Rubbing Them Wrong.(Race car drivers.)(Column)

Byline: Kevin A. Wilson

"I raced with Dan all over the place, and I know he never would have hit me no matter what, and I wouldn't ever think of hitting him,'' Jim Hall said.

Dan Gurney's face lit up with that famous grin: "Oh? I thought about it.''

They were having a good time reminiscing on the occasion of the opening of the Chaparral Gallery in Midland, Texas (page 30). They take their racing seriously, though, and these elder statesmen-more than a half dozen of 'em at a forum moderated by our Pete Lyons-had a message.

"It was a black mark on your career, to hit someone,'' said Hall. "And yet, you see a lot of that anymore.''

Nods all around. Some opined that modern safety regulations made drivers more willing to whack another car, others thought rules designed to keep lead cars in the same TV shot meant they were too close to avoid one another.

Vic Elford, acknowledging that he'd probably irritate some American race fans, made reference to "the Irrelevant Racing League. You see a lot of dramatic driving, unnecessarily, in the IRL.'' Elford would later infer that in other series, too, the drivers don't learn the art of finessing past a competitor, simply resorting instead to punting the obstacle. "The cars are so much safer, they're not afraid of getting hurt.''