Fbodfather

Good evening, my Camaro Comrades and Firebird Friends........


Spring is here - and most of us are getting our Firebirds and Camaros out of storage .....and can hardly wait to drive them.

Unfortunately most of us want to plant the pedal to the metal --

.......................and that's fine -- provided that it's done appropriately and in the right place and time.

My concern is that some of you may get a little *too excited* and perhaps decide to do a little street racing.

Our Friend -- Jason Ory at www.z28.com started a thread on his site talking about the horrors that can result from Street Racing..........and I thank him for bringing it to my attention.


I ask you to read something I wrote a couple of years back -- it's at the end of this email.......

We had a great Camaro/Firebird Gathering in Atlanta -- and unfortunately things got out of control late at night -- and two of our Camaro Comrades died that night...............

All because of Street Racing.............

Please -- I beg you -- read the following -- and PROMISE ME -- that you will not street race -- and that you will wear your safety belts at ALL TIMES -- and that goes for all of your passengers as well.

Please share this with your friends.........put it in your newsletters.............

To some of you, I may sound like a broken record. (to you 'younguns' -- records were what preceded CDs.....) -- and I continue this rant because I care about you.



Have a great show season -- and I hope to see you at the various Camaro/Firebird shows that are planned this season!




The story:


A whole bunch of people looked forward to this past Memorial Day weekend …many of them spending it in Atlanta, as I did, with fellow Fcar enthusiasts.

A few young men I’m sure were looking forward to driving in from the Carolinas.

It was a great show….hundreds of Firebirds and Camaros lovingly maintained/restored/modified.

A great tour of GMMG........ Some great vendor displays......... A Beach Party.........

----A weekend built around a way to remember our veterans and those who gave their lives for our country.



But a tragedy happened early Sunday morning.

We (as well as most manufacturers) build performance cars. We build them with many, many safety features. We try to anticipate human error. But some things can’t be anticipated. And it’s especially hard to engineer around bad judgement on the part of the driver.

We put safety belts in all of our cars and trucks.

No…we don’t deserve a gold medal for this…it’s the law…..a GOOD law.

It’s also the law in most States and Provinces that you are supposed to put them on when you get in the vehicle. I guess we'll never know whether or not the fellows in the back seat of the Camaro SS on Windy Hill road would have survived had they had put the belts on.

Windy Hill Road in suburban Atlanta has curves and elevations. It has as I recall, a 35 mph speed limit. It was not designed for cars to travel at three times that speed. (or more)

In some ways, I guess I was fortunate. I was in my hotel room. It was late…it was a long day………I had a great time meeting a lot of great people and spending time with some old friends. So I retired around 1 am and went to sleep. I didn’t have to witness the heartbreaking catastrophe firsthand.

I wasn’t prepared to hear the news the next morning. I am, as I’m sure many others are -- still in shock. And I pray for the families and friends of all involved.

I guess at this point in time, I can only hope that amidst this terrible, terrible tragedy that perhaps those who attended the Gathering…….those of you reading this…….and those who read the newspapers/websites and watched TV will think twice before getting into a car or truck and not putting the safety belt on ---PROPERLY --- each and every time.

Second: If you want to race, take it to the track guys and gals. Or to the dyno. (the dyno doesn’t involve driver error…….)

Simply put: We know these cars are powerful. I like burnouts as much as the next guy or gal………but there is a time and place for that…..and it isn’t in a parking lot or on the street. It’s at the track under controlled conditions.

I don’t ever want to see a street race. I don’t ever want to see another burnout in a parking lot.

And I don’t EVER want to hear about one or more of my fellow enthusiasts……who I care a great deal for…….. being killed in one of our cars or trucks. Is it avoidable? I sure wish it were.

So how ‘bout we make sure we ‘stack the deck’ in our favor?

How ‘bout we make a commitment to each other RIGHT NOW…….that we pledge never to street race – EVER………… (And I don’t care HOW many other motorists are egging you on…….)

How ‘bout we make a commitment to each other RIGHT NOW that we will ALWAYS wear a safety belt…and that goes for everyone in the car or truck with us…………………..

How ‘bout we make a commitment to each other RIGHT NOW that we will tell our loved ones how much they mean to us…….and that we DEMAND that they wear a safety belt………. Every time………no excuses.

You think a safety belt is uncomfortable? Well how about this statistic: A 180 pound human being traveling in a car at 35 miles per hour that strikes a solid object will create THIRTY SIX HUNDRED POUNDS OF FORCE.

Now..........do you want that 3,600 pounds of force to be dissipated by a safety belt or do you want it dissipated by a steering wheel and windshield – or the pavement …do you still think the seatbelt is uncomfortable???

………… some of you may say “Scott…stop with the rant…it’s inappropriate at this time.”
To you I say…” I care about you and my fellow enthusiasts and friends and loved ones. And I don’t want to attend your funeral or see you in a hospital due to an avoidable accident. So if I’m being inappropriate, it’s because I care.”

To the family and friends of those who lost their lives this weekend in Atlanta: You are in my prayers. I don’t know that I or anyone else have the words to console you other than to say how very deeply saddened and sorry I am for your loss. And many of us will be thinking of you for a lot longer than you might imagine.

To the organizers (my very dear friends) of the Atlanta Fbody Gathering: You have worked so long and so hard to put such a great event together. This was not your fault. People come from many states to enjoy the passion that these cars generate. We are indebted to you for your hard work…and we hope we’ll be invited back again next year. Thank you for your hospitality – thank you for your friendship – and thank you for all the good things you do for the F-car community.

To the Associates at the Marriott Atlanta Northwest: Thank you for your kind understanding and for all you did to help everyone through this weekend. You are truly a class act.

In closing, Everyone:
Wear your safety belts.
No more street racing.
Put the cell phone down when behind the wheel.
Practice safe driving habits.
If you’re going to drink, don’t drive. No one should lose his or her life needlessly.

And remember….every time you get behind the wheel…..YOU are in charge. Don’t turn your vehicle into a lethal weapon.

Spread the word.

Bob Cosby

Something that you and I agree on without condition.

Please be safe out there, and take it to the track.

Capn Pete

"Take it to the Track". Smart choice. And tons of fun ...






"Take it to the Track" is pretty much the motto of organized racing, including amateur. For anyone interested: http://www.soloontario.com

Shellhead

Saw this on another board, but had to reply here too since I feel so strongly about it. Street racing is scary and stupid - try being a "bystander" on the road when a couple of street racers rip past you. I've seen people do some really stupid things on bikes and cars AT SPEED - and any life lost is senseless.

These cars are fun, but you have to know how to drive them. I never let anyone drive my '99 T/A WS6 unless it was me or my wife - both of us well accustomed to a performance car. My 5th gen will come with the same conditions - better safe than sorry - very much better.

Thanks for the reminder, Scott!!

JasonD

Myself, my wife, Chris Frezza and his wife were there in Atlanta when that tragedy happened. The night of the accident, we turned in early because we were beat from the awesome actives that day. I am glad because I am afraid that I wouldn't want to see what happened after we went to our rooms.

We got up in the next morning, and worked our way out to the parking lot. Everyone was very quiet and somber. I asked around and when I heard the news, I was pretty stunned. It happened right in front of the hotel and we never heard it. We walked over to the accident area, and there were small pieces of car everywhere still, right where two people died just a few hours before. Pieces of various plastic and composite, part of a t-top, and even a bit of blood was still on the grass. Blood that was in someone just a few hours before. Showing where control was lost, I saw where heavy skid marks were made, leading to right where two people died just a few hours before.

I saw a broken CD, hand written with a quick Sharpie scribble of what songs were on it. Think of the last time you scribbled on a CD after you burned some songs on it. Did you ever think "Someday, someone will find part of this CD scattered among other parts, just a few hours after I die. I might not even see it coming."

We all want to have fun and no one with a fast car is 100% innocent 100% of the time, but there comes the time where better judgment needs to come into play. Govern thyself accordingly and live a lot longer. I hate to hear of when someone that is who I would consider a friend is gone.

POWERFREAK

Amen to that. I did it a few times when I was younger...and looking back...what was the point? STUUUUUUUPID. I would never do it again. Whenever I hear of a street-racing accident, I cringe and hope that only the cars racing were involved, no other cars or pedestrians.

boxerperson

Agreed 100%

A few years ago (I'm still very young) I participated in a 'street racing' league. It was not legal, of course, but we did have a code of conduct that we strictly enforced, and we took as many measures as possible to keep others from being hurt. We wore our belts, we set lookouts at either end of the chosen strip of road (which was always an out-of-the-way winding highway road with NO buildings of any kind along the route), and had radios in the cars. If the lookout at either end of the route had somebody come past them, they radioed in and regardless of where we were, we immediately stopped and conformed to all road laws. We operated on a time-trial basis, with only one car on route at a time.

We never had an incident, and the cops knew about what we were doing. They broadcast on our radios once, as a kind of *buzz* to let us know they were watching. (holy crap did that send us scrambling) I think they preferred us doing what we were doing to what would happen if they broke us up....because many of us would have started goofing off in town.

Regardless, it was irresponsible and illegal. No matter how many precautions you take....if you are on roads the public uses, it's not safe enough. Take it to the track. Even if you do everything you possibly can to keep the public safe from your hobby, there's still that small chance....not to mention the fact that public roads are poorly maintained, dusty, covered in sand at some points, which means that you could at any point lose control because the road conditions drastically changed within the space of a few feet.

If you wish to risk your own health or life, that is perfectly acceptable to me (unless you have a family that you are watching out for!), but if you can't 100% ensure the safety of the uninvolved people around you (and no street race can do that), it's wrong. Track it.

I'm sure many of us here have had an experience similar to mine, especially when they were younger and competition and adrenaline played a larger role for them (I know they still constitute a huge part of me, but I'm only 24). But the older people here in this community have it right: Don't do it.

supr_bikr_99

As always Scott, very well put. Sir, you are a class act and we all thank you for caring as much as you do. Recently, a few friends and I were out for a few beers the night before our good friends wedding (and yes, we had a DD). We got a phone call during the course of the evening informing us that his fiance had been in a bad car accident. Long story short, she was wearing her seat belt and it looks like she's going to be ok. If she hadn't have been wearing it, things would have been a lot worse. So be safe and buckle up!

polo3433

Street racing is illegal; however, when you have 400hp+ in the control of your hands you going to feel like you are the king of the street and will not back down when someone is trying to challenge you. Riding a motorcycle or having a high power sports car the dangers is going to be there, the reason why insurance is so high. There are smart drivers and you can say no I am not going to street race but if you let your guard down the power of the car can seduce you and before you know it you caught racing a mustang at 90mph+ on the freeway. I pray for all of us that we will handle that power with great responsibility.

sselie

Having raced on the street for the vast majority of my years (not something I'm proud of) since getting a driver's licence m-a-n-y years ago and having dedicated a whole whack of my time lately trying to make people aware of all consequences of street racing, I've concluded the following:
1) those who wish to street race will do so.
2) those who street race have absolutely no difficulty whatsoever rationalizing or justifying their decision and can rarely be persuaded to change their outlook - that is until something drastic happens to them (and then it's a whole 'nuther story!).
3) virtually without exception, the people who street race, and are then forced to deal with the negative consequences of their actions (getting caught, being involved in an accident etc.) wish they could take back their decision, if they are still alive to do so. Unfortunately, it is usually too late by then to reverse their decisions and/or change the circumstances they find themselves in as a result.
4) street racers as a group seem to generally accept the concept that "it won't happen to me". I'd like to point out that virtually everyone involved in life-changing consequences of their actions felt similarly before the incident happened - because if for 1 second they thought that it could happen to them, I can't understand how they could choose to participate.

As I say, I'm not innocent... however I do feel extremely fortunate to have made it to this ripe old age without ever having had to deal with any of the negative consequences of my actions. I've seen enough carnage to know how lucky I really am to have escaped unharmed or unaffected. I'll never forget the night I found myself at a stoplight on a 4-lane arterial road just north of Toronto. In the other 3 lanes were a Dodge Stealth, a slammed Civic and an Integra. The 2 guys beside me were revvin' their engines and making hand gestures at me to go when the light turned green. I just smiled and waved goodbye to them. The light turned green and off they went, squealing rubber down the road. A couple of minutes later, I rounded a bend and I couldn't believe the scene in front of me... the Stealth had jumped the median and was on the other side of the road, minus its front and rear bumber caps, the Civic was on its roof on my side of the road, the Integra had escaped unscathed and had turned around at the intersection, I guess coming back to help. And there was some poor innocent guy and his wife in a black Grand Cherokee who had ended up being run off the road, I guess, ending up 1/2 way up an embankment. It didn't take me very long to realize that if I had chosen to accept the challenge, I would certainly have been involved in that mess, with who knows what result?!?

My street racing days have been over now for about 7 years and I've become a certified track junkie. This has proven to be a whole lot more satisfying and rewarding, and as others have said, it's the only way to go!
Sure, people are constantly trying to goad me into races at stoplights etc, but I feel I've graduated to the point where I can easily ignore those challenges - it's pretty easy after the experience I just described!

I kind of draw a parallel here to winning big at Vegas... I figure I've been really lucky and just won the jackpot... and I'm takin' my winnings and gettin' outta Dodge.

Best regardSS,

Elie

redcamaroz28

This happened the year before my first year going to the gathering, but I heard stories about it from the Lethally Injected guys. Two of them were first on the scene for it and saw it first hand. I can't imagine experiencing that first hand . Stay safe and keep the racing where it belongs.

Crazy

Purple 92 SS

Scott,

I hope you dont mind, but I copy and Quoted it over on South Carolina's Local chapter of the World Wide Camaro Club, www.scfbaonline.com

http://www.scfbaonline.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=545

Very wise words. I constantly preach to our members to not street race.

-Steve

90rocz

I think most of us have done it, and cheated disaster more than once...
If people value their lives, and cars, they would seriously think twice before street racing.
Few seem to take into account; road layouts, conditions, or traffic.
I recently saw a report of a Corvette that was out for a spirited Sunday drive on a country road, alone, and forgot about "lift" at high speed going over some gentle rises in the road...he came over a rise, caught some air under the Vette and sailed some 80 feet into a tree!....it was sad.
Most tracks have Test & Tune days where anyone can pay around $10 to run all afternoon, get time slips and settle grudges on who's faster...safe, smooth, flat tracks.

Fbodfather

I'm very pleased that you shared this post with your site and club members.....

.... a few people have taken me to task on the post -- but frankly, I don't care....if ONE person is saved from injury or worse, then it's the right thing to do.

krazzycowgirl

I always use my seatbelt & tell people even how to work the ones in my classics if they ever decide to jump in while I am out & around. If they dont use them they get out & walk.

as for street racing I think that each time you are caught street racing you are put in jail & your car impounded, after the 2nd time your license is pulled & restricted.

On our car clubs forum we do not even allow discussion of street racing.

Thanks Scott for sounding like the broken record because we all need that angel in our ear YELLING at us to do the right thing no matter what the devil on the other shoulder is telling us to do.