Tech Officials and Race Directors

[Circleracer168]

I was at NSS this year and I was utterly amazed... That when the Tech Official made a call and DQ'd someone, the Race Director overruled him. Now being a Tech official is a pretty damn tough thing as it is, but I found it strange that a Race Director was able to get involved and overrule THE Tech Guy... Been around racing a long time and have never seen a race director overrule the Tech man anywhere else unless it was a grave mistake...

I understand that both those positions can be pretty tough in these days... BUT everyone wonders why the car count at NSS is a little low... If memory serves right, it used to be that the Tech Officials ruling used to be law.. Now it seems as if the Tech Guys can't make a call on someone because those people will just whine to someone else and get it fixed... The Tech guys at NSS are pretty good if allowed to do their job correctly... I would love to see them get the correct tools and be allowed to do their job...

Is it just me or is that something other people have noticed the last year or two...

Opinions Opinions.... Comments comments....

Mind you I am only referring to NSS, I won't even touch the subject of OSW... Or at least yet....

[Winger]

HMMMmmmm, I've never heard of anything like this. TIC and LOL. Wonder how long it takes for this to go to the complainers corner?

[Boneman]

Can you provide some specific examples? Who, when and why?

[fred23]

I have to stick up for the tech guys at NSS....Jeff and Guy did a very thorough job on the weekly race divisions. They checked something pretty much every week. I can only think of one week where they just weighed the cars and let them go as has been the norm over the last few years. I know I saw far more DQ's this year than ever before.

You honestly cannot expect to have motors torn down for weekly racing. I know they P&G'd some classes this year. Now for bigger races, I can see them checking motors. But still there is the cost factor to the track and racer. IF you want motors sent to a builder to be dyno'd or checked, who is paying that cost?
This isn't NASCAR. THis isn't even the Snowball. You are still talking about racing for $1000-$1500 to win. IF you have to pay for your motor to get torn down every race, you are losing considerably. It is a catch 22. who do you piss off? The fast guys or the slow guys, the money guys or the non money guys. The3 cheaters or non cheaters. That is why it is on the racers to "teardown" or police each other. I agree, it would be nice if the track had all of the equipment to check cams completely but I know that machine that Mr Brooks had was around $3000.

I am not really aware of who "let's people go" that get caught cheating. If you say it happens then fill us in of who and when. I am not disagreeing with you just wondering.

I suggested a way to help police this to NSS last year. Have 2 or 3 tech, test and tune Saturdays during January, February and March before the official season starts. Have the cars go through a complete tech (minus internal motors) from front to back and have the tech guys either approve with a sticker or make a list of changes that need to be made. They can also get all of the license pics and paperwork done BEFORE the season starts. I still do not have my license from last year. Everyone can get their cars ready and teched and tested for the start of the year. Then, if you fail a tech inspection starting with the first week, you are DQ'd without question. If I were in charge of teching, I would have a list of each class and what I was going to check before each week. CHeck that and let them go. Then check something different the next week. Keep a log and then if something gets rechecked during the year, they can go back to it.

OK thats enough.....

[Todd McCreary]

Can you provide some specific examples? Who, when and why?


couple of years ago at a Nerone enduro race at OSW.

Nerone's pet tech guy tried to throw out the winner for having 8" rims. after the racer had tried to call and find out the rules and had been told to just come on over from the west coast and race. he even brought 7" rims with him, but no one ever told him 8" rims were illegal.

Donnie Lewis stepped in and over ruled the pet tech guy ( not Carl ) on the perfectly reasonable grounds that Nerone has never had an enduro rule book printed up anywhere.



back when Ocala was running the 12hr race, tech tried to throw out a Honda for "being too small". after the promoter had told them to drive down from Tennessee. they also got over-ruled.





TIC

what is "TIC"? haven't seen that one before.



Wonder how long it takes for this to go to the complainers corner?

does every thread that doesn't gush effusively belong in the complainers corner?



I have to stick up for the tech guys at NSS

he's not complaining about the tech guys. he's saying they aren't being allowed to do their jobs.

[Winger]

TIC

what is "TIC"? haven't seen that one before.

Tongue in Cheek.
See http://www.netlingo.com/acronyms.php

[RSB]

Tic

Wow! Something Todd didn't know!

[Todd McCreary]

Wow! Something Todd didn't know!



i knew that. i was just, uh, pretending ignorance so's youse guys could feel better about yourselves.

ya, that's the ticket.

[Bigbuck]

not biting!!

I Ain't saying nothing!!!!!

[Edm]

Smells like the pot of crap has just been stirred again. This is all old news, the question is will next season be any different?

[Rick Williamson]

In a word............NOPE

[Circleracer168]

I have to stick up for the tech guys at NSS....Jeff and Guy did a very thorough job on the weekly race divisions. They checked something pretty much every week. I can only think of one week where they just weighed the cars and let them go as has been the norm over the last few years. I know I saw far more DQ's this year than ever before.

You honestly cannot expect to have motors torn down for weekly racing. I know they P&G'd some classes this year. Now for bigger races, I can see them checking motors. But still there is the cost factor to the track and racer. IF you want motors sent to a builder to be dyno'd or checked, who is paying that cost?
This isn't NASCAR. THis isn't even the Snowball. You are still talking about racing for $1000-$1500 to win. IF you have to pay for your motor to get torn down every race, you are losing considerably. It is a catch 22. who do you piss off? The fast guys or the slow guys, the money guys or the non money guys. The3 cheaters or non cheaters. That is why it is on the racers to "teardown" or police each other. I agree, it would be nice if the track had all of the equipment to check cams completely but I know that machine that Mr Brooks had was around $3000.

I am not really aware of who "let's people go" that get caught cheating. If you say it happens then fill us in of who and when. I am not disagreeing with you just wondering.

I suggested a way to help police this to NSS last year. Have 2 or 3 tech, test and tune Saturdays during January, February and March before the official season starts. Have the cars go through a complete tech (minus internal motors) from front to back and have the tech guys either approve with a sticker or make a list of changes that need to be made. They can also get all of the license pics and paperwork done BEFORE the season starts. I still do not have my license from last year. Everyone can get their cars ready and teched and tested for the start of the year. Then, if you fail a tech inspection starting with the first week, you are DQ'd without question. If I were in charge of teching, I would have a list of each class and what I was going to check before each week. CHeck that and let them go. Then check something different the next week. Keep a log and then if something gets rechecked during the year, they can go back to it.

OK thats enough.....

Fred, the last thing I am going to do is beat the Tech Guys at NSS, they do their job. I am only referring to when they do tech things and make a call that is correct or correct to the rules, how they get overruled... Now you know as well as everyone else, it would be silly to pull a motor weekly, but they need to be checked on a regular basis. And we also know, that if the Tech guys had the right tools, they could tech even a "crate" motor without tearing it apart...

A perfect example of this was in the Super Stock class this year... One driver protested another driver... In return he got protested as well... Now according the rules, they were both found illegal and both DQ'd... The only problem being is that a day or two later, the DQ's were overturned because of Rule changes that happened due to the DQ's... I could give a crap less about the two drivers, but it doesn't matter. According to the rules at the time, they were both found illegal. Nothing personal... No big deal... We are racers, and we all do or have done it in the past. I have seen this happen at other places and here is what they did... The decisions stood, but immediately after that, the track clarified the rules so that no future problems would arise.

That is just one example, and we all know that other things have come about in all of the divisions from Strictly all the way up the way. We all know that trying to satisfy all the drivers/owners when they whine will eventually and has hurt the car count at NSS.

[Bigbuck]

Nope!!

Fred, the last thing I am going to do is beat the Tech Guys at NSS, they do their job. I am only referring to when they do tech things and make a call that is correct or correct to the rules, how they get overruled... Now you know as well as everyone else, it would be silly to pull a motor weekly, but they need to be checked on a regular basis. And we also know, that if the Tech guys had the right tools, they could tech even a "crate" motor without tearing it apart...

A perfect example of this was in the Super Stock class this year... One driver protested another driver... In return he got protested as well... Now according the rules, they were both found illegal and both DQ'd... The only problem being is that a day or two later, the DQ's were overturned because of Rule changes that happened due to the DQ's... I could give a crap less about the two drivers, but it doesn't matter. According to the rules at the time, they were both found illegal. Nothing personal... No big deal... We are racers, and we all do or have done it in the past. I have seen this happen at other places and here is what they did... The decisions stood, but immediately after that, the track clarified the rules so that no future problems would arise.

That is just one example, and we all know that other things have come about in all of the divisions from Strictly all the way up the way. We all know that trying to satisfy all the drivers/owners when they whine will eventually and has hurt the car count at NSS.

still ain't saying nothing!! Afraid I'll get spanked!!

[Boneman]

It would be helpful if the tracks posted an management organizational flowchart. I've never seen one at a track, but they are found in well organized businesses.

The purpose of a chart like this is to make clear what official answers to who, and which official can, or cannot, over-rule another.

If you are not sure what I mean, I have attached a sample chart. It is strictly an illustration of one way to do it, I don't pretend to know anything about the real organization at FASCAR, but I suggest that if this chart was posted, this thread would not exist.

[Circleracer168]

From speaking to racers and others, the last I heard was that Tech Officials have the last say and then problems with them go to Mr. Hart... Anyone know if that still is the say so...