p_whitworth
Active member
I have had the occasion over that past few weeks to discuss with certain officials the circumstances of the disqualification I received at the Seattle June 14-15 2014 Race at Pacific Raceways. I had entered the race at short notice because my wife had travelled, also on short notice, to Ottawa to be with a dying sister. I did not read the schedule in some detail until Saturday after the first track session because I was dealing with a leaking fuel pump. I read that it was billed as a “Qualifying Race”. Inquiries informed me that it was actually a qualifying session just like always, but some competitors want to run it like a race. I did go out and set a qualifying time and pulled back into my paddock space as I usually do. After seeing and taking a copy of the results showing my time, I was dismayed to see a subsequent copy that listed me “Disqualified” and my times nullified for not having gone over the scales. If you knew just how much my car and myself are over the minimum you would not question my not having to weigh each and every time I come off the track. Discussing this with the stewards I made my case that: a) it was not a Championship Race, b) no points or even trophies were awarded. It was billed as a qualifying session, what was the problem? All to no avail. I have been told that I really wasn’t disqualified, I just lost my times and besides, I was able to go out the next day and get a time back. This is like saying you’re not really dead, just terminally inconvenienced. If it’s so good to time in the next day, let’s get rid of all the qualifying until we reach the last one before the race.
Seems fair to me.
I have since become aware of the REAL reason for turning Saturday qualifying into Saturday racing. It seems those enrolled in the Toyo Tire contingency program want to have more race results to turn in and get more contingency money. This was given to me anecdotally but that is what I derived from the conversation.
So, if this is true, then all of Conference is to be messed about so a favoured few can scam Toyo Tires out of more contingency money than they are entitled to. There is a reasonable probability that Toyo calculates its contingency payouts on a per week-end basis. The Conference I used to know and love would never have been party to such a sleazy maneuver like this and most certainly NOT have shown such favouritism to one class or group over all others. I have a real race car and so I don’t’ use Toyo Tires. What do I get out of all this? Is the Toyo Tire clique going to donate their extra money to the worker fund or into a pool to be shared with all the other Conference racers who are providing them with this double dipping at the trough?
To those who now think it is increasing track time, think again. If you turn Saturday morning into a qualifying session and run a race on Saturday afternoon, then how long will it be until the organizing clubs, with an eye on their week-end expenses, decide they can run the entire race in one day? The outlying clubs have already had to do it as a means of drawing entries with two or even three races on the week-end. The usual complaint of those running the World Championship of Centralia (It’s mid-way between Seattle and Portland) have always decried that those races put too much importance on reliability. Well, reliability may become the deciding factor if all the clubs decide to cut expenses almost in half and cut the practice and qualifying sessions in half.
Just think, using a proposed format of 2 two day and 1 one day weekends, and the two clubs that already hold one three day weekend each, the Conference schedule can be run off in 8 weekends.
How’s that for more track time?
Stay tuned for Part 2.
Seems fair to me.
I have since become aware of the REAL reason for turning Saturday qualifying into Saturday racing. It seems those enrolled in the Toyo Tire contingency program want to have more race results to turn in and get more contingency money. This was given to me anecdotally but that is what I derived from the conversation.
So, if this is true, then all of Conference is to be messed about so a favoured few can scam Toyo Tires out of more contingency money than they are entitled to. There is a reasonable probability that Toyo calculates its contingency payouts on a per week-end basis. The Conference I used to know and love would never have been party to such a sleazy maneuver like this and most certainly NOT have shown such favouritism to one class or group over all others. I have a real race car and so I don’t’ use Toyo Tires. What do I get out of all this? Is the Toyo Tire clique going to donate their extra money to the worker fund or into a pool to be shared with all the other Conference racers who are providing them with this double dipping at the trough?
To those who now think it is increasing track time, think again. If you turn Saturday morning into a qualifying session and run a race on Saturday afternoon, then how long will it be until the organizing clubs, with an eye on their week-end expenses, decide they can run the entire race in one day? The outlying clubs have already had to do it as a means of drawing entries with two or even three races on the week-end. The usual complaint of those running the World Championship of Centralia (It’s mid-way between Seattle and Portland) have always decried that those races put too much importance on reliability. Well, reliability may become the deciding factor if all the clubs decide to cut expenses almost in half and cut the practice and qualifying sessions in half.
Just think, using a proposed format of 2 two day and 1 one day weekends, and the two clubs that already hold one three day weekend each, the Conference schedule can be run off in 8 weekends.
How’s that for more track time?
Stay tuned for Part 2.