ON
TRACK WITH RICK PEARSON
By Rick Pearson
Welcome to the eighth of my weekly articles about the National racing scene and my journey through it over the past few years. I promised last week to look at the plans for next years BTCC but since the final regulations have not yet been released, I want to look at the hot potato that is driving standards in the UK Motor Sport scene instead.
As I explained last week, I spent a significant time at Silverstone being interviewed by the Clerk of the Course and other officials about contact that took place between my car and that of another driver during the final round of the Clio Cup a couple of weeks ago. I was absolved of any blame for the incident, but it was after midnight before the process was finished. Now, I was pretty unhappy about all this at the time- mainly because my mechanics were most of the way through the beer supplies before I returned- but clearly I wasn't the guy who lost the most by any means.
The driver who had protested me had narrowly lost second place in the championship standings and you can understand an element of desperation setting in as he saw his Clio prize downgrading from a 1.4 litre to a shopping-grade 1.2 litre before his eyes... (Although these are both pretty decent prizes, especially for those of us who can only dream of their winnings exceeding their tyre bill!).
But it was the officials who all had homes to go to and had to sit and listen to "He hit me" and "No, He hit me" for hour after hour. These guys are for the most part unpaid volunteers and their job is one of the utmost seriousness. They are not there just to decide whether someone gained advantage by contact, but indeed whether or not someone acted in a manner that may have endangered another driver. If this is the case, they have the power to endorse and even suspend a driver's license.
I doubt you will find it difficult to believe me when I say that passions run pretty high in the interview room after a race. The protagonists are very pumped-up having come directly from Parc Ferme and are often faced with a significant damage bill courtesy of the other driver. The observers' reports are brought in from the marshals' posts and often the incident has been missed or reported completely differently from that remembered by the drivers and spectators. This can be just a touch frustrating.
Nevertheless, these observers are also volunteers and their work is greatly appreciated, especially as it cannot be an easy job to do. They often have to stand in harms way, are the first to the scene of an accident, swift to respond with a flag and then if two of the combatants should make contact in front of them, they have to get the crayons out and do their best Rolf Harris impression! Tough brief really!
But these drawings are often the only evidence that the Clerk of the Course has to make a decision on the future of someone's license. And in the heat of the action, mistakes can be made. Some of you may recall the photographs in the 'Trackside' forum of my unceremonious dumping into the gravel trap at the old hairpin at Donington earlier this year. The pictures show me being smacked on the right rear wheel under braking yet the observers report shows the two cars side by side at the apex, some 50 meters from where I was spun around! Given this evidence, it is no surprise that my assailant got away with it (although Motoring News did describe me as having been "harpooned", some consolation!).
These factors combine to make the process for protests full of holes, which in turn reduces its effectiveness as a deterrent and then you have anarchy! Fortunately, David Cane has overseen the Elf Clio Renaultsport UK Cup in which I competed this year. Like most of the Clerks of the Course I have come across, he has been scrupulously fair in what must feel a pretty thankless task.
The series has turned out to be one of the lowest contact that I have ever driven in, which when you remember how equally matched all the cars are, is exceptional. If you look at the carnage that is occurring as the MGF championship enters its final stage, you can consider that the Renault organisers have kept a firm hand and done an excellent job. Without a doubt, this is a hot topic within British motorsport.
There is too much contact and the powers-that-be are aware of this. Until all circuits have Silverstone's closed-circuit TV facilities to catch miscreants on video (or not as in my case) we must respect those volunteers that strive to police the driving standards of our championships.
Sadly, I worry that someone is going to get seriously hurt if both the driving and reporting of incidents doesn't improve and a rash decision made on the track could have serious consequences off of it.
Returning to my incident at Silverstone, according to an unbiased opinion from someone who has seen the coverage, my incident was pretty innocuous but the other two incidents that occurred to the same driver were reasonably savage and you could understand him feeling pretty aggrieved.
This is where the system falls down: one of the drivers that hit him very hard from behind was found guilty and had his license endorsed. Collect enough of these endorsements and your license will be suspended. But this was the last race of the season... and all licenses are renewed at the end of each year... and endorsements don't get carried over to the new license. In other words, the punishment was irrelevant.
Have a good week one and all, Rick.