Grass Lake ASH Appeal to National Commissioner

[14-H]

Everybody on the water should be abiding by the rule book. Speed advantage or not. If not, the take the rule out of the rule book.

I totally agree. So make sure your boats comply with ALL the rules next year... boat numbers, helmet colors, bottom 50% rule, open-toed shoes, combing washers, kill switches, etc., etc., cause I'll be looking for any rule-breakers, especially you cheaters who win!

[guedo499]

Eddy, according to your avatar, looks like its time to paint your helmet... After being DQ'd for melon paint, I've finally got a good painter that understands the 50% rule; I'm willing to give out his #!

[Ron Hill]

How About This One?

Wow that sounds pretty lame.

But as I see it, why have a rule if its not going to be enforced, weather it is a speed advantage or not. A rule is a rule right?

Everybody on the water should be abiding by the rule book. Speed advantage or not. If not, the take the rule out of the rule book.

Having led 7 3/4 laps at DePue in DOH in 1967, and ending up second. Having run DOH in 1968 and getting a 1-2 finish and not getting the win. In 1969, being first alternate in DOH......Then having Jim Schock go to the hospital, and the race committee "Forbid" me from racing DOH......

Then, that same Saturday night the PRO Commission meeting, it was voted I SHOULD have been allowed to race.......I wasn't allowed to race becasue I HAD A SPEED advantage on everyone.....(Fair should be fair...but no one shuld be DQ's for a NON SPEED ADVANTAGE

NO ONE, including Robbie Gordon or Jimmy Johnson, should be penalized for a NON SPEED ADVANTAGE.

This decision against George Stillwell and Matt D'Agustino was made becasue of a warped idea that a "SAFETY RULE" could effect insurance rates is pure bull ****.

This ruling was made by someone who thinks they are "THE KING". This is a horse **** ruling. No one should over rule an elected commission, unless we live in Russia! (Of course I love the BOD like a brother, except my brother would not sell our mother).

[Hutch06]

I could see your point...

Glad I don't run stock ! Could get messy

All of you need to stop on this, if I was a new racer coming across this thread I would probably be thinking the same thing that Steve is.

I am so sick and tired of hearing the p*ss and moan story that is at the top of everyone's discussion. Everybody has seen both sides of the story, if wanted, talk to your commissioners or take the appropriate steps to voice your concerns beyond this site.

"Our sport is dying & you guys give a $$$$ about this?" - Nice post Jordy, I couldn't agree more (although I'd like to think that parts of Region 6 are growing at least), there are other much more important things that should be on folks agenda.

It's very frustrating to recruit new people and build Stock Outboard Racing knowing that they will come across a discussion like this and then have to explain to them "this really isn't what the sport is about or like at all"...

Please feel free to chime in.

Elek Hutchinson
36M

[AZ Outlaw]

I totally agree. So make sure your boats comply with ALL the General Safety rules next year... boat numbers, helmet colors, bottom 50% rule, open-toed shoes, combing washers, kill switches, etc., etc., cause I'll be looking for any rule-breakers, especially you cheaters who win!

Fixed it for ya Ed.

[Ron Hill]

Really???

All of you need to stop on this, if I was a new racer coming across this thread I would probably be thinking the same thing that Steve is.

I am so sick and tired of hearing the p*ss and moan story that is at the top of everyone's discussion. Everybody has seen both sides of the story, if wanted, talk to your commissioners or take the appropriate steps to voice your concerns beyond this site.

"Our sport is dying & you guys give a $$$$ about this?" - Nice post Jordy, I couldn't agree more (although I'd like to think that parts of Region 6 are growing at least), there are other much more important things that should be on folks agenda.

It's very frustrating to recruit new people and build Stock Outboard Racing knowing that they will come across a discussion like this and then have to explain to them "this really isn't what the sport is about or like at all"...

Please feel free to chime in.

Elek Hutchinson
36M

Talk to your Commissioner??? The Commission voted to up hold Matt D'Agustino's appeal. THEY were over ruled by "THE KING". The APBA BOD has taken the Commission's Power away by appointing a "KING"...Sorry, but I'd rather have an elected group decide on an appeal than some "KING".

Every hear of the emperor's new clothes? How does a 1/8 of an inch decide a National Championships? If it was an 1/8 on a port height, maybe.....

This is a bad call by the "KING".

Does athe APBA appeal system allow Matt to appeal the appeal????

[Boatracer4fun]

I totally agree. So make sure your boats comply with ALL the rules next year... boat numbers, helmet colors, bottom 50% rule, open-toed shoes, combing washers, kill switches, etc., etc., cause I'll be looking for any rule-breakers, especially you cheaters who win!

I would hope this is being done especially at a National Event. There's rules I don't agree with, but everybody still needs to comply. I have no dog in this fight, but it puzzles me how people can complain for being Dq'd for not being In compliance with the rule book.

Since safety rules are not speed advantages, remove all those rules from the rule book. Seems nobody is concerned about them unless it's a speed advantage.

[GarE-12]

Just make all the safety rule decisions pre-race and speed rule decisions post race.
You are not allowed to race unless you have passed pre-race safety inspection.

Oh.... isn't this the way it was supposed to be working. If you are racing it is assumed you have cleared the safety rules.

Clarify the rules, you can only be "kicked out" for a safety rule prior to the race.

[Big Don]

Here is a simple question for all of you.

Do you want anyone on the beach being able to take wins earned on the course away from the drivers?

I want anyone who races: I don’t care if you race MOD, PRO, Inboard, Unlimited, Offshore, Stock, etc to chime in. I want to hear from everyone, if you have never posted on here, I want to hear from you. Just a simple yes or no.

I’m just wondering what people think on this issue. Do you think it’s right to have a win stripped away from a driver who earned it on the course from someone on the beach for something the commission passed?

[Big Don]

I'll start...

NO is not right.

[Tim Weber]

I agree with Don on this one.

It's complete BS that this has gone so far.

Matt's boat passed pre-inspection and that should be the end of it. It had a safety sticker. To penalize the driver for the inspectors miss is just wrong.

What a way to win a nationals. Sure seems a little hollow to me. Enjoy your triumph.

Tim

[DiGia54D]

I agree with Don on this one.

It's complete BS that this has gone so far.

Matt's boat passed pre-inspection and that should be the end of it. It had a safety sticker. To penalize the driver for the inspectors miss is just wrong.

What a way to win a nationals. Sure seems a little hollow to me. Enjoy your triumph.

Tim

Ditto

[blueskyracer]

I think an item like this should come down to the boat owner, driver and builder to know what the rules are..They should not have to be inspected in..

[jpro60]

Here is a simple question for all of you.

Do you want anyone on the beach being able to take wins earned on the course away from the drivers?

I want anyone who races: I don’t care if you race MOD, PRO, Inboard, Unlimited, Offshore, Stock, etc to chime in. I want to hear from everyone, if you have never posted on here, I want to hear from you. Just a simple yes or no.

I’m just wondering what people think on this issue. Do you think it’s right to have a win stripped away from a driver who earned it on the course from someone on the beach for something the commission passed?

Lets be d@mn clear about this. It wasn't just "somebody on the beach" it was the INSPECTOR!

I'll say YES, if the INSPECTOR finds and reports a violation of a SAFETY rule, there should be a disqualification.

As a racer who chooses to accept the risks of this sport, I assume those risks based on the fact that safety rules are being complied with, dont all the rest of you? Not to mention that as an insurance payer I'm making the same assumption, and so is our insurance provider.

I also think it is asinine, and false thinking to lump in safety rules with a discussion of "non speed advantage" rules. The spirit, in my interpretation, of said rules is to allow a discussion to take place over technical disqualifications not covered by our rule book.

Not to mention, what is the point of taking this to the childish extremes displayed by Ed? Again, we're not talking about someone going up and down the beach trying to screw over the competition. If you want to do that Ed, or anyone else thats your problem not mine, and I invite you to come look at my equipment. I just hope you have the character to say something at a time when it can be fixed. There's a novel idea, how about we look out for eachother.

For crying out loud, I thought the best life/character lesson I've gotten from boat racing is personal responsibility. If I screwed something up, the best thing I can do is take personal responsibility for it, learn from/fix it and move on. I've been pitched at big races in inspection. It sucks, but I drag the equipment back to the pits and fix it. Not make some big stink about it. Take personal responsibility when you've messed up, is it really that difficult?

Mike Perman 32-R

[tcf284]

there is several things to take in consideration on this particular deal here's the first is, this was george stillwell's boat that matt was asked to drive cause george was unable to ,the boat itself has passed 5 years safety inspections without being questioned or mentioned that the boat was out of compliance ,the sponson tips weren't pointy they just didnt have the excact required radious when they were rounded ,the boat had race several elimination heats during this nationals so why is it the final heat of competition that this rule is being brought up? bottom line is neither matt nor george intended to deliberately disobey the rulebook and very willingly would have made the compliances had they only knew the boat wasnt legal ,so why do we stripped a national title away for a non speed violation this energy could be spent in better ways to help our sport in my book matt won it fair and square and thats not gonna change just saying