The 24 Hours of Lemons Forums → Lemons Newcomers → Kershaw People's Curse
I have a question. Tell me how many times this has happened.
The People Curse vote came in, and Jay asked to have the car spared. So it was not crushed and went on to win the race. Should there not be some type of penalty here? If you spare it from the crusher, then dock them some laps or maybe Jay should have claimed it or crushed it after the race...
Any thoughts? Has this ever happened before??
I understand that this curse may have been somewhat of an unusual circumstance but I felt it should have happened as the competitors had voted. No matter what kind of impromptu voting occured at the excavators, the people spoke when they turned in their ballots. I agree this team was very good and that they are legal as they come but the curse is meant to be decided by the people. I think Jay was in a good mood or something yesterday. While he was giving his speech, I thought he was going to claim it, not give him a free pass.
Kudos to White Lightning on winning though.
I agree. Why even have the people vote if you don't like the results? Fair or unfair, the people had spoken and the curse should have been carried out. In the end I guess we all need to learn and accept this Jay's race and he can do what ever the hell he wants...and he did.
I wasn't there so assign whatever weight to my opinion that you see fit.
The people voted but Jay asked for clemency. He is Aunty Entity at his own personal Thunderdome so the occasional appearance of favor is certainly his right.
If the racers are pissed enough, the next RX-7 in a podium position will probably get even more votes and the crowd will be hungry for blood.
He is Aunty Entity at his own personal Thunderdome so the occasional appearance of favor is certainly his right.
Like I said, Jay's race...Jay's rules...subject to change w/o prior notice.
The curse should be reserved for cheaters and asshats. My understanding is that the most votes went to the team in the lead and second most amount of votes went to the team in second. Those teams were also not being asshats so Jay asked that they be spared.
I was not there and didn't watch any on the webcast, but from what I've read, I agree with Rob. Just because you are leading doesn't mean you are cheating. Maybe they were, but it sure doesn't appear to be blatant. I think the curse needs to be reserved for cheaters and asshats just like Rob said. There could be races without the curse and that would be fine with me.
Really, there were not too many asshats on the track. It made it hard to pick. We almost voted for no one to be crushed, but we aren't saints. The behavior on the track was pretty impressive.
We almost voted for no one to be crushed, but we aren't saints. The behavior on the track was pretty impressive.
Our team had the same delima. Yeah we might have got blocked once or chopped in a corner but all in all everyone was very cool
Why not let the curse be brought on one's self. Car with the most black flags.
Pretty simple.
KT
I agree it was a pretty clean race, and I was one of the drivers so I was there.. But I also do not see where in the rules it says if there is a clean race no one gets crushed.. Something should have been done since that got a lucky brake, and giving them $1500 does not sound like much of a penalty.. If it had been our car picked, and we had not been "asshats" I bet ours would have still been crushed... But again like NASCAR, it's Jay's rules and we only get to play in his Sandbox....
Wether they were driving good or not, they still pulled 25% of the votes from all teams. That many people couldn't all be wrong in my opinion. White Ligntning received the ultimate get out of jail free card. I did think it was a little odd that it was parked down at the crusher with everything still intact, except the battery of course.
My 2 cents. No one deserved to be chushed yesterday. Justice was served.
The behavior on the track was pretty impressive.
I agree. Maybe lot of the newbies went to the race school they had? People were MUCH better with hand signals and general on track courtesy this time around IMO. I got chopped off in a corner or two (once by the leader who didn't _need_ to do that) but overall everyone was pretty cool when I was out there. During my 4 hours I had zero contact which I thought was great since I pretty much drove as hard as I could and still be safe.
It sounds like the intent of the rule was to instill fear in the cheaters and justice to both the cheaters and the "asshats" on the track. It seems to have "worked its purpsoe", namely there wasn't blatant cheating and the driving was good. Perhpas the rule should be OFFICIALLY ammended to read that at the sole discretion of the officials the "peoples curse" winner can be unconditionally (or conditionally for that matter) pardoned if they feel the winner of the "peoples curse" vote was more out of spite (like being the leader or second) than because of cheating or over the top driving.
I mean come on, really, if the driving has been good for the most part, and no indication of cheating our competitive nature is to "take out" the 'alpha male car'. Why not? It increases your chance of winning if you can take out the alpha male. Sounds like FAIRNESS was at the root of the decision yesterday.
It doesn't mean it will be that way at Thundewrhill and in fact that is the FIRST time that has ever happened, right?
It's not new that the severity of the curse got toned down.
In the past, even at races with excavators available, the organizers have sometimes allowed the cursed car to drive again. The 7-series at Altamont, the fastest-lap Crown Vic earlier this year both could have been completely destroyed, but the powers that be decided to let them be partially spared.
And technically this has occurred even more recently, when Jay's bus was destroyed instead of the curse winner at Reno.
I think Buttonwillow was a good version of the curse. The crowd gets involved, the car doesn't get destroyed and it gives the cursed a shot at a heroic fix.
I agree with trekkor, the curse should be given to the most black flags... I was glad to see the leader spared.
what if there is a "tie" with the cars that have the most black flags? I like the way kit is now with a possible "pardon" from the officials and/or the crowd kinda like Roman days.
That RX7 deserved the curse 100%...
...last April. I saw one of the drivers cutting everyone off (including me) and passing on the grass numerous times. We're talking 4 wheels off, over and over, and no flag.
This time, not so much. They may have a helluva cheater motor, or they may just have an extremely well-prepped $500 race car, but they ran clean. Clean, non-cheating teams DO NOT deserve crushing for their efforts, but IMHO, they DO deserve to get a penalty, not be let back out in the #1 position.
First off, I think the curse sucks.
Second, Jay's sole intent of the curse was for assholes on the track not cheating. He very clearly stated that in the Octane TV videos.
Third, this is not the first time a car was spared as when they crushed Jay's bus.
When the Miata in New Orleans bailed, they did not earn the curse. They drove nice and their car got a very thorough inspection.
No matter how the votes go, I think some decision about it being earned should be made. It's as democratic as voting for the US President. All the citizens pick who they like then the electoral college votes and they don't have to follow the people.
Regarding the car with the most black flags getting cursed. That's pretty harsh for a team of complete newbies. All my black flags have been for going off track, half of which were to avoid perceived accidents. No harm to anyone else. I'd hate to get crushed for that.
I am glad to see a car get spared.
Jay's race.
Jay's rules.
Next question.
Please sir, can I have another
Spud
The first- and second-place cars got about half the Curse votes between them. Both were running very clean races, and both made it through fairly extreme BS Inspection scrutiny and came out pretty clean (yes, you've all heard endless rumors about the Lightning McQueen car's engine being "spread all over" some high-end race shop, but the very same people were ready to show us "proof" of Obama's Kenyan birth certificate). We've given the White Lightning car and team captain the most ruthless third degree we have to offer in three races now, and that Mazda is a steaming turd.
So, the only reason either one of those cars got a good chunk of Curse votes was pretty clear: their drivers and tactics were better than what a few dozen disgruntled voters liked to see (also, and I won't mention names, there was a lot of poison-in-ear lobbying being done by some individuals working the pits on Saturday night in hopes of eliminating some competition). We weren't happy about the results of the ballot, just like we weren't happy with those Miata guys getting Cursed both times at the MSR races (the Louisiana race was a bit different, because they refused to learn their lesson and switch car types, but we've discussed that incident ad fucking nauseum), but the People's Curse really is about the will of the people.
However, when the winner gets a plurality of 23 votes out of 100 (with the second-place car getting nearly as many votes) and the team's only real crime is being good, we like to give the rabble a chance to reconsider their decision. When given a choice between seeing three dead Lemons cars destroyed or the clean-driving leader taken out, the mob overwhelmingly chose the former.
I won't mention names, there was a lot of poison-in-ear lobbying being done by some individuals working the pits on Saturday night in hopes of eliminating some competition
Backdoor politics... Sounds like they may have voted themselves into a future curse.
Give me the names of the shady and I'll be happy to throw them under the bus.
agree w/ Riktor. the surest way to earn a Curse vote is to start campaigning for someone else to get crushed, esp if they don't really deserve it.
Wether they were driving good or not, they still pulled 25% of the votes from all teams. That many people couldn't all be wrong in my opinion.
or...
77% of the voters thought it shouldn't be crushed. all those people couldn't be wrong in my opinion. 
i think that the top vote-getter should need something like 40% of the votes to be crushed. when someone really deserves it, they generally get enough votes that it's pretty clear.
Really, there were not too many asshats on the track. It made it hard to pick. We almost voted for no one to be crushed, but we aren't saints. The behavior on the track was pretty impressive.
yep. it was tough this time. we abstained from voting b/c we didn't think anyone really deserved it. plus we lost our ballot.
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