It Wasn't Her Fault

Top 2. Oct 15, 2002 2:21 PM

» Giants02122 - Re: You don't like the truth

In response to message posted by enough_already:

I must say that the person who ever said that is very upset over Eric Martins death. It's kind of ARCA's fault for not having the spotters in the right spots at the right time. I hate to say this but it's because of this we have this new rule. Renshaw like any other driver was praticing for quailfying and the drivers are fouced on a quailfying run and the spotters are too. It's just a problem that was fixed but it ending up killing someone.

-- posted by Giants02122

Top 3. Oct 15, 2002 3:18 PM

» Tom - Re: Re: You don't like the truth

In response to message posted by Giants02122:

Hey Bobbie………

Yeah, it’s a shame about Eric Martin, but nothing anyone says or does is going to bring him back. People don’t realize that when you are practicing with a racecar, it is a very difficult time technically. You are in constant communication with the race team. They are asking you what the car is doing, what you think the car needs, how it acts on all of the corners, does the car feel right for you, just dozens of questions one right after another. It is very difficult for a driver to keep their mind on maneuvering the car around the track while they are also picking their brain on the radio. It’s kind of like concentrating on walking and chewing gum at the same time, only you’re walking a highly technical racecar around the track as speeds well over 100 MPH. One little slip and “oops.”

Well, it’s evident that someone made a mistake. People who don’t make mistakes don’t do anything! Maybe they were picking Renshaw’s brain about her racecar and she couldn’t concentrate on her driving. At any rate, what happened happened, and placing the blame on someone isn’t going to accomplish anything.

There are a lot of trouble making people out there that just want to bitch and moan about anything that appears to them to need bitching and moaning about. I’ve been listening to them for years, and they are no more than a waste of my time.

I’ve spent lots of hours in the seat of a racecar. When you strap yourself into one of those contraptions, you are giving your butt to God. You are out there for one thing and one thing only, to go faster than hell, and be the fastest one that goes faster than hell. It’s just as simple as that. When you strap yourself in, you know just as well as Dale Earnhardt, Tony Roper, Kenny Irwin, Adam Petty, Blaise Alexander, Eric Martin, and countless others, that you may not come out of the racecar alive. It’s no big deal, if you’ve got feathers on your back and legs, stay out of the racecar!

IF, some mouthy idiot wants to concern themselves on placing blame on someone, then so be it. Apparently they don’t have anything better to do. I’ve watched people make fools of themselves for years. I for one, wouldn’t want to live with what Debbie Renshaw has to learn to live with, along with the way Kerry Earnhardt feels about bumping Blaise Alexander into the wall, or Sterling Marlin and Ken Schrader for their involvement in Dale Earnhardt’s death. We all have our crosses to bear, some are heavier than others.

-- posted by Tom

Top 4. Oct 16, 2002 5:44 PM

» TJSampson - Finger pointing

Hey, Dad, looks like you riled up a few folks with this one!

Renshaw is no more responsible for the death of Eric Martin than Sterlin Marlin was for Earnhadrt's death. The same goes for Kerry Earnhadt in the Alexander death. Sure the circumstances were different in each case but the common denominator is speed. It takes the Human eye a few milliseconds for focus, the brain a few more to process, and still more for the nervous system to react by the time all this takes place, even in the best of drivers, several hundred feet of track has passed by, especially at full speed. We see it week in and week out on the Cup circuit a driver will "check up" and the cars behind can't react quick enough to avoid them, even though they are focused on the car in front of them.

Also consider the fact that ARCA drivers a not in the same class as Cup drivers. Most ARCA drivers are very good and well on their way to being great drivers but many still don't have the seat time needed to hone their skills and reflexes. The same goes for the teams, many of the cheifs and spotters lack the experience.

If fans and armchair officials want to point fingers point them at the sanctioning bodies. I'm sick and tired of rules being created and/or enforced after a tragedy. It's like closing the barn door after the horse has gotten out. The dictators and rule makers need to remove their heads from their exhaust pipes and institute safety rules before tragedy happens. The officials need to be on top of their game the whole weekend not just when the TV cameras are on!

Why on earth would any safety conscious racing organization allow cars on the track without a full contingent of officials and spotters??? They are lazy that's why. All we've heard since Feb. of 2001 is driver safety, owners have been ordered to spend thousands per car to meet safety mandates. Yet the same "safety conscious" organization will let a car go out on the track at full speed to fine tune a shaky set-up and not mandate that a spotter or set of spotters be on the grandstands with clear sight of the whole track!

Shame on ARCA, NASCAR and the team owners for not having the sense to ensure the safety of the drivers on the track.

Now I've heard speculation that these organizations want to add more items to the car at the car owners expense, dash mounted caution lights just to name one. Rather than further tax the budgets of struggling teams these idiots need to get back to basics and institute common sense rules.

What really makes me mad is the heads of these organizations fall all over themselves to pass the blame on to others. Look at the way that thug Helton set up Simpson to be the fall guy for Earnhardts death. Renshaw, it appears, is being set up to take the blame as well.

-- posted by TJSampson