Based on the rulebook, page 70 section 7.9.3,
".....A DNF.....shall be charged for any uncorrected
deviation from the course......A DNF is charged only
if part of the course is omitted. In returning to the course
after an off-course excursion, it is acceptable to drive a
part of the course a second time."
It does not state that you must back-track exactly
how you went off course. As long as you do not re-enter
after the gate you missed, you are fine. You can go as far
back as you want just as long as you do not omit anything.
IMHO,
Karen Rafferty
----- Original Message -----
From: <PbPied@aol.com>
To: <autox@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2000 12:46 PM
Subject: Re: Stupid Cone Tricks
>
> >Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2000 22:56:07 -0400
> >From: Mark Sirota <msirota@isc.upenn.edu>
> >Subject: Re: Stupid cone tricks
>
> >washburn wrote:
> >> Mark Sirota wrote:
> >>> Has anyone else ever seen someone get a pointer to stand up without
> >>> incurring penalties?
> >>
> >> You did not say how this astounding feat was completed.
> >
> >I'm not certain. I did see it, but I didn't fully realize what had
> >happened right off the bat. Perhaps Alan can comment, or other
> >witnesses.
> >
> >There are two possible scenarios:
> >(1) Alan went to the proper (left) side of the upright cone, and
> >brushed its base enough to move it slightly, and to cause the pointer
> >against it to rock and stand up. These seems unlikely, but there are
> >some who do feel that he was on the proper side of the upright cone.
> >
> >(2) Alan went to the improper (right) side of the upright cone, running
> >over the pointer. In the process, the pointer stood up. Either the
> >pointer or the kart itself pushed the upright cone a few inches, so
> >it moved, and was therefore hit -- so no off course, even though he was
> >on the wrong side of the upright cone. This one seems more likely.
>
> >If the kart itself did not hit the upright cone, then one might
> >reasonably argue that it should be scored as an off course. But
> >there's no way to know for sure, and the cone was indeed displaced
> >slightly.
>
> >Mark
>
>
> Pick choice number 1, Mark, and everyone else, please. It's just not
> in my personality to DNF and not own up to it. As unlikely as it might
> seem, that is the only way it could have occurred. See my earlier post
> about feeling I had run over the base of the course marker cone.
>
> I can't imagine any way I could hit a pointer without sending it flying in
the
> direction of my travel. It is not too hard to envision pushing a cone
> slightly
> with my sidepod and squirting it backwards to it original position with
> the rotation of my rear slick. You will note that there is a tremendous
> difference between my front and rear tracks. If I hit a cone with
anything
> in the front of the kart, it is going on some sort of long distance trip,
by
> air,
> land, or through thievery. (I took one back to the grid from the left
> course.)
>
> While it is possible for me to displace a cone and not realize it, I have
a
> well-developed sense of course boundaries, and will almost always
> physically acknowledge a DNF transgression. Ask the workers on the
> left course, Sat. PM first run, group 8. I went left into the crossover
> before
> the last pointer marked gate. I knew it immediately, those watching me
> would have seen my reaction. Same thing for the Sunday AM heats.
> On my very last run for each side, I was experimenting and tried to
> run the start straight offsets flat out. It did not work either side, and
the
> DNF's show that. The course workers would be able to tell you that
> I have a way of acknowledging a failure to follow the prescribed path.
>
> To the best of my knowledge, I made eight clean, legal runs in the
> challenge, although the last two of those were plagued by start line
> problems. (which I believe cost me a shot at the win, but of course
> that is speculation)
>
> The last right side run (for the 3rd/4th places) I cannot decide whether I
> DNF'd or not. After the sweeper and second crossover, I initiated the
usual
> (for me) 4 wheel drift around the pointed cone in front of the slalom, but
> this time the kart did not hook up, and I went wide left around the first
> slalom
> cone. My first instinct was to make a left loop and come back on the
right
> side of the cone. I am not sure whether it was the spectator area being
to
> the left, or concern about marbles, but something changed my mind. So
> instead I went to the right, between the first and second cones. I went
all
> the way around and back to near the entry gate, hooked and took off again
> past the first slalom cone on the right (correct) side.
>
> I went past that slalom cone on the correct side. But I did not "undo" my
> pass by it on the left. I thought it was still a "good" run, although
> agonizingly
> slow, of course. Was it a good run? Comments/opinions welcomed.
>
> Mark and the other CM drivers noted the ramped bump on the right course
> before the last slalom cone. I had been going across it slowly all
weekend
> for stability's sake. Hey, the last run of the weekend, I was hopelessly
> behind, why not try for the elusive 24 seconds run that had been out of
> reach all weekend? Caution to the winds... oops. The bump launched me
> and I came down backwards. I got the clutch, but the engine was stalled,
> and I coasted backwards off the course. I thought to push through the
lights,
> but with the top two cars staged for their runoff, I was only holding up
the
> event, so I pushed off the course and let the timer operator clear the
system.
>
> End of my runs. Oh well, not a great way to finish the weekend, but I am
> quite
> happy with how it went anyway.
>
> I think the "cone trick" must have happened when I was running against
> Gary. I was going as hard as I could, and that run resulted in a breakout
> by a little more than I lost the next round... oh well.
>
> See you in Peru (where CM's have historically been able to beat me)
>
> Alan
>
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