15 replies to this topic

[racejunkie58P]

By charging drivers for the caution when they stop on the track to avoid a wreck officials are not following track procedures and making racing more dangerous for everyone.

track rule: "YELLOW FLAG: If at any time you stop on the track or cause a yellow, you will be sent
to the rear of the scored lap. Once you have caused two yellow or red flags, or any
combination of the two, in the same event, you will be black-flagged. If you leave the track
then return, you will be sent to the rear of the field. Any car penalized for rough driving will
be charged with a yellow. A yellow will not be thrown for any car safely sitting off the trackracing
surface. (inside the tires)

So, if a driver stops on the track to avoid smashing into a wreck, they are sent to the tail for stopping but are not charged with the caution b/c they did not "cause" the wreck.

Stop black-flagging or charging drivers with a caution for no reason and follow track procedures!

[KO_23]

agreed

[double checkered]

The only word that can be debated is "caused". We haven't ever charged one person with a caution when multiple cars are involved. All cars are charged. (I know I say it just about every week in drivers meeting). Stopping on the track for any reason charges you with a caution. Even if its to "avoid" an accident. There is no judgement. Sure, you can choose to keep your foot in the throttle and risk excessive damage to both your car and competitor's. Or you can accept the rule and know that sometime you just catch bad breaks.....its racing. Choosing to continue to stay on the track does nothing. I completely understand you being upset, but the ruling wasn't going to be overturned. You were asked to leave the track for 4 laps. 2 over raceiver, 2 with a black flag. Jeremy

[KO_23]

Isnt this a safety issue? your telling the driver to stay in the gas and destroy his and a competitors car just so you dont have to charge him with a caution? if someone stops on the track to avoid causing a bigger pile up why should they be penalized? This needs to be addressed for the future

[double checkered]

False, at no point did I tell any driver to do such. I said THEY CAN CHOOSE TO. We aren't paid to be judges. How are you able to say well this driver spun to avoid a wreck, and this driver simply lost control and spun? That's a "judgement" call. We try to avoid those because more often then not they are wrong. The rule was properly enforced as written and how it has been enforced for as long as I can remember at WRP. I feel its the best way to be fair and unbiased to all. No favoritism to anyone. Jeremy

[jgilley]

So in other words if the track is blocked , trucks or cars from wall to infield in a wreck and a driver STOPS to avoid hitting any one of them he is charged with a caution ? In 25 plus years of racing never have I heard of someone that was NOT involved in the initial accident and STOPS to keep from causing an even bigger mess being charged with a caution .

[double checkered]

If track is blocked, red flag is thrown. In my 30 years of racing I've seen cautions "charged" various ways. No contact, no fault or pick a guy and charge them, everyone else gets their spot back. I've seen times where a driver is already over-rotated and was spinning and gets bumped by car behind. Car that did bumping gets charged. There are pros and cons to EVERY rule and procedure. You can sit all day and come up with "what ifs". No way is perfect. I'm sorry you are upset that the officials actually followed the rules as they are written instead of showing favoritism to one driver. Posting on Racestud or any message board gets attention, but its not the proper action to address the rules. I replied to this post to give my side of the story too. Jeremy

[KO_23]

I said it needs addressed for the future and it does because what happened to the 58p on saturday night was crap, no way you try to spin it is going to change it he avoided a wreck was not involved in the wreck but yet got charged with a caution. This incident is in the past and I am not trying to argue with anyone over it but i am stating my opinion. The rule needs changed because i dont bust my butt in my garage all week long to have my night end prematurely because I avoided destroying my car by stopping on the race track

[Racer31]

All comments have been listened to and there are valid points in both. However, Saturday night (aug. 31) the rule WILL be enforced the same way it has been at Waynesfield AND Lima for the last 6 years. We will revisit every single rule just as we do every year with the notes that we have logged regarding them. There is no sense in keyboard cowboying this issue to death. It done and now we have a race to run this week. As ALWAYS WRP strives to listen to their drivers and fans to find happy guidelines. We will do the same here. If we do have to decide who's at fault then we will be debating that too so either way its not perfect.

[Blown93LX]

This seems pretty straight forward to me. You stop, you're charged....end of discussion. Pretty much that standard at every race I've ever been to except maybe go-karts. Not always fair, but that's the only way to remain consistent. Just my 2-cents....which I'm told is worth $37.

[racer50]

We don't race there very often, not because we don't like Waynesfield, but because it's not convenient on Saturday nights. Raced trucks there for 6 yrs. (Just my 2 cents worth) At lima this year in a feature we were involved in no less than 5 cautions ( and had stopped on the track to avoid a wreck, had also slid into a couple of the wrecks) none of them our fault just a victim of our starting position. If we would have been black flagged because of something out of our control I would have been upset. Maybe something to look into for next year. If you stop to avoid an accident or slide the car sideways and even pile into a wreck you shouldn't be charged with a caution if you didn't cause it.

[Racer31]

That's correct Don as I called Limaland scorers and posed this situation to them. They send all cars that stop on the track to the tail but only charge the cars that initiated the caution. I agree with that but I just want everyone to fully understand that not all situations are clear as to whether you were avoiding a wreck or not and there may be some judgement made. I have no problem doing that for next season but we MUST understand that we will have to use our best judgement in those situations.

[racer50]

Dan you guys and girls run a class act. And your right not everyone will agree with every call you make but if its obvious make the call, also everyone needs to understand that the way you see it and the way they see it might be 2 different things. I know I refereed soccer for 20 yrs.

[racechasser]

Maybe these situations need to be refereed like in other sports, and the decisions made by said refs are to be final? Place them in the infield corners for a birds-eye view? These racers spend way too much money to have their night end early for someone else mistake. At least this would give the drivers a chance of not being penalized (if avoiding or not involved) as opposed to the current group penalty? Food for thought, or my $2 worth.

[Dr. Speedy]

If track is blocked, red flag is thrown. In my 30 years of racing I've seen cautions "charged" various ways. No contact, no fault or pick a guy and charge them, everyone else gets their spot back. I've seen times where a driver is already over-rotated and was spinning and gets bumped by car behind. Car that did bumping gets charged. There are pros and cons to EVERY rule and procedure. You can sit all day and come up with "what ifs". No way is perfect. I'm sorry you are upset that the officials actually followed the rules as they are written instead of showing favoritism to one driver. Posting on Racestud or any message board gets attention, but its not the proper action to address the rules. I replied to this post to give my side of the story too.

Jeremy

Jeremy, you can't have 30 years of racing! You aren't even 30 are you? LOL

[double checkered]

I turn 36 in November. And some of my oldest and fondest memories are being with my family at Dorney Park in Allentown Pa, Grandview Speedway, Nazareth, Penn National, Big Diamond, and Flemington (Where I was in awe of the starter Harry Dee), Bridgeport, Susquehanna. When I was stationed in Fort Drum, I went to Can-Am, Rolling Wheels, Brewerton and Syracuse. Now my life brings me to Lima and I've gone to Lima, Millstream, KC, Molar, Portsmouth, Wayne County, Eldora, Montpelier, Gas City, Kokomo, Lawrenceburg, Attica, Fremont, Hartford, Mount Pleasant. (I've never watched a race at WRP) I'm sure there are a few I missed. I'm not saying the current method is the "best". However it is the most fair I believe. I will guarantee that when the officials start making judgements, there will be more people upset. I don't enjoy sending people to pits, or blackflagging drivers. I'm a fan first and foremost. I want every person that walks through the gate to have a good experience. Sadly that is impossible. So I try to be as consistent and fair as I can. And I can only speak for myself, but if I were racing and was "involved" in more than 2 cautions, I'd probably want to get off that ride. Just seems like you're waiting for something worse to happen. Hope to see a bunch of people to support the drivers on the last points night at WRP tonight. Jeremy