Race Admin

James Rogerson

James Rogerson

Well-known member
My experience with different sanctioning bodies begs me to pose this series of race propositions:

1) One Steward everyone has to answer to for all on track behavior.
a) Spin, four wheels off, or heaven forbid have any sort of contact with others or fixed objects go see the steward.
b) Don't do (a) above and lose your racing privileges.
c) Do any of (a) more than once a weekend and get ready to go home.
d) Do any of (a) and your names goes in the book for future (b).

2) One or at most two tech guys that roam the paddock checking cars and log books.
3) You get your grid sticker at mandatory drivers meeting to race. Practice sticker is from tech.
4) No need for 25 admin people to help you race.
5) Fill out a form to declare your car is legal as entered. If found guilty of a lie, you are stripped of any and all awards and reclassed forever.

What this form of driver control is modeled after is quality control on the production line. Currently the SCCA uses the "Let Customer Service handle complaints" model of zero quality control.

James
 
I am not so sure about 2 and 5.

I go to tech (log book/equip check, not post race) now when it is convenient for me. A random tech inspector coming over as I am preparing to work on the car, grab lunch etc could be a pain.

If you finish 5lbs under weight are you black listed, or is 5 only for "cheaters". Seems like this would need some very specific guidelines.
 
Weight normally isn't a big issue, except with NASA, but our current rule is DQ with all that comes with it. Roving tech is before you ever hit track. Usually on load in day and if you have an annual they just hand you your sticker.

Personally I contend we don't need pre race tech in the computer age. Just like when I fly I just print out my boarding pass from home before I ever go to the airport. Only since the SEIU took over the airport have I had to do anything other than that. Everything about our cars and our on track behavior can be kept in the online registration program(s). The code is already there.

JWR
 
James Rogerson":fbvqp9iy said:
Weight normally isn't a big issue, except with NASA, but our current rule is DQ with all that comes with it. Roving tech is before you ever hit track. Usually on load in day and if you have an annual they just hand you your sticker.

Personally I contend we don't need pre race tech in the computer age. Just like when I fly I just print out my boarding pass from home before I ever go to the airport. Only since the SEIU took over the airport have I had to do anything other than that. Everything about our cars and our on track behavior can be kept in the online registration program(s). The code is already there.

JWR
Click to expand...


I absolutely agree (speaking as both steward and driver) that registration and tech can and should be simplified/streamlined.

Keep in mind that, by signing the entry form, the entrant/driver accepts conmplete responsibility for his car's compliance. In any case, the pre-race tech does not concern itself with compliance; that gets addressed only post-session.

One nit: The rules DO NOT mandate a DQ for underweight. The GCR specifies no mandatory penalty for non-compliance. The Penalty Guidelines, which the stewards (should) follow, distinguish between two levels of non-compliance:

1. A "simple" non-compliance. What we might call "non-compliant, but not cheating". The standard penalty is to move behind compliant cars, with possible loss of points.

and,

2. "Deliberate, substantial non-compliance". What we might call "cheating". In this case the standard penalty is DQ, suspension, and probation.
 
We have hardcards for drivers now. Why can we not have a hardcard for the car. Pass annual tech get a tech sticker good for the year.
 
You do get a tech sticker good for a year, it is called an annual tech. Simply show that and you have a tech sticker for the weekend. We have express tech at the registration area so all you do is register, take your log book to next window, and you are done. Reason it is not done on the car for a year is because that hard card would not cover damage, illegal pieces, etc that are noted in your log book.
 
As to the annual. There is no need to go to express tech. Your entry can be flagged by the registration system if damage has occured. No dammage and you use your annual tech sticker as a grid sticker for P&Q at registration. Entry verification through T&S during P&Q gets you a helmet sticker for the race handed out at the lunch break drivers meeting.

Don't say T&S don't have time. They verify every car on track already. Someone not registered pops up and they notify start and BF. Handle the 5%, not the 95%.

JWR
 
Steve Eckerich":pmhwfyvq said:
You do get a tech sticker good for a year, it is called an annual tech. Simply show that and you have a tech sticker for the weekend. We have express tech at the registration area so all you do is register, take your log book to next window, and you are done. Reason it is not done on the car for a year is because that hard card would not cover damage, illegal pieces, etc that are noted in your log book.
Click to expand...


Please see updated sig.

Yet another reason I would dearly love to see E-logbooks.

And since I knew someone would raise the issue of damage, I have an answer for that. When the car is damaged you are supposed to present it to tech for a write up in the logbook. When tech does that the inspector will pull your annual tech sticker. When the damage is repaired and reinspected by a scrutineer a new annual tech sticker is issued. Same for a car found non-compliant at post race tech.
 
1a: Really, so now I have to have my hand slapped and go see the principal because I am exploring the limits or trying, something that didn't work??? Pass
 
I'm with Bill on 1a. Sometimes when testing the limits of adhesion, one becomes unstuck. Thats racing. Now the contact issue is a different. Thats a sticky wicket in mixed class racing. In the 2.5 years running my FP miata, the only race where I had no contact was in a GTL,Ep,Fp and Hp race. Every other race had contact thanks to the other classes we ran with. I left prod racing in part because of the mixed groupings. I hate doing fiberglass work.
Chris
 
Contact is currently illeagal is it not? When the sanctioning body fails to consistently process forbidden behavior that could lead to personal injury those parties involved could be subject to gross negligence claims. I can google SpecMiata and find hundreds of occurences of reported contact with no action taken to correct the situation. All the Exec Stewards need to think about that and ask if their personal holdings are worth looking the other way.

It's always pilot error, yours (and mine) not theirs.

James
 
James Rogerson":35s7oasl said:
My experience with different sanctioning bodies begs me to pose this series of race propositions:

1) One Steward everyone has to answer to for all on track behavior.
a) Spin, four wheels off, or heaven forbid have any sort of contact with others or fixed objects go see the steward.
b) Don't do (a) above and lose your racing privileges.
c) Do any of (a) more than once a weekend and get ready to go home.
d) Do any of (a) and your names goes in the book for future (b).

2) One or at most two tech guys that roam the paddock checking cars and log books.
3) You get your grid sticker at mandatory drivers meeting to race. Practice sticker is from tech.
4) No need for 25 admin people to help you race.
5) Fill out a form to declare your car is legal as entered. If found guilty of a lie, you are stripped of any and all awards and reclassed forever.

What this form of driver control is modeled after is quality control on the production line. Currently the SCCA uses the "Let Customer Service handle complaints" model of zero quality control.

James
Click to expand...

James
Are you trying to get this to happen in SCCA? If so, I have doubts that it could ever fly. While I am a firm SCCA zealot, I also realize that the "Bureaucracy" of SCCA club racing administration is completely embedded and will not be removed without a through and complete gutting of SCCA as we now know it.
Could it happen? Sure, it could, and pigs could fly out of my ass one day as well.

I do believe that this would be a great step forward.

cheers
dave parker
 
dave parker":1pvktce2 said:
Greg Nagy":1pvktce2 said:
imagine all the "hand slapping" that would have happened yesterday at WG.
Click to expand...

Greg
Were there any protests filed by the drivers involved?

cheers
dave parker
Click to expand...

I am aware of none after doing a quick search for any protests on the intertubes.

My comment was made in reference to the original post. Specifically, the suggestion:
1) One Steward everyone has to answer to for all on track behavior.
a) Spin, four wheels off, or heaven forbid have any sort of contact with others or fixed objects go see the steward.
b) Don't do (a) above and lose your racing privileges.
c) Do any of (a) more than once a weekend and get ready to go home.
d) Do any of (a) and your names goes in the book for future (b).
Click to expand...
 
@ Dave
I pose the question(s) for discussion. The examples are of race admin that is currently useded by growth organizations. It is a point for reflection. The SCCA membership is declining at a 6% annual rate. Just above the life span attrition rate of the membership.

James
 
Tech and Registration are two major opportunities to make the system easier. We as a club are way behind where we could be. We have been kicking around ideas for both here in Ne Div pretty much in line with this discussion.
Dick Patullo
 
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