DSH at Grass Lake

[RHannon]

Dave, the biggest problem I see you have is that you cannot move to mod with your Tahotsu, unless you go to 850. You could take the entire lid off and you would not see any improvement in performance. Try it you will see. The old H and KG motors did not require any cowels. I ran them both ways. Enforced on some and looked away on others. I have to comend you that you are a good sport through it all.
Very sad to see with our sport dieing so rapidly.
So, how did the ASH contraversy come out. I heard the DQ on the 2nd heat 1st turn and the sponson tip radius was overturned. Did it grow in the humidity..... ha
I feel if SORC keeps the SW and OMC in the same class the MORC will see a large increase in the 200cc class.
I know many in R 10 are planning on crossing over catagories if they remain as is in the same class..... WAKE UP SORC ! Stop shooting yourself in the foot. OMC are not cometetive in J, AXS and now AS. MORC is standing @ the door waiting for the OMC drivers....
I know this doesn't help but,
Once again, Great sportsmanship Dave

[marktrail]

to to change

boys, it's time to go to mod. i have been in stock since the 50's/ things have changed to the worst. i love boats and boat racing,it's in my blood. stock not stock?? 200 mod will grow by 2013 , get ready
farmer

[99R]

Shouldve got the correct rubber Dave and gave to the inspector were the sun don't shine. And APBA wonders why membership is.down. Back to my cocktail in Cabo.

[PRO-MOTIONRACING]

I understand why I got tossed....just finding it hard to understand why they would throw somebody out for such a minor thing...I always thought the races were for the racers....and I was always taught to keep an open mind on things...nothing ever turns out perfect...after all we are human. I have moved on and am fine....I did not throw a hissy fit or anything. Dunno what I would have done if I had got first overall. Davey.

Yup, If you can't beat them on the race course... Beat them with the rule book.

[Haüenstein]

Yup, If you can't beat them on the race course... Beat them with the rule book.

Who are you implying was trying to "beat [Dave] with the rule book"? I assume this is just meant as support for Dave but it could be taken as pretty insulting — unless there really is more to the story.

Thank you,
Mike Hauenstein

[hydroman6]

Si do you and peters have been running illegal equulment fir how long? Will the two of you you have to fux it or di you just keep running local races with illegal equioment? Just wondering.

Dave, I didn't post this quote. This is the secong time a post has shown up with my info attached. I would never make a wise crack a a time like this. I've known you for a long time and know this was an oversight. Hope to see you at Lawerance.

[daveracerdsh]

Dsh

Thanx Steve....of course it was an oversite on my part. [I] do know about the rule pertaining to the belly pan plugs...I was just not aware that they had to stay in place when using electric start. There is no performance advantage to having a very small opening in the pan to my knowledge....and when you walk around the pits you can see people that have taken front Yamato covers and put a 4 inch wide hole over the tickle valve....it is just the way things go I suppose. I am just frustrated beyond belief over the whole thing...but again things happen. See you all at the next race. davey

[daveracerdsh]

Rule book

Just read Mike's post....I am sure there is no hidden agenda behind this. I do know that some of the people involved to not care for the Tohatsu...but again I am sure there is nothing behind that. Dave

[PRO-MOTIONRACING]

No offense intended towards Dave I think he knows it is his boat I respect and fear most.

Those who know me know that I am referencing my own similar nationals experience in that a non performance detail left me disqualified and many shaking there heads.

[Aussie Steve]

^^^^^ Yep true dat Dale !!!

[Turtle]

Who was the inspector? Did someone complain about the size of the air gap? I could see if you enlarged the opening to 2". This seems trivial to me. Hate to hear this stuff.

[Yellowjacket]

In a past life I’ve served on protest committees for the SCCA solo National Championships. These are 800 to 1,000 car week long autocross events and to those of you who aren't familiar with them, understand that to these competitors, this is blood sport.

In many cases the attitude of trying to beat somebody that you couldn’t beat on the track in impound was prevalent. At the same time, there was a saying that “you deserve to be beaten by a legal car” so anybody we crowned a champion should be legal. Protests came to us not only from competitors, but also from the stewards who looked the cars over in impound after running and these guys knew what to look for, and found plenty.

We had to determine, based on a very comprehensive rule book, if a car was illegal. Early on we had one and only one remedy if a car was illegal. That was basically a “death penalty”, the person was gone and that was it. Problem was if we found something that wasn’t quite within the rules, but really resulted in no performance advantage (as this case is a perfect example of), we had no choice but to toss the person. If we allowed any infractions, those became codified in the rules by that action and we couldn’t take them back.

In light of this experience and after a number of years, we finally got the ability to assign penalties for small infractions. Basically we could then say to the competitor, “this isn’t legal” and keep rule creep from happening, but at the same time we could slap the wrist of the person with the infraction and say “if you show up with it this way again you will get tossed” and giving fair warning to the community not to do that again. Most frequently we would impose a penalty of zero seconds preserving the finishing order if the infraction couldn't possibly be a performance advantage. This kept everybody happy (except the guys who wanted to get you DQ’d simply because you beat them).

Sounds like APBA would have come to this kind of conclusion a long time ago and given a the local tech committees the ability to note the infraction, tell everybody that it isn’t legal (which lets others know that it isn’t because if one person is doing it, others probably are too) and still keeps it so that the person isn’t DQ’d for something that it isn’t a performance advantage.

It's not that you want everybody to be happy, because you can't please everybody, but you have to be reasonable and boat racing desperately needs to keep from doing things like this or people will just stop coming to races.

[daveracerdsh]

Good point

Very good point Yellow.

[Mike VanAusdle]

Hey Dale, I've been trying to get a hold of you, has your phone # changed? Give me a jingle, 360-477-9121 Thanks dude, Mike.

[bill van steenwyk]

Sorry to hear this happened................

......especially if the hole in question was filled with wires, cables, etc., to enable to allow a starter electrical power to operate, and would not be able to provide additional air for a power boost or increase. This is where you always hope, as Yellowjacket indicated in his post, that common sense would apply, especially if as indicated by another poster, that "even without a cowling no power increase happens" (or similar meaning).

It would be especially onerous, as another poster indicated, if this were a result of discrimination against the Tohatsu of some type. Anyway, as someone who has been on the disqualified end of an inspection decision with no "cheating" intent, you have my sympathy. As also mentioned earlier, these type decisions, with no unfair advantage obvious, are what drive competitors to other categories, or even away from boat racing altogether.

You always hope fellow competitors who were sympathetic and saw someone wronged in this or a similar way might protest by refusing any awards for participation in the same class, but that is sometimes too much to wish for, human nature being what it is.

I am sure you would be welcome in the PRO catgegory. Very simple inspection procedure, bore and stroke, and NORMALLY no agendas. I am sure there is a class you would fit in somewhere.

Good luck with your 302 Stock class Dave.

Bill