Thank You and to those that are interested

Cotten · 02-21-2013, 02:42 PM

I want to thank everone who posted, calls, texts and emails with congrats for my runner up at Pomona. I also apologize for not returning calls for a couple of days while I digested what happened.

Today, I met with Mike Rice and Jeff Foster. I told them at the beginning of the meeting that I was going to post the answers to these questions on the forum. I am satisfied with these answers and ready to put this incident behind me.

1. It is not impossible to have a roll back red light with the stage lock on. But, it requires a motion of at least of a half inch to the rear. It was the starters determination the car did not move.

2. The stage lock system is automatically programmed by category.

3. NHRA is going to renew their efforts including reminding photographers of the limits of the zones where no flash photography should happen.

4. In a perfect storm a situation like this can obviously exist due from a reflextive flash. NHRA is aware of this and it is the starters determination as to whether or not the the red light driver has moved and the red light was a result of the flash.

I believe that once that red light came on no good conclusion was possible. If I had been declared the winner, Jimmy would have been added to the list of racers on the losing end of this situation and I would have been the winner of a very controversial final.

I would like people to know what happened in the time immediately after the original final. It is obvious from the video I went down the track thinking I had repeated at the Winternationals.

I pulled over to where the other sportsman winners were stopped on the top end and was congratulated by the event sponsors, photographed holding a Wally over my head holding up two fingers and generally enjoying the victory for about 5-10 minutes. I was not made aware there was a rerun until driving down the return road near the scales. I even had an event winners hat in the seat beside me during the rerun.

I blame no one, none of these people knew. I only tell this part to explain the emotions I was feeling during and after the rerun.

Jimmy has reached out to me and I plan to talk to him and his father in Phoenix. After 30 years of friendship I am sure we can get past this situtation.

I still love NHRA racing. I have always loved working on and driving my cars. Paula and I love going to the races and having a great time with our friends and plan to do so as long as we can.

Thanks.

Marty Buth · 02-21-2013, 02:54 PM

Nice post, Mike. The post speaks a lot about you. You have always been a true gentleman at the races when I have talked to you. Good luck to you at Phoenix.

Bob Bender · 02-21-2013, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marty buth

nice post, mike. The post speaks a lot about you. You have always been a true gentleman at the races when i have talked to you. Good luck to you at phoenix.

x2

rod butcher · 02-21-2013, 03:05 PM

x3

HR9121 · 02-21-2013, 03:14 PM

You are a class act sir. Good luck rest of the season, I hope I could keep my composure that well in the same situation.

CycloneFE · 02-21-2013, 03:15 PM

A real "stand up" guy.

Jack Matyas · 02-21-2013, 03:15 PM

Mr. Cotten - I applaude you for your sportsman conduct as most would be very , very bitter given the circumstances .And I'm sure with that same attitude you'll repeat - keep trying ..............

modelman1960 · 02-21-2013, 04:08 PM

Mr. Cotten, your comments and explanation have the words "professional", "humble", "gracious" and "class act" written all over them. You've gained a new fan with those words, and I only hope to someday meet you and your wife. May you have the best rest of the season sir. You've earned it.
God bless.
Walt

Toby Lang · 02-21-2013, 04:10 PM

Very classy, Mike. You have always been a class act.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cotten

4. In a perfect storm a situation like this can obviously exist due from a reflextive flash. NHRA is aware of this and it is the starters determination as to whether or not the the red light driver has moved and the red light was a result of the flash.

I'm not buying this. Yes, there was a perfect storm. A perfect storm within their software that allows a glitch like this to happen.

It's clear from the frames I posted in the other thread that there was a flash, but it clearly came AFTER the red light came on.

If there was another flash it should be easy to see from one of the other video cameras ESPN had at the race. They had at least four cameras on the starting line. One in front of the tree, two hand helds on the starting line and one on a scissor lift. They also had a camera at the 330' mark.

In the video from the camera above it should be easy to see if there was another flash right before the red light came on, but I don't think there was and they will probably never show it to you. It's much easier just to blame the photographers.

Good luck this weekend, Mike. Go get in the final again.

Dale Hulquist · 02-21-2013, 04:13 PM

So thats were the Class comes from in CLASSRACER. Great job Mike.

02-21-2013, 02:42 PM	#1
Cotten Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 234 Likes: 484 Liked 556 Times in 69 Posts	Thank You and to those that are interested I want to thank everone who posted, calls, texts and emails with congrats for my runner up at Pomona. I also apologize for not returning calls for a couple of days while I digested what happened. Today, I met with Mike Rice and Jeff Foster. I told them at the beginning of the meeting that I was going to post the answers to these questions on the forum. I am satisfied with these answers and ready to put this incident behind me. 1. It is not impossible to have a roll back red light with the stage lock on. But, it requires a motion of at least of a half inch to the rear. It was the starters determination the car did not move. 2. The stage lock system is automatically programmed by category. 3. NHRA is going to renew their efforts including reminding photographers of the limits of the zones where no flash photography should happen. 4. In a perfect storm a situation like this can obviously exist due from a reflextive flash. NHRA is aware of this and it is the starters determination as to whether or not the the red light driver has moved and the red light was a result of the flash. I believe that once that red light came on no good conclusion was possible. If I had been declared the winner, Jimmy would have been added to the list of racers on the losing end of this situation and I would have been the winner of a very controversial final. I would like people to know what happened in the time immediately after the original final. It is obvious from the video I went down the track thinking I had repeated at the Winternationals. I pulled over to where the other sportsman winners were stopped on the top end and was congratulated by the event sponsors, photographed holding a Wally over my head holding up two fingers and generally enjoying the victory for about 5-10 minutes. I was not made aware there was a rerun until driving down the return road near the scales. I even had an event winners hat in the seat beside me during the rerun. I blame no one, none of these people knew. I only tell this part to explain the emotions I was feeling during and after the rerun. Jimmy has reached out to me and I plan to talk to him and his father in Phoenix. After 30 years of friendship I am sure we can get past this situtation. I still love NHRA racing. I have always loved working on and driving my cars. Paula and I love going to the races and having a great time with our friends and plan to do so as long as we can. Thanks.

02-21-2013, 02:54 PM	#2
Marty Buth Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Freeport, IL Posts: 467 Likes: 648 Liked 232 Times in 39 Posts	Re: Thank You and to those that are interested Nice post, Mike. The post speaks a lot about you. You have always been a true gentleman at the races when I have talked to you. Good luck to you at Phoenix. __________________ Marty Buth 3657 STK

02-21-2013, 03:05 PM	#4
rod butcher Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 252 Likes: 297 Liked 132 Times in 27 Posts	Re: Thank You and to those that are interested x3

02-21-2013, 03:14 PM	#5
HR9121 Live Reporter Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: New Bern, NC Posts: 3,467 Likes: 146 Liked 3,363 Times in 731 Posts	Re: Thank You and to those that are interested You are a class act sir. Good luck rest of the season, I hope I could keep my composure that well in the same situation. __________________ James Williamson W200 J/SA. SS/JA

02-21-2013, 03:15 PM	#6
CycloneFE Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Decatur Illinois Posts: 634 Likes: 0 Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Thank You and to those that are interested A real "stand up" guy. __________________ Steve Jackson

02-21-2013, 03:15 PM	#7
Jack Matyas Live Reporter Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Bethlehem , PA -Christmas City , USA Posts: 4,926 Likes: 406 Liked 2,046 Times in 398 Posts	Re: Thank You and to those that are interested Mr. Cotten - I applaude you for your sportsman conduct as most would be very , very bitter given the circumstances .And I'm sure with that same attitude you'll repeat - keep trying .............. __________________ Jack Matyas 1547 FS/C 2015 Camaro COPO # 62- 2012 Camaro Convertible COPO

02-21-2013, 04:08 PM	#8
modelman1960 Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Central N.Y. Posts: 229 Likes: 2 Liked 55 Times in 22 Posts	Re: Thank You and to those that are interested Mr. Cotten, your comments and explanation have the words "professional", "humble", "gracious" and "class act" written all over them. You've gained a new fan with those words, and I only hope to someday meet you and your wife. May you have the best rest of the season sir. You've earned it. God bless. Walt

02-21-2013, 04:13 PM	#10
Dale Hulquist Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Crosby Texas Posts: 440 Likes: 599 Liked 351 Times in 76 Posts	Re: Thank You and to those that are interested So thats were the Class comes from in CLASSRACER. Great job Mike.