Slim,
The "lax adherence" to the number size rule has been agreed upon. We've allowed numbers written on tape for many years. The starter that pulled him from the line questioned the numbers while the bike was in tech and was specifically told by the tech inspector that they were fine and passed tech. In fact, 3 techs signed off on the numbers. I understand we're all volunteers here but what I don't understand is how a starter can override a non-safety related tech/impound issue when it was specifically asked and answered while the bike was being teched. I can understand if there was a safety issue, but this was an impound issue at best and the starter that made the judgement is not a trained motorcycle tech or impound tech.
I know we don't want to tick off our volunteers here but when a mistake, poor judgement or overstepping of bounds is made, why are we not correcting the issue with the volunteer? I get a repremand at just about every meet for inadvertently doing something wrong. It's OK to correct me as a volunteer when just about every time nobody is negatively effected let alone kept from running? Often times I'm corrected mostly for the appearance, as in, you're really OK but we don't want people to just do such & such so please don't do it. But when someone is singled out and not allowed to run we blame the racer? I don't understand how a volunteer that is not a trained motorcycle tech can overrule the decision of a trained motorcycle tech without discussing it with the head motorcycle tech or any other official beforehand. This was not just a on the line heat of the moment decision. It was asked & answered in tech and the volunteer took it upon themselves to override the ruling. I just don't get it.
So, to summarize, the undersize numbers written on tape has been officially allowed for many years and nobody should be called out on it without everyone with undersized numbers being called out. There were other underlying issues that brought on this decision some time ago. If any of the volunteers has issue with this I'm sure everyone is open to discussion to see if a change or futher adherence to the written rule should be made.
Just my volunteer thoughts.