This is a side note and not about anyone in particular..

I just want clariifcation on this point because it is not the way I understood it.

People need to realize the difference between a DQ violation and a black flag.

Black flag means there is a safety issue, either with the driver or the car. When you black flag someone they should pull over right away.

A DQ is a violation of the rules and the racer is allowed to continue if he wants to. Most racers choose to continue if they think they have any chance to protest the call. If you expect to have any chance to place you would NEVER stop and wait for a ruling from the judges...



What exactly does "disqualified" mean? I have not seen a listing in either SNORE or SCORE's rulebooks that say if a driver is DQ'ed (either during a race or before the race) what they are actually supposed to do. Perhaps I just have to look closer.

I do see a lot of stuff that says you can be DQ'ed for not having the correct safety gear tho. Does that mean that a person without the proper safety rating on their helmet can run a race with the hope that they can argue at the end? I kinda doubt it considering I have seen people turned away from the race start because their helmets were not inspected..

When does DQ'ed mean you are done, and when does it mean you keep going??

:confused:

This is a side note and not about anyone in particular..

I just want clariifcation on this point because it is not the way I understood it.




What exactly does "disqualified" mean? I have not seen a listing in either SNORE or SCORE's rulebooks that say if a driver is DQ'ed (either during a race or before the race) what they are actually supposed to do. Perhaps I just have to look closer.

I do see a lot of stuff that says you can be DQ'ed for not having the correct safety gear tho. Does that mean that a person without the proper safety rating on their helmet can run a race with the hope that they can argue at the end? I kinda doubt it considering I have seen people turned away from the race start because their helmets were not inspected..

When does DQ'ed mean you are done, and when does it mean you keep going??

:confused:

Ummmm I wasn't there and don't know their rules.... this is just how the races of this type that I have been involved in work (solo, circle, drag can be different because of the type of race).

EDIT: Infact I have never seen a rule book posted or mentioned anyware. Witch might be one of the causes of so much confusion...

A racer with improper safety gear will never pass tech to start the race. If you have a malfunction of safety gear (net, belts etc come loose) you must stop/pit to fix it or you will be black flagged and forced to stop (in every form of racing I have been involved with).

I also want to add the reasoning for not stopping a DQ'd competitor in this type of race:

Judges get confused too.... A perfect example is a thread I read on here about allowing spectators to help flip a rig back on it's tires. It sounds like there was confusion about this rule from the start. One of the judges out on the course was even telling people not to help a rolled rig back on it's wheels because he didn't know the rules. As I recall the team waited around for 1/2 hr for a ruling. I think that judge cost them finishing the race under the time limit as I recall.

I would have never waited around... If I am pretty sure of the rules (or my interpretation of them) I would have the spectators flip me back over and tell the judge to bring the red card (I think this is what they were using) back with him and we would dispute the DQ after the race is over.

EDIT: It's not like you can just restart the race (like circle track) or let them have another run (like solo short course) if the judges screw up.

As a media guy out on the course, I would also like to know the actual rules for assisting a vehicle. I watched a rig roll with fluids leaking onto the driver/spotter and ground, and I told them I could not help them without fear of disqualification. I also felt I could not help push a stalled vehicle out of a bottleneck that was preventing other competitors from passing through. I think the rules with respect to these scenarios needs to be cleared up before the event.

IMHO, if safety is at issue, or if stalled/rolled vehicle is impeding passage of other competitors, then anyone should and could help remedy situation.
my dos centavos