Track Tac

Anyone had any issues with this rule?

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factstock3

New member
I have noticed many tracks have the rule "if it doesn't say you can, you cannot". I have heard multiple people say it does not hold up in court (including from an attorney friend), but is it even enforceable at the track? How can your rules be so encompassing that everything has been completely covered?
To me, it seems like a rule that can easily be abused by the people in charge, if they have a vendetta against, you since it is so vague. It doesn't say you can add extra padding to your seat, change your pull cord to a stronger one, grease your bearings with oil, etc. therefore, you are illegal.
Just curious since I recently saw this come to fruition and wondered if anyone else had as well.
 
They own the track so they can do as the please, if you dont like it you have 2 options, go to another track or quit.
A lawyer really?
That rule is mostly for engine rules they wont DQ you for a different pull cord or grease in your bearings
 
I saw a guy get dq'd for a mark on his intake in a stock car once due to this rule. It stated that you could angle mill the heads and mill the intake to match. After milling the intake, they cleaned up the shavings and apparently slipped, leaving a slight mark on the port of his intake about 1/4" long. It was declared illegal b/c the rules didn't say you could grind on the intake. That is what happens when you run a big money race in a place that is not your home town. The point is, abuse of power is real and the rules need to be in place to keep everything fair, including for the drivers.
Also, some tracks are run by committee, not owned by a promoter.
 
factstock3 said:
I saw a guy get dq'd for a mark on his intake in a stock car once due to this rule. It stated that you could angle mill the heads and mill the intake to match. After milling the intake, they cleaned up the shavings and apparently slipped, leaving a slight mark on the port of his intake about 1/4" long. It was declared illegal b/c the rules didn't say you could grind on the intake. That is what happens when you run a big money race in a place that is not your home town. The point is, abuse of power is real and the rules need to be in place to keep everything fair, including for the drivers.
Also, some tracks are run by committee, not owned by a promoter.
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Yeah they had it out for that guy, in karting most of the time if they find something that isnt in the rules and isnt an performance advantage they'll let it go unless theres a vendetta.
Kart track are owned by 1 person, this isnt full scale racing, the more rules you add the higher the cost goes, once you add a spec, look for racers to take advantage of it
 
Before you go to a new track, you'd do yourself a big favor by running there a few times, and ingratiating yourself with the tech officials (especially) there.
Favoritism exists everywhere in motor sports......everywhere. Do not be naive about these things.
AND.... go to the track early, the day of the race, and pay the tech guy to at the very least give your piece a cursory once over.
This will increase your "friendship" rating with the who'se who at the track.

If you whup a "favorite son" however, expect to be DQ'd. It's called the home field "advantage".
 
Page 7, paragraph 2, line number 7: that information covers your concern. Become an AKRA member and you will get a rule book. Also, if an AKRA tech makes a call you do not agree with, you can request the item in question be sent to a tech committee member by the AKRA tech that made the call. it will be reviewed and a final decision made. All the more reason to be a member.
 
I doubt that many tracks go to the effort of creating a "vendetta" against you...........the track "management" can simply decide, on the spur of the moment that they do not like you.......but do like the money you spend at the track. If you are willing to continue spending money at the track, the management is willing to take your money, while continuing to irk you when possible.

Usually, it is little problems getting rid of an "undesirable", .........by directive.......or by escort of a man with a badge.
 
I have seen it where for local shows if someone shows up with a piece that is in the grey area, the tech will let it go for the night. The tech official then gives the warning that they do not want to see that piece next week. You can then post a bulletin making racers aware. This should not be a big deal if everyone is reasonable. If you piston pop up is of or the no-go gauge "goes" then sorry son, pretty cut and dry. But a scrape on the manifold or a pull cord as XXX pointed out they aren't gonna toss you for. If they do, then you know dang well someone doesnt like ya! Better send a fruit basket or something.
 
XXX#40 said:
Yeah they had it out for that guy, in karting most of the time if they find something that isnt in the rules and isnt an performance advantage they'll let it go unless theres a vendetta.
Kart track are owned by 1 person, this isnt full scale racing, the more rules you add the higher the cost goes, once you add a spec, look for racers to take advantage of it
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The problem I see is "most of the time". The track I am specifically questioning is a non-profit organization run by committee with a president that has final say on all legal issues. This means money is not a driving force. The president is voted in each year, but as it is an unpaid job, it is hard to find someone willing to even take it. The new president has had some major issues this past season with several different racers, including kids, and I fear the abuse of power with this rule. I know the next solution is "if he is that bad, vote him out", but that is easier said than done since most people will avoid confrontation if it hasn't affected him...and this doesn't include the fact that he has a large number of family members out there. If it weren't such a quality track so close to home, I would just change tracks, but there isn't much to choose from around here.
More or less, I was trying to see if there was a wording that could help protect the racers while still enforcing the rules.
 
factstock3 said:
The problem I see is "most of the time". The track I am specifically questioning is a non-profit organization run by committee with a president that has final say on all legal issues. This means money is not a driving force. ................
Click to expand...

Money can most definitely be a driving force......in a non-profit organization. Lack of profit does not always equate to lack of graft.........or extra cash in the pocket.

"Being" President........."head man in charge"........can be a driving force.

If you want your thoughts and ideas to be considered in the management of the track.........begin your campaign to be elected to President, so you can dictate and enforce the rules you favor.
 
The thing I see most is that the "local every weekers" get cautions when they spin, (helped or not) and the "every once in a whiler" sits just out of the groove turned backwards until he is a lap down then the caution comes out. Especially if he is as fast or faster than a "local every weeker".
 
I just found a great quote from Al Nunley that summed up another reason I fear this rule:

"I see a day in the future where people will show up at the track, practice, draw numbers for finishing position, hand out the trophies, then spend the rest the day barbecuing and drinking beer while bench racing on how close the draw was. lol. This would, after all, eliminate the dominance of the sport by those more clever than others."
"I was reasonably successful racing karts, but the real fun was inventing and building innovative products"

Why take innovation out of the sport that has its history in innovation?
 
What rules do they run by? Do you or the track have a copy of the rules by which the track is governed?
 
We run AKRA for several of the classes, but a few of the classes have their own minimal rules that are quite vague. I'm not as worried about the AKRA classes since those are very stringent, I'm more worried about the track specific classes.
 
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