This is a reminder of the Spectating Plan for the Brockway Mountain Stage at LSPR this October.
We do not want anyone to try to access the "Jump" and be surprised and angered when turned away.
Please pass this message on to others in the Rally community as you see fit.
--
The Brockway Mountain Stage and its jump have become famous in the U.S. Rally community. After the 2001 Lake Superior ProRally (LSPR) and Keweenaw ClubRally, competitors, spectators, organizers, workers, and the local law enforcement raised many concerns of spectator and competitor safety. The organizing committee for the 2002 LSPR recently met to discuss the safety concerns and possible solutions.
There were two major safety concerns, people standing in the impact zone after the jump and spectators walking in and out of the stage during competition. Controlling of where people stand could possibly be accomplished with better banner placement and more marshals to keep the spectators behind it. The bigger problem is that the only way to get to the most popular jump area is to walk down the stage, and many spectators like to only watch the top cars and then leave. One competitor said, "It looked like a shopping mall parking lot, there were people on both sides of the road and a woman with a baby carriage on the outside of a corner."
We looked at many possible solutions, getting the local fire department or business community to charge spectating fees and help control traffic, mass transport of spectators, stopping after 20 cars to let people walk out, moving the finish line, not allowing anyone on the stage, and even canceling the stage entirely.
After much debate, this is the plan for the 2002 LSPR and Keweenaw ClubRally Brockway Mountain Stage:
1. This stage will be run only once.
2. Marshals will be posted after the end of the stage at the intersection of Brockway Mountain Drive and M-26, only officially credentialed Press will be allowed into the end of the stage and the "jump". Unauthorized persons attempting to gain access to the stage may be ticketed and removed.
3. Marshals will address the Press as to where they can and cannot stand. No one will be allowed past the "jump" area. All Press must stay in place until the final sweep vehicle has cleared the stage and the road is open to non-rally traffic.
4. Spectators will be allowed to walk in from the start of the stage 1/2 mile to the first major corner. No one will be allowed beyond this area. Marshals will direct the Spectators as to where they can and cannot stand.
5. All Press and Spectators must be in place 30 minutes before the First Car is scheduled to start.
6. No one will be allowed in from either end after Car "0" has entered the stage.
7. If anyone is anywhere on the stage in a place they should not be, they will be asked to move. If they choose not to, the stage will be canceled.
Our hope is that this year the spectators will show, they will follow instructions, and that they understand and respect our safety concerns. If all goes well, in future years we may once again allow spectating at the "jump". We know our plan will generate much debate in the Rally Community. Please understand the decision has been made and it is a condition of road use permission. We wanted to share the solution with you early so you may plan your working, competing, crewing, spectating and press activities for LSPR 2002 accordingly.
We do not want anyone to try to access the "Jump" and be surprised and angered when turned away.
Please pass this message on to others in the Rally community as you see fit.
--
The Brockway Mountain Stage and its jump have become famous in the U.S. Rally community. After the 2001 Lake Superior ProRally (LSPR) and Keweenaw ClubRally, competitors, spectators, organizers, workers, and the local law enforcement raised many concerns of spectator and competitor safety. The organizing committee for the 2002 LSPR recently met to discuss the safety concerns and possible solutions.
There were two major safety concerns, people standing in the impact zone after the jump and spectators walking in and out of the stage during competition. Controlling of where people stand could possibly be accomplished with better banner placement and more marshals to keep the spectators behind it. The bigger problem is that the only way to get to the most popular jump area is to walk down the stage, and many spectators like to only watch the top cars and then leave. One competitor said, "It looked like a shopping mall parking lot, there were people on both sides of the road and a woman with a baby carriage on the outside of a corner."
We looked at many possible solutions, getting the local fire department or business community to charge spectating fees and help control traffic, mass transport of spectators, stopping after 20 cars to let people walk out, moving the finish line, not allowing anyone on the stage, and even canceling the stage entirely.
After much debate, this is the plan for the 2002 LSPR and Keweenaw ClubRally Brockway Mountain Stage:
1. This stage will be run only once.
2. Marshals will be posted after the end of the stage at the intersection of Brockway Mountain Drive and M-26, only officially credentialed Press will be allowed into the end of the stage and the "jump". Unauthorized persons attempting to gain access to the stage may be ticketed and removed.
3. Marshals will address the Press as to where they can and cannot stand. No one will be allowed past the "jump" area. All Press must stay in place until the final sweep vehicle has cleared the stage and the road is open to non-rally traffic.
4. Spectators will be allowed to walk in from the start of the stage 1/2 mile to the first major corner. No one will be allowed beyond this area. Marshals will direct the Spectators as to where they can and cannot stand.
5. All Press and Spectators must be in place 30 minutes before the First Car is scheduled to start.
6. No one will be allowed in from either end after Car "0" has entered the stage.
7. If anyone is anywhere on the stage in a place they should not be, they will be asked to move. If they choose not to, the stage will be canceled.
Our hope is that this year the spectators will show, they will follow instructions, and that they understand and respect our safety concerns. If all goes well, in future years we may once again allow spectating at the "jump". We know our plan will generate much debate in the Rally Community. Please understand the decision has been made and it is a condition of road use permission. We wanted to share the solution with you early so you may plan your working, competing, crewing, spectating and press activities for LSPR 2002 accordingly.
Great--encourage the great American couch potato to sit at home and watch rally on TV instead of experiencing it first hand. How about you keep the cameras away, too, just to make it fair?
