testing

[willieworld]

I started this because I wanted to know because I didn't want to violate a rule. Somebody told me that my friend had and he was my guest and my responsibility. I had him shut off his bike and we pushed it back to my pit. And then I asked the person who told me this to show me in the El Mirage procedures. He said quote "The printer left that part out when it was printed two or three years ago". Obviously that was a lie because the last printing of the El Mirage procedures was in March 2007.Now somebody says there is a 55 mph speed limit and someone else says that the SCTA rents the whole entire lake bed from Thursday midnight to Sunday midnight for a two day event. Once I asked an official why they don't use caution tape down the return road like they do at Bonneville and I was told that although the SCTA leases a portion of the lake from the BLM,even so, they don't have exclusive rights and they can't put up any barriers other than orange cones. I seem to be getting alot of feedback from my question but I am not sure if any of it is true. Come on guys who has the true answer here? I would really like to know.
Willie Buchta

[isiahstites]

Unfortunatley there seems to be some grey area............and the grey area won't go away until something is vilolated and then it will need to be written. Funny how rules books get larger with each passing year.

Scott

[desotoman]

The SCTA used to set up cones so you could make a low speed warm up run at the north side of the pits.  I believe it was 45 mph limit.

No more. Many Racers abused that area. Some even went to the hospital on some controlled warm up runs.

Tom G.

[Dean Los Angeles]

The true answer? That's easy. What you need to understand is that SCTA is made up of some really wonderful guys that turn into vicious dogs when safety or rules violations come in front of them.

Ask Noonan. He explored a tiny little gray area and got hammered.

SCTA has been around for a loooong time because these guys are hard nosed.

If you want to try a warm up on race day, don't be surprised when a lifetime ban comes your way.  Is it worth it?

Any old timers want to dispute this?

[ol38y]

Willie, what is it you don't understand? You say you don't want to violate a rule. But, you were told Fri. you did. As i read it, every post here has told you ,very diplomaticly,  you can't do this anymore. Accept it.... This is not the wild west anymore. You cannot go out and do whatever you want regardless of the consequesces to yourself or others. We are very lucky to be able to race at this venue still. There are very stringent regulations that have to be abided by. The regulations change regularly I'm sure. Get over it. You got busted for something you were not aware of. No big deal. You were told not to do it again. So now you know. Don't do it again. What's the problem??   Oh, I know, you want to see it in print.
                                    Larry

[jl222]

  What if you have a off road vehicle sticker and the day before race day? We do.
    JL222

[willieworld]

dean  for the third time it wasnt on race day it was on early friday morning  willie

[bak189]

There are a lot of rules and regulations enforced
by SCTA/BNI that are not in print............................
however, if you want to race their program, be it
ElMo or Bonneville, you best do as they say..........
if not take up bowling............SCTA/BNI have been at this LSR sport a long time, and on the whole they do a outstanding job............in my 28 years as a BNI member, I have been told "don't do that again" many, many times........yes, I have protested
and questioned many of their rules and decisions
.................but in the end you pay your money and you do as they say......the same with BUB.NHRA,
just ask NASCAR's #20 Tony Steward........................

[desotoman]

dean  for the third time it wasnt on race day it was on early friday morning  willie

 


If you are at El Mirage on the Friday before a two day meet, running flat out testing your vehicle you are guilty. If everyone is gathering for a race the next day, putting trailers out, cones out, etc. I don't care what time it is on Friday, you should not be racing around period. If I were a BLM Ranger, and saw your friend doing speed trials by himself on Friday morning I would associate it with the organization putting on the race the next day. Especially if he was in close proximity to where the races are held. It does not matter if you have a green sticker or a licenced vehicle. Use some common sense, and don't attract attention by doing something stupid. If you want to test on the lake bed do it on a day when SCTA is not around and very visible. Just because it is not in writing in the El Mirage proceedures, doesn't make it OK to do. If people keep up this kind of abuse when the SCTA is present we will be lucky to have a place to race in the future. The days of doing what ever one wants on the lake bed when SCTA is present are over. Think about the consequences of your actions before you act, if people did, we would still have a warm up area.

Tom G.

[Nortonist 592]

You didn't break any written rule or law.  You just did something that isn't done for a number of reasons.   Getting tarred with the one brush is one reason.  Its kind of like if you're at a fancy restaurant you don't rip off a big belch at the table.  Theres no written law to say you can't.  You just don't.  No big deal.

[willieworld]

desotoman  for the third time i wasnt riding the bike in queston a friend of mine was he came there to race as a guest  all i wanted to know is if there was a written rule against what he did  and i dont think that there is - i do understand that i am lucky to have a place to go as fast as i can-next year my bike number will be 9 i worked very hard for that and dont want  to loose my chance to run at el mirage and will follow any written rule to the letter -but wouldnt belong to any club or orgianization or live in any country that had secret unwritten rules that were arbitrarily enforced and i dont think that anyone in there right mind would either -i think they call that a dictatorship-- i have tested at el mirage but never on race or on tech day if there is a written rule against it i cant find it that is why i asked about it to start with --written rules are fair for everyone  unwritten rules that are arbitrarily enforced are unfair to everyone --thanks  willie buchta

[Stainless1]

desotoman  for the third time i wasnt riding the bike in queston a friend of mine was he came there to race as a guest  all i wanted to know is if there was a written rule against what he did  and i dont think that there is - i do understand that i am lucky to have a place to go as fast as i can-next year my bike number will be 9 i worked very hard for that and dont want  to loose my chance to run at el mirage and will follow any written rule to the letter -but wouldnt belong to any club or orgianization or live in any country that had secret unwritten rules that were arbitrarily enforced and i dont think that anyone in there right mind would either -i think they call that a dictatorship-- i have tested at el mirage but never on race or on tech day if there is a written rule against it i cant find it that is why i asked about it to start with --written rules are fair for everyone  unwritten rules that are arbitrarily enforced are unfair to everyone --thanks  willie buchta

Willie, the SCTA is a dictatorship, not a representative government.  If you want to play with their ball, they get to make the rules.  Yes they have rules that you are supposed to know if you have been in the organization for 30 years, and if you are new, you may learn them the hard way.  Oh, if you run in the right circles, the rules may not apply.  Always been that way so now you know you are already a member of one of those organizations, just have fun and learn the unwritten rules as you go. 
Congratulations on the new number, see you next year and keep posting that build.

[Dean Los Angeles]

The fact that you are still arguing shows a lack of common sense. I already quoted the rule that says there is no warm up area. No, it's not race day, but it's still a racing venue on Friday. All day.

Making fuzzy distinctions about it not being race day, your buddy isn't associated, etc, isn't going to cut it. Accidents over the years got us to this point.

If you want to argue gray points about vehicle rules, knock yourself out.

If you want to argue safety rules, don't plan on a long career.

[bak189]

Willie.....we are all sorry to hear you won't be racing your #9 in 2008..............You indicated you would not belong to a club run by dictators.......
so that means you will not renew your SCTA/BNI
membership for next year........................................

As I noted before......you pay your money.......and   
do as they say.........or take up bowling...................

[Dynoroom]

As I noted before......you pay your money.......and   
do as they say.........or take up bowling...................

Just like every other racing organization I've been involved with. NHRA, NASCAR, SCCA, IMSA, APBA....