Grass Lake ASH Appeal to National Commissioner

[HydroKyle93R]

Was publicly posting this letter part of APBA's plan to increase transparency?

It has shown that

• some of our rules are poorly written
• the Association is a bureaucratic nightmare

I can't wait for the weekend
#ConnelleyPark

[Waterson Racing Team]

Has any safety inspector disqualified anyone for their helmet yet?

R-19

Patrick,

At the 2012 Winternationals safety gear inspection prior to the races, Joey's helmet was deemed unsatisfactory due to the two tone paint scheme. We were informed what to do to make it legal if we wanted to use it in the future.

Technically it wasn't a DQ, it was a failure to pass inspection before the race.

I can confidently say from experience that T.J. takes the percentage rule seriously. I will also add that he did it very professionally with no attitude.
He takes the inspectors job seriously and does what needs to be done.
That is one of the reasons we wrote him in on our ballotts. Right next to CSH12M

[csh2z]

I agree with Dave about a specific safety inspection at the nationals. Also, we need a safety inspection checklist for anybody doing safety inspections so things like this don't get overlooked on a local level in the future.
As far as the ruling; The boat passed a current safety inspection and had the sticker. There was no modification or repair or any other indication the sponsons had been altered after the sticker was applied. What's a driver to do? There isn't, to my knowledge, a precedent for this particular occurrence and if we take the correct action, it won't happen again.

[david bryan]

i had to throw racer Allen's son out at the 1977 nationals because of a transom measurement that was 1/8 inch to low . and it still bothers me 37 years later these kind of rules are bull sh$$

[rumleyfips]

David:
I don't remember transom height restrictions in 1977. If it got on plane and pumped water we went up.

John McManus

[Big Don]

Shot me, hate me, don’t ever talk to me again for thinking this way, I really don’t care.

I try to give the driver the benefit when it’s a non speed advantage. For the record I abstained on the vote this time. But If I were to vote today I would NOT. I would vote to put Matt back in. I abstained for the following reason, I have always told myself that I will never vote one way or the other if I’m not clear in my head what I’m voting on. I should have asked more questions but I was not thinking clear at the time. (And you know it was not because I was hung over, since I really don’t drink) Bad decision on my part, I should have asked more questions. I didn’t understand after talking about it for 30/45 minutes what the rule book meant. I didn’t have a copy of our bylaws in front of me. After reading the rules several times I now, we made the right decision and it was well under our power to do so. The SORC has authority in all matters in our category per our bylaws.

Section 12.3. Racing Commission Authority. Each Racing Commission shall act as one common body in all matters involving discipline, new
classes, appeals from rulings of race committees and referees, developing and maintaining rules for each class in their category, national championship
selection and selection of officials for national championship events subject to its grant of authority.

We want black and white rules we had all better be careful what we wish for. We have to have some common sense. We can all sit back and say, well what if this would have happened, well it didn’t.

I think TJ did what he was supposed to do... enforce the rules. At that point it's up to the driver and the SORC to decide the next step and the outcome.

[david bryan]

thats the motor hight.I am talking about the the shear line hight at the transom It was 7 inches and i also had to trow out henry minsie after he won csr for the 16 inch midship measurement it was 16 inches his was 15 inches

[rumleyfips]

Thanks David; I get it now.
John

[PittmanRacing]

Hey friends. Time to let it go. All parties made the best and right decisions throughout the process. Unfortunately, rules are rarely black & white. That is the reason for so many. Consider the rule intent and allow the inspectors and committees to make the best decisions based on what they see. Picklefork intent - safety No one intentionally overlooked nor hesitated to correct the problem. Helmet - visibility Regardless of the percentage, ask yourself "is that helmet clearly visible to other drivers if you go into the water"? I have seen 100% orange helmets that are not, yet, legal according to the rules. Why did I buy my daughter a new helmet this year after already purchasing one last year? Visibility. You can clearly see it anywhere on the course, regardless of the percentage rule.

Time to let it go.

[david bryan]

i was *****ing about the the price of a helmet one day to a bell helmet rep. there price went up to a hundred dollars he said and i still remember it clearly . If you have a ten dollar head put a ten dollar helmet on it

[daveracerdsh]

Protest

A few more thoughts on issue at Grass Lake. I agree with Don Allen on a few points. When an issue of this importance comes up....why do we have to make a decision right then and there...when you only have a minute or two to decide what is right and what is wrong. I do know for a fact that if I had some more time...not an hour...but a few hours...I would have voted on the appeal. everything comes at you so fast..you sorta get the "deer in the headlights thing" and you sometimes cannot make the right call. How bout with something of this magnitude the SORC gives people a few hours to think things over? Call a meeting the same afternoon or something? It has honestly been bothering me big time. You all have no idea. Dave.

[dizza187]

1977 @ Bakersfield

i had to throw racer Allen's son out at the 1977 nationals because of a transom measurement that was 1/8 inch to low . and it still bothers me 37 years later these kind of rules are bull sh$$

Dave - It's OK. I want you to know it's OK. Don't feel bad. I forgot about it right away. Really. You did what you had to do. The boat didn't measure up, though I think the heat of the dessert shrunk it. Hahaha...Rules were rules... P.S. - It was a 16th of an inch.. - David Allen

[Redneckerson]

Edification: A building up, in a moral and religious sense; instruction; improvement and progress of the mind, in knowledge, in morals, or in faith and holiness

[14-H]

Bottom line

The rule does NOT say what the penalty is for a violation of the pickle fork rule (unlike the rule against leaving the pits after the white flag). All of you guys that want to DQ someone who just won the nationals for a rule that does NOT say what the penalty is instead of warning him, have a serious Napoleon complex and should seek therapy. Anyone who wants to win a race this way should re-read the definition of "competition" (after the one for "edification").

[daveracerdsh]

Rule

THAT is why I did not vote on issue. We need more time on something like this to make the correct call. People are STILL pissed over it. 9us.