Defending Triple Crown,Hitting a cement wall at Sprints

[JRMarchand]

Hello

I am the lucky guy to be here typing this. My first race of the year and attempt to defend the Triple Crown didnt go as planned. My practice and both qualifying sessions were plagued with cooling and fuel starvation problems, I was set to start in 8th in FM, by the end of the first lap i was leading, going into lap four my car lost some momentum and i had the polesitter drafting me going up the hill, his car never came close to making a full pass but he did want to try to scare me (as always) throwing the car on top of mine, this time his car took flight and mine went into the pitlane wall at about 115. The impact was hard, very very hard.
This driver, and I mean this professional driver, has done this to me in the past, this time I will talk about it. I am not a sandbagger, I was called that before and after the race by other "pro" drivers. I show up to the track to defend my title for the race, I dont have to qualify or "show you my cards", I was called a cheater after the race, the people i usually paddock with called me a cheater to my face. "How can i qualify so bad and then go out and blast through the field", i have been doing this since i started racing, should i change my ways, should i wait to halfway through the race to start racing, I dont think so.

Yes I'm upset as i lay sore in in a hotel room doing bed rest in Wisconsin, I wont be able to race this car or use it for the national at the redesigned GingerMan which I have been part of the design for the last three years.... bummer.

Who has in car video or pitlane video of the incident?, please come forward, i would like to see it. The guy who called me a cheater has in car video from a car just behind us and wont show it, he says that it is private.

kind regards Juan Marchand

ps. sorry to the spectators and racers for such a bad situation delaying the race.

[Keith Carter]

Wow! Glad you're ok Juan. For as much abuse those FM's can take, the pit wall still won it would appear.

[Wren]

So, I don't know anything about the minutiae of spec racing, but sandbagging is something that people normally do to get an advantage for an engine/restrictor/weight combo. How would sandbagging help you in FM? Is it that uncommon to drive from mid-pack in an FM race. It seems relatively common in other classes.

What did they accuse you of cheating with? Cheater motor? Nitrous? Shocks? Gears?

That looks like a nasty hit. Is the car repairable?

[Dave Stevens]

Juan,


Considering how stout the Mazda chassis' are, you must have taken one mighty wicked hit to have ended up with so much damage to your car. Glad it sounds like your going to be OK.
Did you file a protest against the other driver, if he was at fault for triggering the accident, in his (as you describe) unsafe overtaking attempt. If you did, SCCA may be able to request (demand) a copy of the video in question that you mention, wether it is "private" or not, in order to be able to investigate the accident.
There is no place in racing for moving over on somebody on the straight as your description indicates, and pinching them towards the wall, that is total BS, and can only end in tears, and torn up equipment.
Luckily in this case nobody in the cars, or on the pitlane got seriously hurt or worse because somebody chose to drive like a total dumd*ss! Hopefully SCCA will get this properly sorted out, and take appropriate disciplinary action against the individual in question. (And ultimately they'll have a long time out of the car to rethink their approach to "club" racing, and how they treat fellow competitors on the track.)
Having been in a similar situation myself some years ago, I know that is little consolation for having a racecar destroyed by somebody else's total stupidity!


On a lighter note, is it a done deal that the SCCA National at Gingerman will be running on the new course configuration?


Good luck with every thing,


Dave

[JRMarchand]

I'm about to stand on the edge of the cliff again, if i don't do this this who will do it for me?
I'm also not home yet because the bumps on the road make my head and neck hurt, but. Phil Green, you are right, the pain does increase in the next day or so. I did file a protest but it came back as that we were both at fault, that we were both responsible, I think #42 was going to make a drafting pass, so I thought "cool, now we are racing..." ok, suddenly its like he is passing by my right rear tire, and i could touch the side of his car if i wanted too, why was he so close when i was already all the way to the left, is there a real gain to get so close, like too close.... this guy was not trying to compete, he forcefully used his car against mine, period.

Supposedly the winning yellow car was 10-15 feet away, this is the car with the camera and the "private" footage that SCCA knows about. I guess that per the SOM, "it is up to the owner of the video to present the evidence" and SCCA cannot make them. I want to know how to appeal this interpretation, this driver has been forceful with aggression to me and other well known drivers in the past, I think that after his long, long ass career in club racing and some pro, he gets a spanking from the top or his father. I said I was going to talk, this makes my head hurt so i hope you feel it too #42.

Evidence of aggression, watch these and tell me this driver does or does not fit the mold for being unstable and dangerous, making irrational decisions.

A. http://www.vimeo.com/5792659 at 16:15 #42 tries to run me off on T1 at the CatNat, on the cool down lap after I received the checker...

B. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_KV577NED4 at 2:41 #42 punts this well known driver, then he proceeds to take it further.


Yeah, I was accused of being a sandbagger and a cheater, not accused of using gears, or lightweight diff, or super shocks. My car has been scrutinized after winning Runoffs, Sprints etc... etc... you all had a chance to look under the seat and see what was there, hmm, i never cheated, never use the $40 gas and none my gearboxes were ever worth $10k. I was hit by this and supposedly the FM community i race in, most have something to say, per my friends i used to paddock with. How can I qualify poorly and then go pass everyone on the first lap, or how can I start dead last and pass everyone for the win, damn it guys, you should all be happy to have a good talented driver learning the ropes of motorsports and sharing this class with you, I know that now, it hurts to prolly feel like others in the past felt when they were called cheaters, I want to fix my car and show to the RunOffs and hopefully Utah.

The chassis needs work.....

We are running the approved expansion to GingerMan upon reinspection when SCCA comes to town, it might be a surprise, I dont know, my head hurts gotta go for a while.

regards jrm

[mousecatcher]

A. http://www.vimeo.com/5792659 at 16:15 #42 tries to run me off on T1 at the CatNat, on the cool down lap after I received the checker...

The vimeo player does not allow skipping ahead of the partially downloaded stream. But if you add the words "16:00" to the description it becomes a chapter stop that can be clicked on. It'd be nice if you add this so we don't have to download the whole thing to watch a few seconds at the end.

[Mike42]

Juan,
to even think that I have done anything on purpose is ludicrous!

most of my racing career has been at a professional level, I have only recently been back in club racing.
In all my years of racing I have never seen someone as dangerous as you. Your weaving back and forth across the track to prevent drivers from passing is the most dangerous thing I have seen.
I sat there and watched you intentionally block Wills as we exited the carousel and proceeded down the back straight. You did the same thing to me as we started up the front straight before the incident. I had to lift to avoid having my nose taken off as you swerved a second time to block me, "his car never came close to making a full pass" I was 100% along side you and on my way by when you moved to the right resulting in the contact.

Yes I was close when I was coming by, to keep you in your place and hopefully stop you from your intimidation tactics that may work with others drivers but not me, but you decided to come over anyway. Ruining the race for both of us. The testimony of the starter did not indicate that I did anything wrong. Why on earth would I crash myself out of a race that any one of us could have won.

To finish first you must first finish, you obviously haven't figured this out yet in your newbie career

[Mark_Silverberg]

Juan,

Don't know you other than from several postings on here - often with the theme of not understanding processes or how you were treated by officials and now competitors during a race. There seems to be a pattern of behavior on your part regarding this.

I am sorry that your car was damaged. I have been there, it is unpleasant.

You obviously are a capable and fast driver. Your results prove that.

It is my experience that in instances of contact such as this it takes two to tango and that a driver will be raced like he races others. This is is a club and a social sport. While club members will support each other, respect must be earned - at it is not earned just by going fast and winning races.

The simple fact is that 9 times out of 10 you will be raced like you race others. You will be treated like you treat others. If you are losing support and courtesy on and off the track you need to look at yourself as much or more than you look at others.

This may not be the answer that you wanted - but you were the one who raised the issue.

[Bob VanDyke]

I hope the moderator locks this thread. Hard to imagine any productive discussion is forthcoming.

[Matt Satchell]

>>Evidence of aggression, watch these and tell me this driver does or does not fit the mold for being unstable and dangerous, making irrational decisions.

A. http://www.vimeo.com/5792659 at 16:15 #42 tries to run me off on T1 at the CatNat, on the cool down lap after I received the checker...
>>


maybe its cause you almost took him out on the start, the start that you admittedly jumped because you didnt go to a drivers meeting andthen joke about on the intro to your video......

[JRMarchand]

Its ok I am a newbie, I call him out for being dangerous and he calls me out for the same. I say he moved on me, and he says that he tried to keep me in my place to prevent my intimidating tactics, this can go on and on and on. It is not the first time that in a dangerous sport things will happen all by themselves, sounds like nobody is at fault. I will always remember this incident as something that could have been avoided, how? by staying behind the pro's, by staying in the back with the newbies. 100% side by side?, prove it, you have that footage, show me and I will hang it up in SCCA Club Racing if that is true, if you are so sure that you are the victim. This is part of racing, no need to lock the thread, good things do come from controversy, we were competing to win a major event.

It is a social event to some people, but not to most competitors, we don't engage in this atmosphere to go have beers and talk about girls, although talking about girls is awesome.


Juan R Marchand

[carnut169]

All I'll say is that on the cool-down lap it's more polite to wave thanks to the workers than "I'm number 1" to your competitors. Little obnoxious. Probably keep them from running you off the road more often.

Sorry about your car, it does look pretty messed up!

[JRMarchand]

yeah, I usually wave to workers before and after the race, i was a bit too excited, i do get excited. so sorry for being obnoxious, aww. yeah the car is messed up, even the gearbox broke in half, yeah, yikes is right.

[Dave Stevens]

After watching your video of the Cat, I can't really say that it appears the car on the cool down lap came any closer to you, than you did to him when you jumped the start, just looks like he was trying to send you a little message back. Kinda surprised you didn't get penalised for the start, and got to keep the win though.

And actually Juan, this is Club racing, (don't know anyone with a Ferrari contract in their back pocket,) so no matter how hard you race people on the track, it's always nice to keep it cordial off the track, and have some friends back in the paddock. Just my two cents anyways.

Dave

[Rick Ross]

There was really nothing funny about that jumped start. I am surprised that none of the other FM drivers filed a protest.

[Marshall Mauney]

There was really nothing funny about that jumped start. I am surprised that none of the other FM drivers filed a protest.

Can that be done?

[FONT=Univers-Bold][FONT=Univers-Bold]
5.11.3. Judges
[/FONT]

[/FONT][FONT=Univers][FONT=Univers]

Judges are optional officials who may perform one or more of following

[/FONT]

[FONT=Univers]duties:[/FONT]
[FONT=Univers]A. Starting Judges report to the Chief Steward any false starts immediately[/FONT][FONT=Univers]after they occur. Finishing Judges declare the order in which [/FONT][FONT=Univers]cars cross the finish line. Judges of the Fact decide whether a car [/FONT][FONT=Univers]has touched or passed a given line or rule on other facts of the [/FONT][FONT=Univers]same type provided in the Supplemental Regulations.[/FONT]
[FONT=Univers]B. A Judge’s determination may not be protested.[/FONT]

[FONT=Univers]C. A Judge may correct his determination with the approval of the [/FONT][FONT=Univers]SOM.[/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Univers][FONT=Univers]Wouldn't this imply that if the Starting Judge did not call a jumped start, that his/her determination cannot be protested?[/FONT][/FONT]

[PaulT]

Since I first read this thread a few days ago, it has been on my mind.

First, it sounds like the crash at the Sprints occurred on the front straight. How do two cars crash on a straight unless one or both turned into the other? I can almost understand if occurred near the turn-in to turn 1 or on the "straight" into Canada corner.

Being pissed at someone for a jump start certainly doesn't give you the right to punt/hit the offender.

I read that Juan didn't have video of the crash, but did neither driver have data for it? If so, does it clearly show that there was no move into the other car?

Paul

[John Nesbitt]

Can that [another driver protesting a jumped start] be done?



[FONT=Univers][FONT=Univers]Wouldn't this imply that if the Starting Judge did not call a jumped start, that his/her determination cannot be protested?[/FONT][/FONT][/left]

Another driver can certainly protest a jumped start.

Was there a start judge for that race? Start judges are optional, and often not used.