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In following a number of drivers in the Mazda Road to Indy for the past couple of years, I have become very concerned about the lack of policing going on in these series in regards to some stupid driving and some unsafe and downright dangerous moves made by drivers in the USF2000 and to some regard, the ProMazda series. After seeing the past 2 race series in Toronto and Mid-Ohio, I feel it is time for me to comment on this before a kid gets seriously hurt or, god forbid, worse.
Most of these kids came up through karting where they were slapped with penalties for aggresive driving, parked for even worse.
The ones that came through Skip Barber were hammered into their skulls about bad driving, even to the point of if they put a tire off the track, they were penalized. Contact with another was enough to get parked...
So, these kids running in the USF2000 are now given a much faster car, on faster tracks, with a better level of competition.
BUT! There seems to be a universal theme of just go for it, drive like hell and damn if anyone is going to pass me. I saw a bunch of it happen in the first couple of races, thinking that the series will try to get a hold of it in the driver meetings, one on one meetings with a driver to tell them that this asn't karting anymore.
After what I witnessed in Toronto, I have to say something. One of these kids are going to be seriously hurt or worse if you don't get some race stewards and referees around the track. I could not believe the amount of chopping, blocking, ill attempted passes and general dangerous driving. Race 2 saw 15 cars out with damage from contact. I saw the in car footage of Stefan Rzadzinski in practice 1 almost pull a Jeff Krosnoff coming into T3. It will be amatter of time before someone gets seriously hurt if you don't come down with a hammer on them.
These kids need to know that open wheel racing means contact will end their race. Some don't care as they have some very rich parents paying for all their crash damage, while others with talent and not money are driving with tippy toes around the others with no concern for the rest of the drivers.
I have not seen a single penaly imposed in the USF2000 series all year, when there should have been some drivers put to the back of the grid, had drive thru penalties, to even having them parked for the rest of the race. It has gotten that bad.
I have talked to at least 5 or 6 of the drivers that are amazed that some of these kids have not been parked and that they are fully aware in the races when they are around them to avoid.
Dan, these kids need to be progressed thru awareness and etiquette when racing, and I feel they are learning nothing but bad habits without being told how proper racing is tolerated in the higher series.
Most of these kids came up through karting where they were slapped with penalties for aggresive driving, parked for even worse.
The ones that came through Skip Barber were hammered into their skulls about bad driving, even to the point of if they put a tire off the track, they were penalized. Contact with another was enough to get parked...
So, these kids running in the USF2000 are now given a much faster car, on faster tracks, with a better level of competition.
BUT! There seems to be a universal theme of just go for it, drive like hell and damn if anyone is going to pass me. I saw a bunch of it happen in the first couple of races, thinking that the series will try to get a hold of it in the driver meetings, one on one meetings with a driver to tell them that this asn't karting anymore.
After what I witnessed in Toronto, I have to say something. One of these kids are going to be seriously hurt or worse if you don't get some race stewards and referees around the track. I could not believe the amount of chopping, blocking, ill attempted passes and general dangerous driving. Race 2 saw 15 cars out with damage from contact. I saw the in car footage of Stefan Rzadzinski in practice 1 almost pull a Jeff Krosnoff coming into T3. It will be amatter of time before someone gets seriously hurt if you don't come down with a hammer on them.
These kids need to know that open wheel racing means contact will end their race. Some don't care as they have some very rich parents paying for all their crash damage, while others with talent and not money are driving with tippy toes around the others with no concern for the rest of the drivers.
I have not seen a single penaly imposed in the USF2000 series all year, when there should have been some drivers put to the back of the grid, had drive thru penalties, to even having them parked for the rest of the race. It has gotten that bad.
I have talked to at least 5 or 6 of the drivers that are amazed that some of these kids have not been parked and that they are fully aware in the races when they are around them to avoid.
Dan, these kids need to be progressed thru awareness and etiquette when racing, and I feel they are learning nothing but bad habits without being told how proper racing is tolerated in the higher series.
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