Spec tire compliance

[mark defer]

So it seems the club has a good procedure for marking the spec tires. After the 1st qualifying, everyone goes to tech and they mark the tires. That's your set for the weekend. But what happens after the race? Are the scrutineers checking for the marks to insure that the marked tires were used? My only time in tech after a race since the new spec tire rule was this past weekend and the rains [which weren't marked] were never looked at.

[douglap1]

So it seems the club has a good procedure for marking the spec tires. After the 1st qualifying, everyone goes to tech and they mark the tires. That's your set for the weekend. But what happens after the race? Are the scrutineers checking for the marks to insure that the marked tires were used? My only time in tech after a race since the new spec tire rule was this past weekend and the rains [which weren't marked] were never looked at.

In my experience there is no set procedure, other than the driver is responsible for making sure the tires are marked per the GCR.

At most events last year, the tech folks in our division went down the row of cars gridded for the first qualifying session and marked the tires. However, at our final race for the season, they did not mark the tires on grid.

It finally occurred to me in impound after the qualifying session was over that nobody had been marking tires. I approached one of the tech folks and alerted him to the mistake, and was was rather angrily told it was my responsibility, not theirs, which is of course true per the GCR.

I pointed out that my car was still sitting in impound and I would like them to mark my tires, which they did. But I think I was the only competitor who had their tires marked, and no one ever checked after that race, or any other race last season from what I saw.

[Rick Kirchner]

Man, when I worked tech I abso-freakin-lutely hated marking tires.

Most events I barely had enough tech staff to perform all the required duties, and then marking came along.

At least the stamp and ink was provided, but I just wanted to shove the whole mess up some comp board members keister for all the ink I got all over me and my clothes. Luckily, I never got any on my car seats or somebody would have gotten it up their keister.

When I worked the 2001 Indy F1 race the FIA had a code reader and bar codes on the tires. That damn thing didn't work either.

[problemchild]

I am sure there will be tire marking at the big races and Runoffs. At the June Sprints and Runoffs last year, we were advised to get our tires marked after 1st qualifying if they missed us previously.

As fair respectful competitors, we have the responsibility to be legal and follow the rules whether they are monitored or not. I am sure that someone could sneak through a second set of scrubbed tires at some of the smaller events, just as they could sneak through with rocket fuel, a cheater cam, or many other cheater parts.

There is no excuse for a professionally run car, with months of lead time since the participation announcement, to show up with tires that have been illegal for over a year. Whether by laziness or disrespect, pulling in with a few laps remaining, would have been the sporting thing to do.

Mark should be commended for speaking up. Thanks Mark!

[mark defer]

I am sure there will be tire marking at the big races and Runoffs. At the June Sprints and Runoffs last year, we were advised to get our tires marked after 1st qualifying if they missed us previously.

As fair respectful competitors, we have the responsibility to be legal and follow the rules whether they are monitored or not. I am sure that someone could sneak through a second set of scrubbed tires at some of the smaller events, just as they could sneak through with rocket fuel, a cheater cam, or many other cheater parts.

There is no excuse for a professionally run car, with months of lead time since the participation announcement, to show up with tires that have been illegal for over a year. Whether by laziness or disrespect, pulling in with a few laps remaining, would have been the sporting thing to do.

Mark should be commended for speaking up. Thanks Mark!

Greg, thank you. As you may or may not know, I got pilloried on Facebook for pointing out the non-compliance to the scrutineers. The thing is they shouldn't have been mad at me. They should have been pissed at the shop prepping their car who definitely should have known better. Again, thanks for your comment. Coming from you it means a lot.

[racpercival]

I for one was sorry that they closed down the Facebook thread. What I wanted to point out to them was

1. Technically, in my opinion, they should have never been allowed in the race in the first place. It’s an illegal car, and an illegal car should not even be allowed to start the race, potentially impeding legitimate cars. What if he had crashed into a legal car and cost $10K in damage to a legitimate car. That driver has every right to be really pissed that he got hammered by a car that should not have been in the race in the first place.It’s just that with the amount of cars, staff, etc. this can’t be enforced at this level of Motorsports with limited budgets and staff. He’s lucky that he was even allowed to race. In some series, he would not have been allowed to.

2. I would have provided an example with entering a kart race, knowing full well that I was illegal. We do it all the time to get track time and some organizations only check after the race. Well, I did finish on the podium in 3rd, but I skipped the scales at the pit-in at the end of the race so that I can be automatically DQ’d. A little girl came up to me while I was heading back to my pit and was saying, “Sir, you finished 3rd in front of my dad, aren’t you going to the podium?” I said thanks, but your dad is the real third place, as I was illegal, tell him Congrats for me and it was a great race with him. Maybe this s the lesson that they need to teach their kid.

3. His comments about you being embarrassed that the kid was so many seconds ahead of you is ridiculous. What I wanted to interject is that 1. You are still faster that him (the parent) as he can’t run around the track faster than you in a racecar. He needs that perspective, that at least you are out there at 68 doing something that he is not!!!

4. Why is he comparing his kid to a hobbyist racer. If he wants to do a comparison, then his son is racing in the wrong series. He needs to have his son in USF2000, F4, etc. against similarly minded racers and then he’ll have something to brag and talk about.

[DaveW]

Greg, thank you. As you may or may not know, I got pilloried on Facebook for pointing out the non-compliance to the scrutineers. The thing is they shouldn't have been mad at me. They should have been pissed at the shop prepping their car who definitely should have known better. Again, thanks for your comment. Coming from you it means a lot.

Mark emailed me a week ago to ask me whether he (Mark) handled this as I would have. I replied that, IMO, he did exactly the correct thing, letting the officials know the situation and having them handle it from there.

[mark defer]

Mark emailed me a week ago to ask me whether he (Mark) handled this as I would have. I replied that, IMO, he did exactly the correct thing, letting the officials know the situation and having them handle it from there.

Thanks, Dave.