I was racing at Willow Springs this past weekend.
Another competitor put up this video of the opening corners; starting at the one minute mark is the rear view camera and you can see me in little red Datsun dive down the inside at turn one. I clearly catch the 356 driver off guard.
After seeing this video it did occur to me some might consider this a dive bomb. Note I don't as I was past the 356 when the driver reacted. Also note I am well aware that I'm aggressive but I've managed to race cleanly for the last 38 years.
I'd be interested to see what my fellow racers think.......I may need to change my name to Max.
PS I need to learn how to get these to post directly.
It looked like a clean pass in a racing situation to me. The Porsche driver should have been situationally aware that there were competitors around him and he obviously left more than enough room for a car to safely pass on the inside if someone wanted to do so. I mean, the door was wide open. If he was surprised by that, then maybe he has to work on his race craft a bit?
That last bit sounds harsh, but it was a race and not a lapping session, so ....
I think it's the quick lateral move that makes this looks more aggressive than it was. It also might have been what caught the other driver out a bit.
looks clean to me but I could see the other driver moving left earlier not realizing you were no longer on his right. So I'd say it was clean but risky. Being predictable is a huge component of being safe.
also glad to see things still happening at wsir. Hopefully the new owners keep it open for public use.
It's hard to say from that view angle. Certainly it's a late pass and it looks like it surprised the Porsche driver, but the wide angled view screws up perspective so I can't really see where the brake zone or turn-in points are, and even figuring out precisely when you're alongside is hard (front wheel to driver's door in the NASA rule -- is VARA the same?).
Do you have video of it from your car?
jfryjfry said:
I think it's the quick lateral move that makes this looks more aggressive than it was. It also might have been what caught the other driver out a bit.
looks clean to me but I could see the other driver moving left earlier not realizing you were no longer on his right. So I'd say it was clean but risky. Being predictable is a huge component of being safe.
also glad to see things still happening at wsir. Hopefully the new owners keep it open for public use.
I still have a motorcycle racer brain; I saw the hole and took it.
I'd originally planned to go round the outside but as the 356 moved right, the hole opened on the left. I tend to be better than most folks on cold tires as well as on the brakes.
The young driver in the 240SX saw the same hole as I did but obviously I beat him to it.
As for Willow Springs rumor has it the folks involved are indeed motorsports people. The place, as you know, is in desperate need of improvements. I'm also told they are intending to invest significant money in upgrades.
You ran off and left him, looks like a clean pass to me.
I certainly hope the track continues on. I always wanted to drive the big track. A friend of our ran an AIS car and I got to see the track at around 13. Any interest I had for circle track racing evaporated that day.
I've seen the iRacing AI do this when you set their age to 80.
It's only a dive bomb if you're behind the other car when they start turning into the corner. You're clearly ahead here by enough to be in their central vision.

red_stapler said:
I've seen the iRacing AI do this when you set their age to 80.
i LOL'd
You're clearly ahead here by enough to be in their central vision.
Agreed. He must have been looking to his right.
Mr_Asa
MegaDork
4/2/25 6:11 p.m.
Tom, hope you dont mind, since you expressed a need to know I edited your post to show you how to embed videos
Click this button

Put the link in the window. Hit "ok"

In reply to red_stapler :
Wow that makes it really clear.
I am aggressive on the starts for three reasons:
1. I'm trying to build a gap to the cars behind me; as the video shows I get mauled on the straights. If I can build a gap before the back straight I can hold off cars long enough to build a solid gap.
2. Very often I manage to pick off a car with a couple of corners to go and improve my overall finish.
3. I am trying to stay on the lead lap and sometimes it's really close.
You can't call yourself Max unless you run him off the track! 😁
It looks like that turn was a fast sweeper, was there even a brake zone there? Hard to be a "dive bomb" when nobody is slowing down. Regardless, you were ahead of him by the apex so no dive bomb. I think he was definitely expecting you to come up the outside and probably didn't spot your move to the inside line, but he left the door open so...
His a-pillar was a blind spot
/when looking the other way
For the record the driver is a her. She and her son race together.......it's pretty cool.
Tom1200 said:
I still have a motorcycle racer brain; I saw the hole and took it.
Motorcycle racing is my only perspective and from that point of view it was a very clean pass. No question at all in my mind. Seeing the picture where you're 3/4 of the way by with lots of room left solidifies it for me. Hopefully they recognize it as just being surprised that you zigged when they expected a zag and nothing more.
You made a clean pass before she even turned the wheel. It's not your fault if her situational awareness is lacking.
I agree with others, it was a clean pass. The 356 driver needs to improve their situational awareness, especially on the first lap. She probably hadn't looked in her mirrors since before the turn-in point, and was so focused on the apex that she was probably surprised to find another car already there.
Watching the video reminds me how much I miss wheel-to-wheel racing!
Is it a vintage race? Maybe a bit aggressive. Regular class racing, all good.
Tom1200
PowerDork
4/2/25 11:18 p.m.
It was the jink to the left that made me think the possibility existed that it was a dive bomb.
Glad you guys saw it as a clean pass.
Tom1200
PowerDork
4/2/25 11:19 p.m.
Streetwiseguy said:
Is it a vintage race? Maybe a bit aggressive. Regular class racing, all good.
It was a vintage race and yes by vintage standards I am very aggressive but I also race people cleanly.