[klayfish]

I think there has been some great discussion here. This is obviously a delicate and sensitive subject, give the circumstance.

From reading all the posts on all the threads, it brings several thoughts to mind.

Of course Mark did not intend to crash or kill himself, no street racer ever does. Nor would I ever want to criticize him personally, this was a horrible tragedy. But one that did not need to happen. As others have pointed out, it is bad enough that he lost his life, but it is extremely lucky that nobody else did. It's not just the drivers, but their families, the innocent others who may get killed by a needless accident, and THEIR families. What if someone you loved was killed by a street racer, whether they were in a fart-canned Honda or a Cobra??

This is not directed at anyone, but it feels to me like so many people just want to stick their heads in the sand, and deny there is a problem, blame it on something else, or minimize it. Is it an epidemic that will end civilazation? No. But it is a problem, and it is real. Nobody will ever be able to stop all accidents, we shouldn't expect to.

An analogy was made earlier that preaching this was similar to a priest asking the congregation for more money. Those who already give will give more, and those who don't still won't. Hence those here who already think safety, and those who don't still won't. That may be true for some, but I can't say I agree for all. I really believe that if we, as an organized group, continue to encourage responsible street driving, and promote such things as autox and open track racing, it WILL help. I can say that without a doubt, since I started autox'ing and open tracking, I have definitely changed the way I drive on the street, and I am more aware of things on the street. I did not drive like a madman before autox, but since then, I don't even feel the need to horse around on the street.

I hope that even if the organization I dream of never comes to pass, at least some positive discussions will result. Nobody here wants to have to send condolences to another grieving family. It just shouldn't happen.

Steve