Clone Points

[andersonracing]

Im confused on the points for the clones on 10-9-10 in the General Racing rules section IV. Rule number 9 it states NO POINTS, TROPHIES OR MONIES will be awarded to any driver disqualified from an events feature. Now im not sure but I thought Ben Brown was thrown off the track in the feature meaning he was disqualified. So why did he get points for that day? Just curious.

[Hetzel Racing]

You are correct that is exactly how the rule is written. Ben was blacked flagged and requested to leave the race track. This was done because his behavior was very erratic and at the time, deemed to be unsafe to both himself and his fellow competitors.
But what to do about the results for the race, do I disqualify him for unsportsmanlike conduct, or call it a safety issue. Since he had done no harm to anyone but himself up to that point. And, due in no small part to the fact that after the race he came up and apologized to Andrew for his behavior, rather than place the blame all on us, I made the decision to give him 3rd place. Keep in mind he had completed 1 lap under green, had he not it wouldn't have mattered.
When someone is blacked flagged it is not always for unsportsmanlike behavior. There are other reasons including a mechanical or safety issues. I would hate for someone to be considered DQ'd for for one of those reasons. The DQ rule's intent is to punish someone who themselves, or their team members, have acted in an unsportsmanlike, or unsafe manner which could adversely effect the other racers. I do not believe his actions to that point met that criteria.

I hope this explains the decision and how it was reached.

[Dan Rudd]

Since I don't have a dog in this fight I'll ask the question, why wasn't the race completely restarted when Ben spun in the sweeper during the first lap?
I was standing at the fence at the sweeper when the race started and had an unobstructed view of that section. Ben and another kart (don't recall which one) tangled up going into the sweeper and Ben spun. He sat in his kart until the flagger at the exit grid threw the yellow. When the yellow was thrown Ben spun back around and started to get going again, presumably expecting a complete restart since this all happened on the first lap. I assume this is when he realized the race was still under green and he "spun" again as he passed the start grid. I didn't see the second spin but I think my suspicions are correct in how it happened.
The fact is, the race should have been a complete re-start since the incident happened on the first lap and the flagger on the sweeper had thrown the yellow. Had it been completely re-started the incidents that followed would have not happened. At least not during that lap.
Why would the flagger at the start/finish line disregard the flag thrown at the sweeper? It's has to be difficult for the drivers to try to interpret the conflicting flags. Especially when this occurred on the first lap and drivers expect a complete restart.

Just my .02

Dan

[Hetzel Racing]

Let me start out by saying that a spin out or minor wreck (single kart) does not automatically constitute a yellow flag, and anyone that expects or assumes it does is doing so under a false premise. As long as the driver can get back under way prior to becoming a safety issue to the other competitors, which they should always try to do, there will not be a caution. There are other factors that need to be considered as well. Did the incident cause another competitor some harm? Was another competitor the cause of the incident? Or, as in this case, was just one driver who made the mistake? The answers to these questions are all judgment calls that have to be made virtually instantaneously based on what is seen by the head flagman.

Now as for the incident, from my perspective: Ben spun out because he tangled with another kart. He did not have any affect on the other driver, nor did the other driver do anything thing out of the ordinary to cause the incident. It was simply a matter of 2 drivers wanting the same piece of real estate, in other words racing. After Ben spun out he was pointing the wrong direction, towards the exit road, and started to move back in position to continue. Once Ben started moving in the proper direction he was no longer a danger to the others and hence the race continued. I do not know how the corner flagman was holding his flag, I wasn’t watching him; I was watching what Ben was doing and the other racers. But it’s actually immaterial for these reasons: 1 – he is behind the wreck and 2 – the head flagman is the one who calls the cautions. Since the other 2 karts had not reached the flag stand prior to Ben continuing no caution flag was thrown. While I cannot speak for, or if, this is what my head flagman was thinking, but if I had been in his position I would have made exactly the same call he did.

I want to personally apologize to Ben for him being the center of this discussion. I personally prefer not to using racers names for these types of discussions as it causes them undo attention, and that does no one any good.

[danielgehring]

I may be wrong but I believe last year on the last race of the season my brothers muffler came loose and was bouncing around (never actually came off) and he didn't receive any points for it because he was black flagged. This was also a safety reason and not unsportsman like conduct so why is the rule different here.
Daniel Gehring

[Hetzel Racing]

Sorry Daniel, you are incorrect he received last place points.