RE: ACP
well, the reality of the situation, though, is not the short time control stopping space (it was tight, but not too tight). The problem was the dust. Even if it was 300m further, you still would 'have only lifted'... (i'm not arguing against you, I'm trying to point out another big issue here).
I lobbied several times, to the point of pissing off some people, that the dust was really bad. I think they just thought I was trying to get an edge (which I was), but I wasn't making it up. Worst than the worst I've ever seen at Wild West, for example. The one minute window is a JOKE (or 2 for those that were lucky enough to have them) when the conditions were like that. Take a look at this picture, (which was taken 1/2 way through a 25 km stage).
http://www.alakazoo.com/Defi/DCP_0217.jpg
yes, that is the car's in front dust. See other pics of 'first car' and 'car with no one in front of him' to compare at
http://www.alakazoo.com/Defi/ and also see ACP's dust factor.
Yeah yeah everyone says "well that is rally" and yes, I agree, that is rally, and yes, I have suffered through dust before but if you tell me that because xx car goes off the road and the guys behind him win every stage, then when they are in dust they are 2-3 secs/km behind everyone else, if "that is rally" then "rally is a joke". And when I myself have several (6-7+) times where we are actually in a turn when the dust goes thicker and you go the wrong way at a junction, is it still just a competition issue and not a safety issue ?
You'd think it is safety. The steward told me "we will go to 2 minutes if it is a safety issue" and I asked "who makes the call if it is a safety issue, I think it is" and the answer is "hehe not just fo rone or 2 guys catching cars". The incar will show the truth, but the stewards who refused to go to 2 min windows for the faster cars should be to blame for ACPs crash, not the organizers and the stopping distance.
The rally was great roads, but the dust almost made the results a complete joke. I loved the rally. But Andrew's crash is a direct result of the refusal to give on the dust issue. Top 10 cars with 2 minute windows like in US == rally finishing 10 minutes later.
Get with the program.
If ACP had a 2 min window and hit him anyways, well, then, ummm, I guess he would have hit somthing eventually
-Pat