I think the subtlety that sawinatthewheel is talking about in his OP is getting lost here. He's not referring to bumping, which could be fairly defined as the intentional hitting of another's car with one's own car. He's talking about truly incidental contact -- minor and unintentional -- the kind that does not impact upon the trajectory of either car as they go down the track.
I disagree with serj's statement that "contact and off-track excursions are either a result of inconsistency or a consistent desire to be a dick." I think that's an overstatement. It is possible (and not even unlikely) to have minor, unintentional contact and 2-wheels off even if you are not a dick and are overall pretty consistent. We've all had 2-offs in practice or race conditions where that was the result of constantly changing conditions of racing, and it doesn't mean that we're all bad drivers when it happens. It just happens, and it happens even to the best drivers in the world when they're all alone on their F1 testing days.
I would agree with that statement if it were amended to say "frequent and/or repeated contact and off track excursions contact and off-track excursions are either a result of inconsistency or a consistent desire to be a dick."
I don't think that the OP's point was that we should trend towards all-out racing, but merely that marginally fewer black flags might result in increased enjoyment for all involved -- drivers, judges, staff, fans, etc.
Pat Mulry, TARP Racing #67
Mandatory disclaimer: all opinions expressed are mine alone & not those of 24HOL, its mgmt, sponsors, etc.
