Legal or not?

[Bob Rusnak]

On this thread, half the people are complaining that the rule is too restrictive. Then on the other thread about rounded pickle forks, half the people are complaining the rule is too vague. Good grief!
The rule book states clearly that the numbers are to be black on white or white on black! Perhaps the rule needs more clarification concerning the border around the numbers, but I find it hard to understand how anybody can show up at a race with blue or yellow numbers and not expect to be called for it!
READ THE RULEBOOK BEFORE YOU PUT A $500 PAINT JOB ON YOUR BOAT!!!
I followed the rules and stuck some big dumb numbers on my nice paint job. I expect everybody else to do the same.

Have been running both Mod and Pro with the same boat. Shown is out 250 Runabout that sometimes we put a 750 Mod engine on it to support racing. The numbers are clear and readable. BUT not legal for Mod. By the way, this boat is for sale. We also have another Pro boat we use for both. Legal in one catagory but not the other. Too many rules, should be just readable. Just my oponion

[krazy karl]

Well said Bill Boyes!!

If everyone who's moaning about the numbers rule would stop and realize why the rule, particularly the part dealing with legibility needed to be written in the first place, it might help you understand better.

Most likely, it was the 'Scorers' who had difficulty in giving YOU the racer what you deserved for a score!!

Most people who moan about the way a rule happens to be written have no idea how difficult it is to keep it short and sweet. Next time you want to pee % moan like the harmony sisters about a rule.... why don't you try writing it. Then, hand your gibberish to your wife, girlfriend, racer-pal, or kid, and ask them to explain what you have written. Good luck with that.



When it comes down to it, most people are too thin-skinned, or short-fused, or illiterate to compose a coherent guideline, let alone a rule to abide by.

In writing this, if I have failed to offend everyone, please let me know.

Alex

Before I retired I was in a profession where I helped write regulations I actually at one point put together a whole set of guidelines, not quite regulations but close, and submitted them to my whole association. Man were they ripped apart. It took about a year or so to get them finalized and then they went to the Forest Service who diddled with them for a couple of more years. We threw up our hands and said enough.

I agree that our rule book is a very convoluted and complex document and I understand why.
kk

[ram95]

How it all began

Here's how it all began (names have been changed to protect the innocent).

Hey Ralph... let's start a racing club. Nah Burt...says Ralph. Let's make it an "Association". Good idea says Burt.. let's tell the fellas.

Hey fellas... because there's so many of us'ns are from state to state we're going to call ourselves an Association. That aint gonna woik says Riley...I want to call ourselve the APBA! Good idea Riley, says Burt. We'll do it.

Heny pipes up and says.. "well if we're gonna do that we gotta assign nummers to everwon. Burt and Ralph and Riley nod in agreement. We'll do it.

Later, at a big race, Harvey Numchuk, the starting line judge says to Marvin Dimstruck... MARVIN... I couldn't read yer nummah. Marvin quickly responds, "Crap Harvey... if you couldnt read my number how'd you know it were me? And, a little fight errupted. Later on, Numchuk spoke to the grand poobah Bill DaJuice. Juice, being a disbarred attorney looked at the simply written two pages easy to follow guidelines and cited the fact that the word "LEGIBLE" left too much room for creativity. DaJuice completely ignored the fact that moron Marvins numbers were about an inch high cause moron Marvin cut them off his mailbox. Meanwhile everyone else had just bit the bullet and had some decent numbers letter'd on their boat . So, DaJuice decided to juice up the number paragraph and turn it into a RULE, the first rule ever. And, alll because Harvey had forgotten his glasses and couldn't see crap anyway.

If this sounds stupid, we better be careful that someone doesn't shove the Number Rule into the Safety Category, or try to construe it as a 'speed advantage'.

[ram95]

How it all began

Here's how it all began (name have been changed to protect the innocent).

Hey Ralph... let's start a racing club. Nah Burt...says Ralph. Let's make it an "Association". Good idea says Burt.. let's tell the fellas.

Hey fellas... because there's so many of us'ns are from state to state we're going to call ourselves an Association. That aint gonna woik says Riley...I want to call ourselve the APBA! Good idea Riley, says Burt. We'll do it.

Heny pipes up and says.. "well if we're gonna do that we gotta assign nummers to everwon. Burt and Ralph and Riley nod in agreement. We'll do it.

Later, at a big race, Harvey Numchuk, the starting line judge says to Marvin Dimstruck... MARVIN... I couldn't read yer nummah. Marvin quickly responds, "Crap Harvey... if you couldnt read my number how'd you know it were me? And, a little fight errupted. Later on, Numchuk spoke to the grand poobah Bill Juice. Juice, being a disbarred attorney looked at the simply written two pages of rules and cited the fact that the word "LEGIBLE" left too much room for creativity. Juice completely ignored the fact that moron Marvins numbers were about an inch high cause moron Marvin took them off his mailbox. Meanwhile everyone else had just bit the bullet and had some decent numbers letter'd on their boat (remember friends.. this was before the age of decals). So, Juice decided to juice up the number paragraph and turn it into a RULE, the first rule ever. And, alll because Harvey had forgotten his glasses and couldn't see crap anyway.

If this sounds stupid, we better be careful that someone doesn't shove the Number Rule into the Safety Category, or try to construe it as a 'speed advantage'.

[Bob Rusnak]

What if, as an owner, I plan to campaign five Pro boats in the same class. What number(s) would I use.

Part two ... If I were to race the same boats in stock, mod and pro what number format would be the legal format ... Number first or Region letter first. Just curious about how the rules apply in those two examples.

Here is another boat we ran in both Mod and Pro. It is a 250-350 Pro boat but sometimes put a 750 Mod engine on it to support racing. It is illegal in Mod but was allowed to run because the numbers were clearer than some of the black on white legal numbers. This boat is also for sale and would make a great 850 Mod Runabout. Just change the numbers to conform. Again, just my opinion..Bob

[ram95]

Looks darn good to me

Here is another boat we ran in both Mod and Pro. It is a 250-350 Pro boat but sometimes put a 750 Mod engine on it to support racing. It is illegal in Mod but was allowed to run because the numbers were clearer than some of the black on white legal numbers. This boat is also for sale and would make a great 850 Mod Runabout. Just change the numbers to conform. Again, just my opinion..Bob

As long as there aren't two boats with the same number in the same heat, what's the difference?

[Dave M]

Well

As long as there aren't two boats with the same number in the same heat, what's the difference?

It makes too much common sense, that is the problem. It is easy for the lawyers to read......