There's been quite a lot of unhappy chatter about the last BMWsg trackday going on in private and on public forums other than this one. Some are unhappy with slow or cautious drivers/cars on or close to the line, the variability of these drivers/cars spoiling their fun sometimes - and on the other hand, some of the safer drivers who are in fact pretty fast and and certainly not newbies, still are very concerned when packs of three or more high powered but often poorly driven cars racing each other and come flying by very close multiple times. Moving aside for one or two cars is much easier to do vs a pack that is both taking up more space on the track and also reading you different and taking different lines, potentially passing you on either side.
I can see both sides of it, and I don't think I'm biased since I was not driving at the last trackday. Both sides have valid points, but since these are open trackdays I think we should always err on the side of safety. It's always better to give up a position or a few tenths of a second rather than risk anything, it's just an open trackday with different cars. There's nothing to win, but a lot to lose. It is so easy to get carried away on adrenaline and ego.
Couple weeks ago I was with a high strung guy who would curse out loud everytime his laps were interrupted by any slower car or driver. Thought I understand the value of a clean lap and personally prefer less traffic, I thought it was incredibly stupid that the guy was getting so worked up cos after all it should be expected at any open trackday. Only real solution to that sort of problem (if you perceive it as such), is to book your own trackday among friends all in the same time range, keep the numbers really low, and then go enjoy yourself for just a couple hundred bucks more. These guys crying or cursing about traffic that can easily do that... lord knows they can easily afford it.
Of course there's always room to improve on driver education to minimize weaving, maximize situational awareness, etc. , and we'll continue to strive, improve measures.. but drivers as a whole I think should be more patient. No point getting angry in desperation to prove something when nothing will be. There are cheap racing series' everywhere for you to prove whatever you want, not at open trackdays where a large range of drivers just want to come have some fun and be efficient. So let's all relax before something bad happens ok?
Cheers guys
I can see both sides of it, and I don't think I'm biased since I was not driving at the last trackday. Both sides have valid points, but since these are open trackdays I think we should always err on the side of safety. It's always better to give up a position or a few tenths of a second rather than risk anything, it's just an open trackday with different cars. There's nothing to win, but a lot to lose. It is so easy to get carried away on adrenaline and ego.
Couple weeks ago I was with a high strung guy who would curse out loud everytime his laps were interrupted by any slower car or driver. Thought I understand the value of a clean lap and personally prefer less traffic, I thought it was incredibly stupid that the guy was getting so worked up cos after all it should be expected at any open trackday. Only real solution to that sort of problem (if you perceive it as such), is to book your own trackday among friends all in the same time range, keep the numbers really low, and then go enjoy yourself for just a couple hundred bucks more. These guys crying or cursing about traffic that can easily do that... lord knows they can easily afford it.
Of course there's always room to improve on driver education to minimize weaving, maximize situational awareness, etc. , and we'll continue to strive, improve measures.. but drivers as a whole I think should be more patient. No point getting angry in desperation to prove something when nothing will be. There are cheap racing series' everywhere for you to prove whatever you want, not at open trackdays where a large range of drivers just want to come have some fun and be efficient. So let's all relax before something bad happens ok?
Cheers guys
