One more time for review, with some emphasis added:
D.All gear changes must be initiated by the driver. Mechanical gear
shifters, direct-acting electric solenoid shifters, air-shifters and
similar devices are permitted. Devices that allow pre-selected gear
changes are prohibited.
I definitely believe the above rule needs a rewrite. I won't call it a clarification, because if it makes something legal that wasn't legal before that is a rule change. If it makes something illegal that was legal before, that is a rule change.
To me, some things are crystal clear:
The gear changes must be initiated by the driver.
Pre-selected gear changes are prohibited.
I don't believe anybody, on either side of this debate, could successfully argue the geartronics system doesn't satisfy those two sentences.
Where it gets fuzzy to my uneducated, but very logical and analytical brain, is what does "direct-acting" apply to? I'm thinking that requirement only applies to electrical solenoids. While that may not have been the intent of the author....I don't give a rat's a&& about intent. Write what you mean, mean what you write.
Some may argue that the geartronics system is direct-acting. Frankly, I don't believe anything that is designed to take an input from the driver and then decide whether to act on it or not is direct acting. My mind is very clear about that.
Most importantly, the subjective word "similar". What are "similar devices"? The fact that "similar devices" are specifically allowed opens up a huge can of worms. Clearly there are devices other than those systems specifically named that are allowed as long as the shift is "initiated" by the driver and it does not pre-select the gear changes.
The problem lies in that word "UNLESS". The fact that the system is designed to determine whether or not to act on the drivers' input means it isn't direct acting. However, it's not clear to me that the air systems are required to be direct-acting.
Please tell me how you are quite sure the geartronics system is "direct acting". How do you define direct acting?
The fact that purely mechanical systems sometimes fail to complete a shift is irrelevant as the systems aren't designed to reject certain shifts.
Claiming the system isn't an advantage over those without it and is purely a safety measure, I believe weakens' your arguments.
I'm afraid the SCCA is going to come back with the ol' standby "Rule is adequate as written" and not make any changes to it at all.