Mike Cotten you are the MAN! - Page 9

Rory McNeil · 02-20-2013, 03:22 PM

Although I agree with the "you stage, you bought it" when it comes to not checking for the correct dial or index on the display board or score boards, and staging your car, thats YOUR fault for not checking. However, if you lose due to an equipment malfunction that is beyond your control, I can`t imagine anybody here would just shrug their shoulders and say," Oh well", and drive back to their trailer contended with that. What if you are a top bulb racer, and the top bulb is burnt out , or a bottom bulb racer, and the bottom bulb doesn`t work? I have personally had a ET slip that indicated that I qualified #1 by running more than 2 seconds under at a divisional race. Obviously some object must have blown thru the top end photo cells, since my 9 second ET (pretty good for a M/Stocker, eh?)was on the scoreboard long before I hit the finish line. If this would have happened in Eliminations, your damn right I would want a re run. Same deal with the DeFrank/Cotton race. If there was an equipment malfunction, totally beyound the racers control, I can`t imagine any racer would not request a re run, especially in a final round. I don`t personally know either Cotton or DeFrank, I have watched them run, and know they are both good racers, and I realize the pressure of any final round can be quite stressful, a re run even more so. I do feel badly for Mike Cotton, but I do think the rerun was the right call. That said, it will be interesting to see what happens in a similar situation in the future..

Ed Wright · 02-20-2013, 05:23 PM

Yeah, but how many of us would have gotten a re-run?

BRINK · 02-20-2013, 06:14 PM

Way to go mike. This is your year.

andyschmall · 02-20-2013, 10:15 PM

Found this gem on Auto Imagery. Great pic after everything was over. This was first round of the summit run off in 2007. Same exact situation happened in the same lane! I was red right when I hit the gas and got the "get this POS out of here" by Rick Stewart. The only thing I could take out of it was the fact that we got to yell at him on the starting line? lol! The only difference was I didn't move the car and after everything reset the stage bulb was BACK ON! Still no rerun...

Racin Mason · 02-20-2013, 10:35 PM

Here is Mike Rice's response to my inquiries about why the decision was different with this run than with previous situations like this. I do respect him for responding. He could have very easily just ignored me completely but instead chose to address the issue head on.
I sure would like to hear from Wes or Jody to see how their situation he references below at least year's Winternationals was similar to the decision here:

Hi Mike. Interesting race in Pomona this weekend. You may recall in 2011 I had a shallow stage red light at the Winternationals. There was video footage of it all and yours and Rick Stewart's ruling at the time was a shallow stage red light and there would be no re-run. Your exact words in the email were "You are not the first and certainly won't be the last person this will happen to."

I am wondering why the decision with Defrank's shallow stage red light in the ss final was different. Can you please explain. I've seen the footage and would like to hear your side of the story. Thanks.

Dan Mason
_________________________
We now have Stage Lock is the difference between yours and this situation.

Mike
___________________________
Well that's a step in the right direction. Is this only at Pomona or all NHRA national event tracks? Also, can you safely say shallow stage red lights are a thing of the past with the stage lock system?

Dan
____________________________
It is in use at all national events, however it is NOT in use at every divisional event as not all tracks have purchased this program/system. Yes, the shallow stage red is basically a thing of the past with the system in use.

Mike
_____________________________
Also, would you mind sharing what the ruling was with the ss final? Why do you think the red light came on and why was the decision made to allow a re-run in this instance. Thanks.

Dan
______________________________
Definitely appeared that a flash (whether flash itself, reflection of flash, etc) triggered the system. We had a re-run in a similar situation at last year’s Winternationals on Monday with Wes Leopold and Jody Lang (where I happened to be the starter and saw the scenario play out first-hand and close up).

I believe the right call was made and will stand by it. What I’m really having a hard time with, is people actually thinking that I would make a call based on who was involved in the pairing (in last years – I’ve been longtime friends with Lang, had never met Leopold). I don’t care and I don’t play any games. I’ve thrown my best friend from an event before….friendships are never involved with a decision from me.

Sorry about that last part, but I take those types of accusations very personally!

Mike

fredjohnston · 02-21-2013, 08:30 AM

I believe having a starter that actually pays attention helped this situation. His decision at Pomona indicates maybe things have changed from the way the previous started paid attention to the sportsman classes.

02-20-2013, 03:22 PM	#81
Rory McNeil VIP Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: from Vancouver BC Canada, now in Nova Scotia Posts: 1,311 Likes: 314 Liked 1,102 Times in 301 Posts	Re: Mike Cotten you are the MAN! Although I agree with the "you stage, you bought it" when it comes to not checking for the correct dial or index on the display board or score boards, and staging your car, thats YOUR fault for not checking. However, if you lose due to an equipment malfunction that is beyond your control, I can`t imagine anybody here would just shrug their shoulders and say," Oh well", and drive back to their trailer contended with that. What if you are a top bulb racer, and the top bulb is burnt out , or a bottom bulb racer, and the bottom bulb doesn`t work? I have personally had a ET slip that indicated that I qualified #1 by running more than 2 seconds under at a divisional race. Obviously some object must have blown thru the top end photo cells, since my 9 second ET (pretty good for a M/Stocker, eh?)was on the scoreboard long before I hit the finish line. If this would have happened in Eliminations, your damn right I would want a re run. Same deal with the DeFrank/Cotton race. If there was an equipment malfunction, totally beyound the racers control, I can`t imagine any racer would not request a re run, especially in a final round. I don`t personally know either Cotton or DeFrank, I have watched them run, and know they are both good racers, and I realize the pressure of any final round can be quite stressful, a re run even more so. I do feel badly for Mike Cotton, but I do think the rerun was the right call. That said, it will be interesting to see what happens in a similar situation in the future.. __________________ NHRA 6390 STK M/S 85 Mustang

02-20-2013, 05:23 PM	#82
Ed Wright Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Sand Springs, OK Posts: 8,132 Likes: 896 Liked 390 Times in 170 Posts	Re: Mike Cotten you are the MAN! Yeah, but how many of us would have gotten a re-run? __________________ Ed Wright 4156 SS/JA

02-20-2013, 06:14 PM	#83
BRINK Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Leclaire, Iowa Posts: 250 Likes: 392 Liked 140 Times in 43 Posts	Re: Mike Cotten you are the MAN! Way to go mike. This is your year.

02-20-2013, 10:15 PM	#84
andyschmall Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 6 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Mike Cotten you are the MAN! Found this gem on Auto Imagery. Great pic after everything was over. This was first round of the summit run off in 2007. Same exact situation happened in the same lane! I was red right when I hit the gas and got the "get this POS out of here" by Rick Stewart. The only thing I could take out of it was the fact that we got to yell at him on the starting line? lol! The only difference was I didn't move the car and after everything reset the stage bulb was BACK ON! Still no rerun... Last edited by andyschmall; 02-20-2013 at 10:18 PM.

02-20-2013, 10:35 PM	#85
Racin Mason Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: San Clemente, CA Posts: 58 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Mike Cotten you are the MAN! Here is Mike Rice's response to my inquiries about why the decision was different with this run than with previous situations like this. I do respect him for responding. He could have very easily just ignored me completely but instead chose to address the issue head on. I sure would like to hear from Wes or Jody to see how their situation he references below at least year's Winternationals was similar to the decision here: Hi Mike. Interesting race in Pomona this weekend. You may recall in 2011 I had a shallow stage red light at the Winternationals. There was video footage of it all and yours and Rick Stewart's ruling at the time was a shallow stage red light and there would be no re-run. Your exact words in the email were "You are not the first and certainly won't be the last person this will happen to." I am wondering why the decision with Defrank's shallow stage red light in the ss final was different. Can you please explain. I've seen the footage and would like to hear your side of the story. Thanks. Dan Mason _________________________ We now have Stage Lock is the difference between yours and this situation. Mike ___________________________ Well that's a step in the right direction. Is this only at Pomona or all NHRA national event tracks? Also, can you safely say shallow stage red lights are a thing of the past with the stage lock system? Dan ____________________________ It is in use at all national events, however it is NOT in use at every divisional event as not all tracks have purchased this program/system. Yes, the shallow stage red is basically a thing of the past with the system in use. Mike _____________________________ Also, would you mind sharing what the ruling was with the ss final? Why do you think the red light came on and why was the decision made to allow a re-run in this instance. Thanks. Dan ______________________________ Definitely appeared that a flash (whether flash itself, reflection of flash, etc) triggered the system. We had a re-run in a similar situation at last year’s Winternationals on Monday with Wes Leopold and Jody Lang (where I happened to be the starter and saw the scenario play out first-hand and close up). I believe the right call was made and will stand by it. What I’m really having a hard time with, is people actually thinking that I would make a call based on who was involved in the pairing (in last years – I’ve been longtime friends with Lang, had never met Leopold). I don’t care and I don’t play any games. I’ve thrown my best friend from an event before….friendships are never involved with a decision from me. Sorry about that last part, but I take those types of accusations very personally! Mike

02-21-2013, 08:30 AM	#86
fredjohnston Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 341 Likes: 0 Liked 55 Times in 14 Posts	Re: Mike Cotten you are the MAN! I believe having a starter that actually pays attention helped this situation. His decision at Pomona indicates maybe things have changed from the way the previous started paid attention to the sportsman classes. Last edited by fredjohnston; 02-21-2013 at 08:32 AM.