I think that the last poster caught a couple of good points but maybe should have elaborated on them a bit.
The issues with Insurance are not about bent cars or claims for indemnity of racing cars... it's about liability of the SCCA and Events for "allowing this to happen". "THIS" can be anything, but one example is how the surviving family of a Navvie is suing the SCCA for "allowing such an incompitant driver to compete in the first place".
The fact that there is NO STANDARD by which we let someone DRIVE a car in the first place is why the SCCA will most likely LOOSE this battle. Waiver be hanged, they let any ol' Yahoo in the car without questioning his experience or requiring any proof of ability or training.
Taking away 4WD cars doesn't make it any safer. Taking away the ability for any yahoo to jump in ANY car and run recklessly through the woods DOES.
Point of view - I am the Oregon Region Recovery Steward (Sweep) for all events held here. Oregon Trail Pro Rally and Mt. Hood Club Rally, which is running this next weekend, has it's share of cars that end up in the ditch or worse.
After pulling cars out of the Woods for over 5 years, I can say with total conviction that it is NOT the 4WD that dominates the repair shops of the post-Rally efforts.
I've pulled G2, G5, Open and Production with no apparent domination. If I were to pick a class that I've had to deal with more than any other, it would have to be G2 or G5. The rear wheel drive cars are alway there with their ass in the ditch but can't get out and the FWD cars tend to be nose in.
Of the more serious incedents, roll overs and totalling of the competitors cars, again, I have seen a pretty even playing field of cars endo'd in the ditch or along the side of a tree.
I have a great picture of Carl Jardevall wnadering around his pretty well done Volvo G5 car after he stuffed it at OTPR a couple years ago.
How about Doug Shepard taking the entire rear corner off his car at OTPR last year?
Yes, there have been 4WD cars that have taken som hits too.
But... the overwhelming majority, if not ALL, the 4WD cars that we've had the displeasure of filling out an incident report for have been PRO drivers. Most Open and Group N cars seem to be Pro runners although there is a smattering of PGT runners in there as well that are not.
But, by and large the greatest average of recoveries on Stage of ill-placed Rally Cars are 2WD in some sort and fashion.
How should I weigh this experience and statistic with the idea that taking 4WD cars away from some 3rd party's determination of a Rookie? How can I look at the reality that I will still continue to pull "Rookies" or those that make Rookie Mistakes out of the woods, only this time in an extra car they had to pay MORE for to compete... eventually... in the car they started out with in the FIRST place.
How can I justify that?
The truth is that the CAR doesn't break the Driver, the Driver does. Any one of us can try to drive ANY car beyond our abilities. And THAT is how accidents happen.
So unless you want to shoulder BOTH the cost of the "loaner" G2 or G5 Rally car and cover the likely costs of repairs, I suggest that we leave the choice of vehicle to the pocket books of the teams.
The BETTER choice is to require, as does Road Racing, certification and lisencing in order to DRIVE a Rally AT ALL. A one hour Novice Instructional meeting about what is required to drive a GO CART at a FUN FAIR. It should not be the basis of a competitive lisence.
1 - REQUIRE a Driver to have a Valid Driver's Lisence to go to a Rally School. Fundamentals should include car control and experience in MANY different configurations of cars... 2WD and 4WD. It should also INCLUDE a course on PACE NOTES and Route Books. I think it;s important for a Driver to see the notes as the Navvie would to help increase better and clear communications.
2 - After successfully completing the Fundamental Rally School, a perspective Driver must then take a course in the specific configuration of car they intend to race. A G2 course, of a G5 course or... to address the concern at hand... an AWD/4WD course. After successfully completing this course, they would be given a PROVISIONAL (Insert class here) LISENCE. With that certification and license, you are ONLY able to drive that class of car.
3 - The Provisional License puts that driver into a different RISK GROUP that is insured at a different rate than vested drivers. Therefore, they pay more for their Insurance during their provisional period, then after they are granted a full Unrestricted (insert class here) License.
4 - The Provisional Period is 5 Races. They must COMPLETE, read NO DNFs, 5 successive races with no significant incidents. I'm not talking about a flat or a minor ditch off. Once they have done this, they are then awarded their unrestricted (insert class here) license.
5 - Compeitors can hold multiple class licenses. However, they must go through the SAME process for EACH class license. Regardless of their "experience" level. No one is judging their ability except to the standards of the School and their performance during their Provisonal period.
BENEFITS --
~ Lower overall Insurance Costs due to the correctly identified risk and compartmentalized costs. The Insurer doesn't have to invent or "guestimate" the skill level and spread the higher rates throughout the entire club, as puported with the SCCA demise.
~ Increased Revenues for the Club. The provision of Sanctioned Schools and events increases not only the physical profitability of the Club but the marketability with current and future Schools and Venues that can work directly with the Club to also boost their own exposure.
~ Improved Competitor involvement due to Provisional requirements. The motivation here is to both get their unrestricted license AND to lower their costs by "gradutating" out of the Provisional Insurance bracket.
~ SAFER events. Drivers will have to weigh their persuit of their unrestricted license against the persuit of a racing title. They will driver cleaner and safer (read - gain safe experience), in order to gain their status and reduce their costs. Then take that experience, safety and confidence with them to the persuit of an eventual title.
~ Improved Sponsor and Advertiser relationships. Cheaper and safer means more teams and a better overall image. More teams mean more spectators and more exposure. More expsoure means bigger and better Sponsors and Advertisers. Which all translates into increased revenues, better venues, better coverage and more incentives to teams and their sponsors. In a word, exposure.
~ Employing this standardization not only avoids the 3rd party, arbitrary rankings of individual drivers but more closely alligns us with other Rally endeavors such as NASA events and, perhaps more importantly, CARS or Canadian Rally events. A Can-Am Series would easily be accomplished with this kind of joint-standard involvment and resolution.
DEFICITS --
~ Drivers will have to pay for Schooling and that's an expense. One that, I believe, is worth it and they will too.
~ Increased costs during the Provisional Period. True, but it's only temporary and offers a good motivation to drive safely and get their Unrestricted Class License.
~ Increased costs to obtain additional Licenses. Again, which will be offset with the reduced Insurance costs Individually as their Unrestricted License is granted AND as the Club as, overall, Drivers move to Unresricted Licenses.
~ Many Regions do not have enough events for a local only Driver to gain his Unrestricted License in a timely manner. He may have to travel to get his 5 races in during a given year. Or, it may be incombent to the local Region to provide more events. Either way, it increases exposure and event participation and that, eventually, will reduce overall costs as well. No, Rally Cross doesn't count. But I don't see whay a CARS or NASA Rally couldn't.
~ Current SCCA License holders... Basically, if you are not a top seeded team and/or ranked as a Pro Driver with documented experience and safety, you'll need to go through the motions just as everyone else. This will hurt some egos and cost some time/resources but again... it takes away the guesswork of the Insurer which, in the not-so-long term... LOWERS COSTS.
So...
-Limiting risk controls Insurance.
-Insurance affects costs, Marekting brings exposure.
-Costs and Marketing affect participation.
-Participation affects Spectators, Sponsors, Promoters and Advertisers.
-Spectatorsm Sponsors, Promoters and Advertisers bring Revenues and Venues.
Again, with some serious marketing to get the word out, I think this is the
VERY BEST CHANCE of survival that Rally America has with Rally in the US.
Just my $14.75 cents worth... .02 cents just wasn't enough.
Scott "DKOV" Kovalik
ORG Recovery Steward
ORG Rally Cross Director
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Ignore my spelling, not the content