Question for all racers

[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 a driver?

I want anyone who races to comment, 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 also. 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 race course from someone on the beach for something the commission passed?

[Dave M]

Not Sure

You asked for all of us, then asked for those that never posted... well, I will answer for you, just tell me if I was not supposed to answer and i will delete my own post.

Simple answer - NO

Based on speed advantage of the DQ. Hard to answer simply Don, it really is. On one hand rules are rules, on the other there are so many rules one could prolly find a DQ on every rig out there if they dug deep enough.

[blueskyracer]

I think if there was a rule that spelled out the infractions that would help the whole situation..Driving infraction is a automatic DQ but what is a safety/ boat spec infraction worth? Then nothing would get overturned if it was in black and white..

I would wonder why a boat builder would cut a spec so close if there is no speed advantage

[steve jones]

No, now everyone is a referee & inspector

[raceright]

No not anyone--like spectators, little kids, grandma,vendors or just drivers---these things are up to the Ref and others who are approved by the lists from APBA to do so

[NUT2F]

Yes for certain rules (speed) and no for other rules (safety).
If we are truly concerned about safety then safety inspection should be conducted before the race. To disqualify someone after the fact is more a punitive measure than a promotion of safety.

Agreed, Its not that simple. If the question is should a Nat'l Championship get taken away because of a rounded off pickle fork- NO! But they are the rules, thank you S.O.R.C. (stupid.obnoxious.racing.commission). If your making a rule for safety do it for safety, break-away pickle forks not some half-a$$ed rounded jousting spear.
Harry Pinner, Jr.

[propnuts]

Super easy

Racer breaks rules, racer gets DQ'd, why would I or anyone else have a problem with that?

[14J]

Racer breaks rules, racer gets DQ'd, why would I or anyone else have a problem with that?

Thank you.

[tomatoface]

ive seen people dq for nout running full buterflies. speed advange no safety yes as it should be.

[Mrs blueskyracer]

I can't believe that safety inspections aren't done prior to a race! To do it otherwise is like closing the barn door after the horses and cows have escaped!

What would happen if a boat was allowed to run without a kill switch, the driver gets pitched from the boat and said boat runs over another driver and kills him/her?

Does the boat then get inspected and DQ'd from the heat/race?

What do you say to the survivors, the family, of the dead driver? Oh, it's ok, we found out in our post race inspection that there was no kill switch so we disqualified the offending boat and driver?

How ridiculous is that? Seems to me that the whole controversy could of been avoided by doing a better inspection earlier in the year and perhaps a rule should be made that each boat is inspected prior to every race.

At a minimum, at National events, boats should certainly be inspected for safety prior to a race; competition is so frequently intense at these events that all safety items should be inspected carefully.

In my opinion, seems to me that safety issues should always be in the forefront at every race; safety inspectors should be properly informed on the rules and have an obilgation to be sure that all participants meet the rules especially on safety, a checklist should be completed for each boat and a copy maintained in the race files and filed with the sanctioning organization. In fact with the availability of digital photography it wouldn't hurt to include a picture of the boat with each inspection report. Especially if we are going to continue to do only one inspection at the beginning of the year.

We have become such a sue happy society and I can see an inspector who did not catch a violation of a safety rule being personally named in a lawsuit by and injured racer or specator.

[14J]

I can't believe that safety inspections aren't done prior to a race! To do it otherwise is like closing the barn door after the horses and cows have escaped!

What would happen if a boat was allowed to run without a kill switch, the driver gets pitched from the boat and said boat runs over another driver and kills him/her?

Does the boat then get inspected and DQ'd from the heat/race?

What do you say to the survivors, the family, of the dead driver? Oh, it's ok, we found out in our post race inspection that there was no kill switch so we disqualified the offending boat and driver?

How ridiculous is that? Seems to me that the whole controversy could of been avoided by doing a better inspection earlier in the year and perhaps a rule should be made that each boat is inspected prior to every race.

At a minimum, at National events, boats should certainly be inspected for safety prior to a race; competition is so frequently intense at these events that all safety items should be inspected carefully.

In my opinion, seems to me that safety issues should always be in the forefront at every race; safety inspectors should be properly informed on the rules and have an obilgation to be sure that all participants meet the rules especially on safety, a checklist should be completed for each boat and a copy maintained in the race files and filed with the sanctioning organization. In fact with the availability of digital photography it wouldn't hurt to include a picture of the boat with each inspection report. Especially if we are going to continue to do only one inspection at the beginning of the year.

We have become such a sue happy society and I can see an inspector who did not catch a violation of a safety rule being personally named in a lawsuit by and injured racer or specator.

I'm glad someone said it. We make a saftey rule, allow the equipment in question to run elimination heats as well as the finals and than we disqualify the equipment. A little after the fact, no?

[Dave M]

I can Answer Some

What would happen if a boat was allowed to run without a kill switch, the driver gets pitched from the boat and said boat runs over another driver and kills him/her?

Does the boat then get inspected and DQ'd from the heat/race?

What do you say to the survivors, the family, of the dead driver? Oh, it's ok, we found out in our post race inspection that there was no kill switch so we disqualified the offending boat and driver?

It has happened before, hence why the full butterfly rule is there. It is black & white, not open to any kind of interpretations.

What do you say to the family ? What can you say... nothing you can say will ever make it whole again.

[HydroKyle93R]

Once upon a time, I was told that I was DQed for going to the right of an outside course marker. The person who told me I had made an infraction was not part of the race committee. I asked this person if they had seen the boat to my left bear out on me. No, they replied, you still committed an infraction and shall be disqualified. It turns out there was no disqualification, in either incident.

So, I guess my answer is: no.

[Mrs blueskyracer]

Back to Don's original question. I do not feel like people on the beach should be able to call infractions. That is what officials and racers do.

[jpro60]

Why are you so bloody insistent on complicating a simple issue?

There is not now, nor has there been an issue of "somebody on the beach" disqualifying someone. Disqualifications have to run through certain channels, some member of the race officiating crew such as referee, scorer, or inspector depending on the nature of the infraction.

If an official finds a driver to be in violation of a rule, that driver is disqualified. It really is just that SIMPLE!

Beyond that, it's called taking personal responsibility. We are all responsible for our driving and our equipment. If a person is in violation of a rule and get disqualified simply take personal responsibility for it, fix it, and move on.

Mike 32-R