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Reply to Bernstein

Steve,

As I pointed out the NY Chapter crash rate is much better than the 
Club average (excluding acts of God) so I wonder that Walter and I 
must be doing something right.

I think there should be insentive on the Student's part to develop 
skills, but since many of them drive modern cars and did not start 
out in low tech cars like some of us who have been around a while, it 
is very hard to get that point across peoles egos. Since you have not 
been an Event Organizer and do not communicate with many of my 
counter parts them I do, you do not see just how pervasive that 
attitue BY TOO MANY (but certainly not all) STUDENTS is around the 
Club. It is not a local NY phenomenoman.

I am a firm beliver in a pre-event skid pad safety school. We deal 
with the classroom part in the Novice classroom. The problem is 
Bridgehampton has no skid pad and I have been trying for over a year 
to find a venue to do it off track. We ran one with great success 
some time ago, but the Long Island State Park Comm stopped issuing 
permits for that kind of thing. Also, since you have never run an 
event, you don't see that there is only so much you can force 
perticipants to do. The Schools are educational and they are 
entertainment. There is a balance between the two. I am also a 
volunteer doing this with very little resouces in time and personnel. 
Lots of people know what "I should be doing". Almost no one ever 
offers to help. It would be winderful if you could reseach a skid pad 
venue and do registration for me. Walter and I will instruct.

As far as flaggers are concerned, they are THE most critical 
component of safety at a school. Putting first time Novices out at 
flag stations when the experienced (fast) drivers are on the track is 
a recipe for disaster. Anyone who had been an Event Organizer will 
tell you of the problems that occur with Student flaggers. Remember 
the only thing between you becoming the next car involved or a metal 
to metal crash is that yellow flag. Professional corner workers are 
as important as the onsite ambulance. The are not nonnegocaible and 
when you need them they repay many time over. Try being Track Control one 
day and see what it is like telling novices what to do as they are 
literaly in a state of panic because a car has spun much less 
something worse. You are so wrong 
about the value of professional corner workers. Would it be a good 
idea to have students observe at corners. Yes, I agree with that, but 
with no role in safety. The Flag station is not a classroom. Peoples 
lives are at stake.

As I said earlier (with a bad choice of words that I regret), those 
who know how to run a safe speed event and have not walked a mile in 
my shoe seem to have brave keybords.

With hard work and the willingness to make tough choices I have a 
very low crash rate compared to the rest of the club. The vast 
majority of paricipants at NY schools commend the way we do buiness. 
Some don't and no one can please all the people all the time. That's 
why there's lots of other Chapters and lots of other managment 
styles. People can complain all that want, but our events are first 
safe and second fun. They are not perfect (yet) and can not ever be risk free.

Steve