New procedures regarding vehicles going out the back door at El Mirage

[John Romero]

Over the last couple of months there has been lots of discussions at the board/reps meetings about vehicles that go “out of bounds” at the lakes meet. Out of bounds is essentially anywhere outside of the coned off course and typically refers to someone going out the back door but there have been a few cases of people going off the side of the course as well.

As a bit of background, the SCTA has a special use permit for the area inside the cones at El Mirage on our race days. It’s OUR area. But outside the cones is not ours and we are not supposed to be going there with our racecars. Our BLM liaison has stated at the meeting that the BLM is not amused when we go outside our area and if something happens it would likely be the end of our permit and the end of SCTA racing at El Mirage. This, along with the frequency of people repeatedly going out of bounds have caused the “tide” to turn recently regarding penalties/sanctions/consequences to racers who go out of the marked course. 

At the March 7th Board/Reps meeting there was a continuation of the discussions and a proposal was passed by the club reps for 2008. There was broad support for this proposal and most of those who didn’t support it withheld it because they wanted harsher penalties.

(this is only my paraphrase of the proposal that passed, see the SCTA El Mirage Procedures for the final/Official text of the rule)

The 1st time you go out of bounds you are required to go back for a re-inspection inspection and it is added to your log book.

The 2nd time you do it you have to go back through inspection and it’s added to you log book. Additionally you lose all points for that meet and your club does not get your points for the meet either. 

The 3rd time you do it you have to go back through inspection where it’s added to you log book. You lose all points for that meet and your club does not get your points for the meet either and your case is sent automatically to the board for punitive action. There was no specific board action noted but I got the feeling that it would be at least a temporary ban, possibly up to a whole season, but your mileage may vary.

There was no mention of a 4th infraction. Apparently the boards doesn't think you can do it with their boot in your rear end. 

[Stan Back]

Did they establish a time frame for the infractions?  (Out the door in '52, again in
'78 and banned in 2008.)

[desotoman]

John,
    Good to see you back.

Tom G.

PS. IMO the rules are not harsh enough, especially if it could cost us our racing at El Mirage.

[John Romero]

Did they establish a time frame for the infractions?  (Out the door in '52, again in
'78 and banned in 2008.)

To be honest Stan, I don't recall. I know there was one proposal that was based on a rolling 12 month period but I think it was a different one than the one that passed. I guess we will have to wait till the procedures are published to see the exact implementation.

[Dean Los Angeles]

I think you have to also find out why they go out the back door. I watched one bike somehow miss the fact that the finish line came and went and kept the power on for a long time after the finish. It looked like a REAL surprise when the back door cones came up! I never saw somebody sit up that fast. Is the finish line marked well enough? I know DUH.

Every time I hear "No chute" being yelled, I ask how that can happen. It isn't an accident, it's somebody's failure to do their job.

I'm surprised at the number that do go out the back door. It shouldn't happen more than once or twice a year.

For those of you that run much faster than I do, is it hard to see at high speed? Both the finish line and the cones at the end?

[John Romero]

I think you have to also find out why they go out the back door. I watched one bike somehow miss the fact that the finish line came and went and kept the power on for a long time after the finish. It looked like a REAL surprise when the back door cones came up! I never saw somebody sit up that fast. Is the finish line marked well enough? I know DUH.

Every time I hear "No chute" being yelled, I ask how that can happen. It isn't an accident, it's somebody's failure to do their job.

I'm surprised at the number that do go out the back door. It shouldn't happen more than once or twice a year.

For those of you that run much faster than I do, is it hard to see at high speed? Both the finish line and the cones at the end?

It was discussed as well. There seem to be many causes, from inadequate forward visibility, equipment failure and inability to recognize the timing lights as just a few. Repeat offenders will have a much more difficult time with it. It was reported that many are happening with rookies who went through orientation the morning of the race rather than the night before. The difference being that the night before they all drive down the course and get out of the car at the finish line. The race day orientation does not do that. I think (not sure) that they also decided no more race day orientation in 2008 for just this reason. They are also discussing ways to make the timing lights more obvious.

The bottom line is that SCTA seems to be putting some teeth behind this rule for 2008.

[willieworld]

so far i havent ran fast enough to run out the back door but im in the middle of designing a new bike that should run well over 200 mph (please dont ask ) the bike i run now only has a rear brake and im wondering if that will be enough --how much distance is there after the finish line to get stopped i dont know and if there is a problem with people running out the back door maybe the back door could be moved just some thoughts   willie buchta

[interested bystander]

SCTA, collectively, MUST do its job to ensure all course markers and limits are clearly visible/recognizable to all, naturally.

Willie , if you're worried about exceeding course length, I'd think about laying the bike down and bailing off, that way the man stays in bounds and only the machine violates the boundary rule.

That'll leave the penalty up to the expert rulemakers.

[willieworld]

seriously    how long is the shut down area      willie buchta

the wording is vehicle going out of bounds

[Nortonist 592]

Willie,  I believe its a mile.  I'm open to correction on that.  Whatever the distance is Leggit can get stopped form over 300 so barring a catastrophic failure there is no reason (other than stupidity) for going out the back door.  Think about it.  Out the back door get involved in a crash with someone.  Big lawsuit.  End of El Mirage.  The penalties aren't harsh enough.

[willieworld]

yea they should be shot--i just wondered because im building a new bike and dont want to run a front brake and was wondering if i will have enough room to stop sounds like i will  if i dont il run a front brake  whatever it takes--only kidding about the shooting --  gotta go  willie buchta

[racin jason]

Willie,
My bike ran 230mph at el mo last year and i had plenty of real estate left in the shutdown area and i wasn't on my brakes hard. I just sat up and turned out to the cones on the return side. i run 1 front disc and a rear disc.

Something else to ponder with your new bike:
If you have a catastrophic failure that causes a fire you will want to get the bike slowed down as fast as possible and get off the bike. If you are only running  a rear brake you could be in trouble.
 All it will take to go out the back door will be for your bike to toss a drive chain in the lights and now you have no engine braking.

I would run a front brake at el mo and rear only at bville.

[willieworld]

thanks jason  i think you are right  willie buchta

[Nortonist 592]

Willie,  Put a front brake on it.  It may not look cool but it may keep you from looking stupid.  I run an old Norton which isn't very fast but at the May '06 meet I spit the primary just at the lights.  Normally I shut the throttle and let the engine braking slow me.  When the chain broke I swear the Norton accelerated!!.  I wasn't carrying enough speed to go out the back but a faster bike could.  But it did surprise me how much I took engine braking for granted. 

[fastesthonda_jim]

John, et al,

It is beyond me why we don't use a catch net at El Mirage like they do now and then at Bonneville.  I have some pics of it but I can't remember how to post them to this message or I would show them to y'all.  As I recall the net stopped Carl Heap (sp?) and his twin diesel, quad turbo, highway hauler one time. 

It would seem to be just the ticket for the dirt.  Basically it's a nylon net held about three feet high, held up on some plastic water pipe.  Each end it attached to a parachute.  You drive into it, it wraps you up, "pops" its chutes, and you stop.

Given that with each pass we are risking the entire future of our sport, I would think it would have been implemented.  I mean we have seat belts to keep from killing one of our "own", we should have a safety net to keep from killing one of "theirs".

Been out the back door about 50 feet once myself due to a "stoopid" chute packing error.

Oops!

Jim