[Michael Beard]

Most people have stopped hard at some point or another. That being said, if stopping hard is a regular part of a racer's program, the laws of probability demand a much higher chance of having an incident. Just because someone gets away with it a hundred times or a thousand times doesn't mean it's not going to happen; it means it's MORE likely that incident is coming. I've had guys who have consistently driven overly aggressive come into my lane sideways, up on two wheels with smoke rolling of the tires, and I don't appreciate it -- and I can only put it that kindly because I was able to avoid them.

I think Dan's brought the boys up right, very good kids and very talented, and I have no doubt that the lesson has been learned there. My concern is for the ones that don't learn, and that's what makes this an important topic. Some of the guys that have come into my lane sideways have actually gone on to wreck cars.

I am not advocating for any 'no brakes' rules, just self-control and common sense. As Sal pointed out from the Jim Harrington School of Drag Racing, it's rare that I'm not on the brakes -- you're either taking took much stripe, or you're not minimizing your changes of a breakout enough. There's a number of ways to accomplish that mission.