John,
I'm not privy to the rules committee. Gary Allen is the only USFRA
representative on that board. However, I do know that this year has been
one of the earliest in my memory for having the rules (and changes)
published for the 2004 racing season. The word from Glen Barrett was that
the rules were being proofed for errors and that they would go to the
printer before the first of the year.
My understanding of this "delay" is that the feedback comes in at the races
and there is discussion of the rule changes based on incidents that arise
out of the racing season. If you consider that the last race that could
have input for the rules people is the El Mirage November meet, a December
decision on changes isn't much of a delay. I know that isn't much comfort
to you, parked out there with all the cheeseheads, freezing your butt off in
those Canadian imported breezes, worshiping the football gods and taking
solace in scaring the crap out of freshmen frat pledges when they try to
steal your hood ornament, but considering that the rules guys are people
like yourself with lives to lead ... they did pretty well this year.
If you consider the alternative, and to me that would be that the rules
would be published and available at Speedweek for the following year, I
think they do pretty well to have the discussions and changes ready for the
printer by now. There surely are things that need to be considered for the
2005 season that could be in review now. However, if they get the latest
information from the racing season and act on it as quickly as possible I
have no problem with it. Now I'm not running a car or bike so admittedly
this isn't my fight but I'm trying to take a rational look at it from MY
viewpoint. I look at the rule changes as primarily a safety driven issue
and therefore deserving of the last possible input.
Wes
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