Re: Starting line for PC races, need suggestions..
Curt,
I think you missed my point a little here. Sorry for that. I am NOT trying to fight over this, I was just giving my opinion like you asked.
I do my bodywork, and when I can't fix it, I have to pay for new stuff. The ONLY damage on our bodywork right now (minus the BITD tunnel episode) is from the 1st two races of the year. When Patty and Fred got tangled up two laps in a row in the east hairpin (which has nothing to do with the start), it turned Fred's bumper into a can opener. Muffler tubing doesn't make a good bumper, but it makes a great weapon! I lost my left front fender and headlight door when he cut over to block one of my many passing attempts.
The damage on my hood came from that cluster f**k start when Patty did a Joey Chitwood impression and bicycled it across 4 lanes and stopped with her transmission on my hood.
The right door and bedside damage came from the 2nd April moto when Patty squeezed me and Oscar into the weeds from the 4th lane entering the first turn. After the right side of my truck started caving in on Oscars truck - who graciously had all 4 wheels in the weeds - I held my line and Patty kept coming and turned herself around on my front bumper. Are you sensing a pattern here?
It doesn't matter how we start if people don't give others room to race. You have to pass someone with the WHOLE truck, not just a fender before you can take over the line they're on. You and I already talked about and looked at the video together. I also worry about the starts, but I'm confident I'm not going to accidentally kill someone because I don't know where the other trucks are. I also am able to hit the brakes when necessary to avoid damaging another competitor's vehicle - even if I think they are in the wrong at the time.
If you think I wouldn't like to go off qualifying times, you are mistaken. I don't think there'd ever be a time where I wouldn't be on the front row unless I broke during qualifying. Hell, I'd be ecstatic to go SINGLE FILE off qualifying times. That said, it's terribly unfair to the guys who don't have the experience or equipment that you and I do. At least they have a fighting chance with everyone lined up together. You want to lose trucks, relegate the "slow" guys (which we all have been at one time or another) to the back and they'll lose interest in a hurry.
Maybe after we do the driver's meeting we can stay after school (again) and talk about it with everyone there all at once. Can't we all just get along?!?
Billy