Roll, Roll, Rolex 24, Jan 26-27

[OldSchool+]

By my logic... I am pretty sure car number one (the smash-ee) was in trouble. Why wasn't he on the grass, or at least the apron?

If that is not the case, and regardless, car number two (the smash-er) was going faster than he could see ahead.

I don't do that on the interstate, do you? And let us not make fun of the interstate. I do 50-60 (or less) in driving rain, depending on how far ahead I can see. How much light there is and the amount of rain hitting the windshield are both factors. Additionally, how much water there is on the road and the potential for hydroplaning enter into it. I try to follow someone moving about the same speed and get them to where I can just see them. I don't know if I can always stop, but I try to be able to have room for one move.

When in the rain, the overriding factor is...slow down. If you are in doubt, slow down some more.

Essentially, that track was like an interstate and the turn-in was like a right hander at the end of an off ramp. No big deal. Unless you are going about double the appropriate speed in the name of your motherland and have your pride and your silk scarf thing going on.

You know, at any point in time in the dry you can flip on your "Go Pro", close your eyes and and take a video just like that one! Same same, imo. Pedal down, can't see--still your fault.

Oh, and you did notice the group of several cars on the low side going at a reasonable pace that were actually going to make the chicane, correct? They were better drivers, or at least made a better choice that day.

The "let's leave" mood was mine also, but then, I wasn't racing.

Radar looks fine to me. I drive in light hurricanes. That's a fact, Jacque.

I am thinking we have both semi-eloquently stated our case, here.

But continue if you like sir, this beats working.

[Phil Jacques]

Here is the point you seem to be missing. It's a race. these drivers do not get paid to slow down. Said Porsche driver who drove into that one ran the same speed many laps before. The video IS out there. We watched it all happen on the tv stream. No issues at the speed he was going. Suddenly that lap, a car miraculously appeared 5 feet in front of him at well over 100mph. That wasn't the only instance of this happening either. It happened multiple other times. Spotters were nearly blind to that side of the track so how could they help them know to slow down more? They don't have TVs up there. Additionally you ask why hasn't the guy who was hit get off the track? He was stalled. He had spun under braking and recovered, however was unable to fire it in time.

Look, I get your argument, but not one single driver in that field wanted to be on the track. Fernando Alonso included. It wasn't safe. This was an unprecedented event, one that has never been seen in that event. It was surely a hard decision, but it was the right one.

When you're trying to win a race, you don't simply slow down. I never would, nor would Patrick, Sean Bass, Jesse Dutilly or any of them. Racers go out there for one purpose. To push the car to the limit of its capabilities and find the limit.

The fun thing about rain is, and Joe will have my back 110% on this... The track is never the same from lap to lap. You can go into the same corner two laps in a row and one lap you could have gone deeper, the next you went too deep. Rain racing is a very challenging thing. It's unpredictable. In perfect wet conditions, that race could have ended no problem. It has many times. But there were 6" deep puddles and flooding all over the track. That's an unreasonable surface to race any car on. Those cars rely on speed for grip as well. That's where the downforce they create comes into play. Slowing them down destabilizes them further.

I'm done with this conversation. Have a good one.

[OldSchool+]

"But while [the winning] teams were celebrating their rain-shortened racing success, others up and down pit road were upset, dismayed or disappointed with the outcome."--Godwin Kelly, Daytona Beach News Journal

"I have to say I am disappointed in the decision IMSA made to not restart the race. I understand the safety aspect as well as anyone, having raced in the rain many times, including a majority of the 2008 24 Hour. This is a pros series that races in the rain, and should have finished under green whatever they had to do...I hope this gives them a bit of a black eye."--Joe Jacalone (posts #12 & 14)

"I reckon we will have to agree to disagree on this one."--Oldschool+ (post #20)

Certainly many do agree with Phil & the red flag non finish of the endurance event.

And now, hopefully, we can move on to another exciting topic here on KARNAC!