NEFR Stage 7, What really happened

wvonkessler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So from what I can tell, we've got: (1) a local
> that got pissed off and entered the stage; and (2)
> an accident between sweep vehicles on stage.
>
> Is that correct?
>
> My opinions are my own and are not to be construed
> as representing the viewpoint of any other person
> or organization. How's that for legalese?

I Was driving copurse closing for NEFR
I was there @ the start of stage 7. I was also there for the sweep accident.
In My opinion The reason for the cancellaition of stage 7 was the fact that the stage was not zeroed out...Thats right, the PHOTOGRAPHERS, NOT Locals red honda CRV that travis saw on stage was out picking up a skid plate in the road (PHOTOGS get Vip Passes that allow them to drive on stage, when the course is closed). They were out on stage roads beacuse they hadnt yet seen the zero car. then all of a sudden they see travis coming head on @ 110. Im not defending the red CRV b/c I know the course was still open as I didnt run the Green light Through that stage, But I also feel that If the course were zeroed out we wouldnt have had Photogs Out driving around.


As for the Sweep Accident, It was unfortunate. Our Head Sweep Vehicle had stopped @ mile 4 to tell the # 55 car Kyle Sarrasin that The recovery vehicle was on its way. It was dusty and the second vehicle rear ended Bob. Thankfully no one was injured and we had a second medical vehicle so we were able to finish the rally.

---

Ted DeInnocentis
MK2 Jetta Coupe Rally Car
BMW E46 323i daily driver
Toyota Tacoma Sweep vehicle



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2007 11:11AM by Titan Motorsports.

Thanks for a simple clear blame-free explanation.

It's a;ways puzzled me why people think silence is better than a clear explanation.
The accident is just that, a dust related accident.

The geniuses driving to go pick up a skidplate,or whatever, presumably their own decision, is something that nobody can accout for, and I think it should lift some whatever off the Organiser. I mean there's a lot of cars and a lot of people out in the woods, the organiser can only be held to answer for people under his control.

Shame on all those who merely hint and whisper---I say that behavior and attitude does more to endanger rally's future than clear simple HONEST explanations.

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

Ted,
I think another driver of a NEFR sweep vehicle swears it was a white Toyota Highlander with NY plates driven by course workers, who were on SS7 looking for a skid plate trophy, causing Travis to stop.

Check out SpecialStage forums.

I'm not trying to argue, I sure wasn't there, and I have heard several conflicting reports, but this just gets weirder and weirder.

I still say it was Colonel Mustard in the Library with WMDs, but I smoke a lot of crack. :-)
The other, very curious old Ted

---

Ted Mendham
www.rensport.net

It was a white Highlander - not a CRV...

They weren't looking for a trophy, either - they apparently saw a skidplate 500-750ft away from their position and thought they should clear the skidplate off the road to avoid someone hitting it. An unfortunate decision, to be sure, but we were lucky to meet them in an open section with good visibility, so it wasn't too bad. I agree that the fundamental issue was that they didn't understand the stage was still hot. I don't believe they were photographers, either - they had green polo shirts - but I'm not 100% sure.

Antoine's continuing was (partially) my fault - I was so busy talking to the ham at the radio position to get the start stopped that I didn't get the SOS sign out in time to stop Antoine and Mark at the first radio point where we stopped. I had hoped we had gotten there in time to stop him from starting. Apparently, Antoine never saw the Highlander, as it had pulled off the course after we passed them. They were parked by the orange water truck when we transited back to the start (while in full radio contact with start).

- Christian

---

Christian Edstrom
New York, NY
Age: 30



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2007 11:38AM by bjorn240.

Ted and Christian,
Thanks for the info.
When all we see on our screens is a thrown stage and/or a long delay, we all have to hold our breath until some explanation is given, and when there in nothing in LIVE Updates, curiosity and dread both start growing.
Maybe I was looking in the wrong place but scoring was three or four hours delayed after SS6 so it wasn't a trivial amount of time.
As far as going back to the start of SS7, I know you guys have radios and are pretty good with everything so I don't worry about that. If the stage could have been salvaged and run, I'd applaud that, every mile counts and thrown stages suck.
Thanks again.

Thanks Christian,
It was knida strange waiting to start ss7. We were spectating where the stage doubled back on itself. First we see Antoine, who should have started #2. Hmm, no Travis. After several minutes, no one else, either. Then we heard via those with radios that you encountered non-rally traffic on the stage (red Honda Pilot with media people aboard was the story we got) and you were returning to the stage start to restart. That really pinned the needle on my BS meter. We couldn't figure out why Antoine didn't also get stopped by your situation or how in heck SS7 start thought they were going to be able to restart the stage. Most of the competitors waiting to start were asking a lot of questions.
Ted Mendham

---

Ted Mendham
www.rensport.net



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2007 04:52PM by tedm.

Thanks for the explanation, Christian.

Sure would want to do a serious debrief with the guys who decided to drive up the road without a CLEAR COMMAND that they should move. Serious fuck up on their parts.
Big mistake by volunteers.

Its also a shame that there was and is no Official simple explanation.
Big mistake by the Organisers and Rally America.

It is not at all professional.

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

More fun times.

---

Kirk Coughlin
Woodbury, MN and River Falls, WI

Quemadmodum gladius neminem occidit, occidentis telum est.

Titan Motorsports Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In My opinion The reason for the cancellaition of
> stage 7 was the fact that the stage was not zeroed
> out...
> They were out on stage
> roads beacuse they hadnt yet seen the zero car.
> then all of a sudden they see travis coming head
> on @ 110.


So stage 7 started without a zero car going through. I can imagine several scenarios where this could be reasonable (all involving the course remaining locked-down after a first running, and with 00 going through, and with no people on the course, etcetera) but I think you're right: the root cause of the trouble was no Zero, and everything avalanched from there. So does anyone know why no Zero?

Anders

---

Grassroots rally. It's what I think about.

Anders,
They used the sweep car in the SS6 direction as course opening for SS7 and also bypassed a "loop" (that had a skid plate planted in it).

"Common knowledge" is that we all hate turn-around stages, except that's where we finally get to see and talk to each other without service, family and friends getting in the way. I kind of enjoy them to a point.
Without turn-arounds, I would have never talked to half the people I know in Rally.

At Rocky, once, to keep from having a turn-around, we did a 90 or 100 minute transit, now THAT sucked big-time. Another factor was that the terrain might not have handled two runs with the mud and ruts so it was a tough call, but given a choice, I'd rather have spent that time talking to people other than just my Navvie, (don't tell him that).