I wish there had been a camera man there.   
Can't say I've ever looked back at something I've done in respect to someone else on the track and thought "damn, I shouldn't have done that." So I think a lot of it comes down to how mentally prepared the guy being passed is. The longer you race though, the easier it gets to handle having someone pacing or passing you on the inside or outside. Whether you are comfortable with it or not, you learn to handle it better. As slow as I am though, I don't have much choice.

[catman]

well written jester- yea the elbow down pic would a been a keeper- shows alot you didnt fold! Now about the feline remarks in the other thread,,K3 trackdaymag.com,,,        why you :spank:cant call me that,I'm a man!        gotta send ya some soap          for I resemble that remark!         Blue shirts are targets -had one    Let it Snow

[tstruyk]

If I hadn't already been so tense and clinched up with it being my first race, I think I'd have shit myself.

yup... been there!! 

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

Yeah, that line was funny as hell!  Accurate, too.  Who HASN'T been there at some point?

[G 97]

I can honestly say, I don't care if anyone "stands me up".   As long as it is a clean, no contact pass - then I am OK wit dat.   I have lost count of how many times I have been made contact with while racing.  Anyone who is in Middleweight or heavyweight can attest to this. 

[Court Jester]

accidents happen. but so do bull headed stupid risks. hard to tell what someone else is thinking or meant to do too.