fweidner wrote on 03/17/7 at 10:31:40:Let's get some feedback from Novices.
If you've been rallying for more than 2 years, please do not respond to this post.
I've been in rallying for quite a bit more than 2 years but, compared to the level of knowledge, skill, and experience of so many other people on this discussion forum, deep down I do, and probably always will, continue to think of myself as a Novice.
Despite what some of you have posted in response to Fred's comments, I applaud his obvious enthusiasm for the sport, his initiative in proposing new ideas, and his guts in posting his ideas here for public discussion. It is a discussion forum after all.
Besides that, I still owe Fred for stopping to pull me out of a snowbank after I made a mistake during the Criterium des Neiges rally. Despite the two minutes lost towing us out, Fred went on to take first place overall in that event.
Anthony_T wrote on 03/19/7 at 17:24:19:Rightly or wrongly, beginners rely much more on the experience of the organizers in determining what circumstances are safe to run without safety equipment. For this reason I think that safety needs to be the top concern when it is open to novice competitors using cars without safety equipment. When people get hurt, any growth in the sport will be nullified by those that retire from competition as a result of losing faith that organizers always have the competitor's safety in mind when designing events.
That really is an excellent point and something that cannot be stressed enough.
I had taken part in many navex rallies before hearing about the winter drivex series and finally taking part in my first OWR. It scared the crap out of me.
Being a novice to this type of event, I really had no idea beforehand how intense the experience would be. But I was hooked. It was only after several times competing that I came to appreciate how much effort and organisational skill goes into preparing a top-notch event like this so that it can be run as safely as it is.
It's definitely
not a venue to simply turn loose a bunch of lunatics in fast cars on fun roads. A lot of thought goes into designating
and enforcing proper Quiet Zones, marking Caution instructions in the route book where required, setting realistic CAS speeds, and mapping and scheduling a route using interesting and remote roads at an hour when we are least likely to meet oncoming traffic.
As a Novice during my first OWR, just trying not to fall off the road, I didn't get much chance to think about any of that. But in each subsequent year I came to appreciate more and more how much responsibilty rests on the organizer's shoulders to ensure the event is run safely.