I didn't see it as an Ad Hominem attack...more like a strongly worded statement.
That aside. I've seen plenty of "intense" situations with pilots scrambling to get sorted out when someones engine unexpectedly quits, usually just after overtaking another airplane. I'm not talking beginners here, this is with experienced pilots.
I've always thought that with all of the racing events we have, we literally have an event that covers a racer on every skill level. Now there is an overlap of performance levels to a certain extent in some events, but by and large we essentially go from simple to advanced, to open type events. Of course the pecking order of which events stack up in what order can get somewhat blurred at times, and here is where we might be able to do a better job of establishing an event order from simple to open. Many newbies, have started out in SSR, only to find that it can be a difficult event where the fuel management issue is concerned. Even us "Pros" have had trouble with this event on occasion, and I can relay many instances of overruns resulting in DQ's as finding that "correct" tank capacity can be at times elusive. In this case, a shutoff would make things a bit easier, and in what many consider a beginners type event, isn't this what we want?
I still believe that SSR and Clown Race can both benefit from the use of shutoffs during a race. I'd rather choose when to come in for a pit stop, than leave it to chance. It's safer all around too.
Les