As the solo chairman and at times doing registration I find it very
annoying people come to an event and when asked what class, they look at
you like a deer in the headlights!
Or at times well since last time I did XYZ is that legal? - Or was it
event smart to out class your self? Let alone spend cash on something
that was of no help to you now.
I guess on one hand we want new people to come out, but when I get gee I
don't remember where I ran last time at the other club or made a mod
that you know will just kill them in competition, it makes one think you
should be forced to by a rule book.
I do know of regions that make you do so for a annual tech and perhaps
this is a good start at mandatory rule books.
So to throw out a few ideas for more discussion...
1. Should we make it mandatory to buy a rule book - perhaps the first
event costs extra and gets you a rule book?
2. For newbies - do we allow three events then they need to buy one?
3. For newbies, if they win a class within three events do you give them
one as a trophy?
4. Do we assign a worker position to be a rule book - goto person?
As for the question at hand, the rules should be followed, otherwise
your just a club running an autocross event with no regard to what the
national office is doing for us. Now that being said on a local level
maybe there is a happy medium here. For example the guy with the carbon
fiber hood... Does it reduce the weight of the car that much to make a
difference? If so it is a performance enhancement from one stand point.
Is he a new guy and should be told hey we will let you run on a stock
class however if you do win the class your points won't count so you
should consider moving to whatever class would be appropriate. This
would be a proactive educational process..
Further more any protest on a car that is scene in violation should be
addressed before hand. Example - I see a person in a stock class with
this carbon hood, and I know it is a violation of the rule. Do I wait
and tell they guy hey your illegal with out helping him first? I have
heard stories of Innocent mistakes on an assembly of a part of the
suspension and the person protesting chose to wait until after the
event, protest someone they get the DQ and they were not even up front -
this seems wrong to me and well rather un sportsman like in a sport you
walk away with maybe a glass or small trinket for a shelf.
To me everyone's job is to help those newbies and even the oldies out
there learn instead of be whacked in the head on a rule after the fact.
I would much rather be told to run in CSP with 13" tires before hand
then to run in ES and win or not, get protested. And for the record I
run 14" tire on stock wheels! :)
At times I get an email, hey everyone tells me I am DM car, I did XYZ
where should I run? - If I know the answer I tell them, If I don't I say
1) the rule book is online, 2) you should buy one 3) Call the national
office and talk to them...
This approach seems to work OK and gets people in the mode of a we have
a rule book, and avoids people being upset at all these rules and I just
want to have fun.
Sorry for the long post, but it is a good topic
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