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Been There, Done That
By Bob DeloatchCar races have always fascinated me. For as long as I can recall, I have watched races on television. Nearly sixteen years ago, I decided to do more than be a spectator and joined the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). Following a few years of hanging around the periphery, I took a more active part and began to participate as a safety worker and, later, as a member of a pit crew for several cars. Soon, even this was not enough. The speed-bug had bitten and I wanted to actually drive a racecar.Prior to granting a Competition License, the SCCA requires successful completion of at least two driver-training schools. Part of the training in these schools consists of listening to instructors talk on the various do's and don'ts of competition driving. During one of these schools, a fellow student's father was present to assist her with car preparation and the like. That man was Brian Redman, one of the most internationally successful professional roadracers of the time. He was coerced into speaking to the students. The thrust of his comments differed very little from those of our instructors; however, his comments and advice seemed to carry more weight since he had "been there; done that." I am hoping the following will be well received and carry some weight because "I've been there; done that."Like many in our Club, I had been eagerly looking forward to Jeff's 4x4 First Annual Tellico Rock Run. All of my expectations were met or exceeded and I had a wonderful time during the first three days of trail riding and spending time with friends. Saturday, after a run up Schoolbus and down Trail 11 past Rainbow Rock, our group arrived back at Tellico Cabins in the evening. The hard work was done and the danger past, or so I thought. Being back at camp lulled me into a false sense that nothing could go wrong. Because I was not using my winch to pull my Jeep over an obstacle, I did not even follow the basic safety precaution of wearing gloves when I re-spooled the cable. This lack of safety equipment, a false sense of security, and general inattention on my part, resulted in my catching the tip of the ring finger on my left hand between the cable and a roller on the fairlead. I dislocated the knuckle, broke the bone twice, and peeled the meat from the bone. I was extremely fortunate to receive, in a matter of moments, expert medical attention from Ray Woo and I was rapidly transported by 'Joc' Jacques to the Murphy Medical Center for surgery. It could have been much worse if a professional medical person had not been a part of our group. I learned an important lesson in those few minutes. No matter how safe you believe you are, it only takes a moment of distraction or inattention to put you in a position with the potential for creating catastrophic consequences. Believe me, I know whereof I speak. Don't let this type of accident happen to you! Pay attention and follow safety precautions at all times.
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