Re: Moss at Monterey

[Simon Favre <simon@domain.elided>]

With respect, I think you're missing the point. Moss was racing over
HERE. I've raced in the Monterey Historics. I guarantee you one of the
major points drummed into the drivers' heads at the drivers meeting is
that overly aggressive driving resulting in damage to any car will not
be tolerated. I think perhaps Moss skipped the drivers meeting. <g> If
everybody else is held to one standard of conduct for the event, but
he assumes that standard doesn't apply to him, then there IS a problem.

Sure, Monterey has been accused of being merely a parade at speed, but
you can't have a double standard. Everybody driving in the event has to
be held accountable to the same standard of conduct, or it just doesn't
work. It isn't fair. It's also extremely dangerous. As a participant,
you sort of know what to expect from the other drivers, given a certain
standard of conduct. If you have one driver who blatantly disregards
that standard of conduct, it places the other drivers at far greater 
risk of bodily harm or death from someone doing somthing unexpected.
Some kinds of damage can't be fixed by a panel beater.

Here's a few other data points. Phil Hill has been driving in the
Monterey Historics for years. I've never heard of him having anything
other than mechanical problems. At one event I saw, he was running in
an all-Bugatti race group. It was thrilling to see, and there was no
contact.

Many of us have seen Marnix Dillenius go out and mix it up with the
GT350's and Corvettes in his Alfa TZ. They don't call him "The Demon"
for nothing. He's been racing that same car close to 30 years. I've
never heard of him making contact.

There's a fellow named Peter Giddings who's pretty famous in the
vintage racing arena. He put on a fabulous show with another driver in
the 1985 Historics when Alfa was the featured marque. Both were driving
Alfa 8C2300 Monzas. They went at it "hammer and tongs" driving pretty
much wheel to wheel, side by side, trading back and forth all the way
around the track. It was thrilling to see, and there was no contact.
Peter Giddings also races in England and Europe. He adopts whatever
style is appropriate for the venue. He's a consummate driver I have
been honored to share the track with on many occasions. He passed me
driving his Maserati 250F masterfully and drove competitively among a 
crowd of far newer cars (Formula Juniors). I always pointed him by, and 
he always gave me a wave in thanks. He's since sold the 250F and is
now running an Alfa Tipo C, although I think he still has a Monza. In
a pre-war group, he has to deal with cars that are even older and much
slower. He always gets around cleanly. Giddings is British, too.

The point is that a faster car CAN get around the slower ones without
placing anyone or their car at undue risk. That's the way we do it over
here, and Moss should accept that when he drives over here. Other great
drivers of the past can do it, why can't he?

Will Owen wrote:

>Simon Favre said:
>
>>"There are many who are asking if Stirling should be
>>relegated to pace car duty as he seems to lack the
>>proper judgement to be driving among cars that are no
>>longer considered disposable."
>
>While it's true that Moss's pass attempt sounds like
>questionable judgement, we have to remember the
>considerable difference between the American and
>English attitudes towards vintage racing. We are
>appalled at the way the Brits go hammer-and-tongs with
>cars we see as precious, fragile relics; the Brits are
>appalled at the namby-pamby way we mince around the
>track, avoiding any chance of bumping into anyone at
>all, instead of just bloody RACING the cars as they
>were meant to be raced.

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