To tech, or not to tech - that is the question....

[NickHolt]

A portion of my time in racing as been spent in the tech department at race tracks and race series.

 

As a tech, you are aware of a constant pull from those who think you tech too much and those who think you don't tech enough.

 

Ricky Brooks - arguably the best know tech in the short track racing community - is known to be very strict. You hear story after story of those who ended up with a DQ after their name loudly vowing to, "never come back to this [edited out by Nick Holt, 4/14/10] place if that's the way I'm treated." And there are others in short track racing who "would DQ their own mother."

 

On the other hand, we all know of tracks and series where almost anything goes and the tech is cursory or non-existent.

 

I'm sure there's a happy middle ground somewhere, but I'm leaning towards the "Tough Tech" stance. How about you?

 

(Note: This is NOT a golden opportunity to bash any track, any series or any tech official. This is a general discussion about the role of tech in short track racing. Any negative references to a specific track or tech official will be removed.)

 

Nick

[Sarge]

Nick,

 

I am not a racer, but think I can chime in with my $.02.

 

Tech them, and then, tech em again.

 

Tracks/series print or post the rules. Racers should abide by them. Teching is the only way to make sure the playing feild is as level as possible.

 

Drivers, don't want to get DQ'ed, read the rules, then call the tech person responsible for inforcing them, if there are any questions.

 

Just because you have gotten away with it for X races, doesn't mean it is legal, just that it hasn't been teched for, or caught.

 

Texas Thunder Speedway DQ'ed a guy that won his 5th race in a row, for an electronic tach. Is it a performance issue, probably not, but the rules say you can't have it, and they DQ'ed him. Feel sorry for the racer, but give a great big "Heck yeah!" to the track.

 

If the rules say you have to have pink socks with a Speed Racer logo on them, and your not wearing them, you should be DQ'ed. The racer has the choice of deciding if the rules in place are for him or not. If he brings his car to the track to run in that class, then he better have those pink socks on.

 

Tech em, and then tech em again.

 

Stay safe,

 

Bill "Sarge" Masom

[CuttingEdgeRacing]

I side towards absolute BLACK AND WHITE tech, when it comes to mechanical infractions. So, for me, I don't mind a strict tech instructor what so ever.

 

I dislike the officials that seek out non mechanical things. Last year the WINNER of the IKF national event (karts) was DQ'd, yes, DQ'd! For throwing his arms up in celebration when crossing the finish line, for winning. He was deemed "practicing unsafe karting" or some crap like that.

 

Short and sweet

[dancer52]

I disagree...you should not DQ someone just because you can....an electronic tach? I have one...they are cheap..can velcro in place...and with quick disconnct I can put them in whichever car I am running....saves me money...but..just to prove a point..someone dqed this guy... If I tried..I could find something on every car at any track... To me..if its not for safety...or really an advantage...then why DQ? I have seen a tech guy DQ a carburator that I know for a fact was as box stock as holly builds them...but he had some numbers he went by (and I have never seen anything to back them up) and cost people money for something that makes no advantage... I race for fun...as do most people...and I think the tech guy has to have common sense....I saw a guy almost dqed because he did not have a starter...when I watched this guy do everything possible to change a broken one..and ran out of time...it took the track owner to make it right...

 

And while these small things are being pounded on at some tracks...I watch the same tech guys sit back and let the big money teams just plain outspend the small guy...but since they sent their carb to a guy who will make it "legal" for 1000$ its ok...but the poor guy who rebuilt his wore out carb gets dqed...

 

Or how about the parts companies that build something more expensive to get around a track rule...like shocks... how come the tech guys cant just use common sense and dq the guy with special built shocks in an economy class?

 

But...this is just how I see it...problem is...common sense is just not that common...AJ

[NickHolt]

I found the argument, "Yes, that part is illegal but it doesn't help performance," the hardest to deal with. When does common sense overide the rule? It's a pretty greasy line for sure.

 

Nick

[speed demon 7]

I believe in Hard Teching too. But I also believe in being creative. If the rules are grey, as a racer, I am going to push the limit, and expect at least a ruling on it if I am going to be DQ'd. If the rule says OEM Stock distributor, and it has the advance welded, and that is ruled not oem because it did not come oem welded, than the arguement can be made that an MSD curve kit(clearly identifiable) would also be classified as not OEM. If it is grey in that area, give a pass and clarify it by saying NO WELDED ADVANCE in the rules. Or if the rules say suspension in the stock location using stock mounts, and the stock mounts were replaced with non stock, should that be let go, NO??? I have seen things like this at Many tracks. But I do not agree with someone being DQ'd for a non performance advantage, like a radio not working. Those are things that need to be black flagged on the track, but if you let it go far enough for the guy to go to tech, tell him he does not race again till it is fixed.

 

If you tech hard, and you find one guy illegal and DQ him, so you piss him off, he will fix it and eventually be back. He goes elsewhere, they will catch him too and he will be back. If you let him go, you piss off the 20+ other drivers that raced with him that were legal.

 

Tech is a tough deal, but you can't go into it onesided. You must here all sides before you DQ. And when you are proven wrong, accept it and appologize.

[jwmbishop]

I take a firm stance on safety, but interpretive on competitive advantage. For years one of the things we had in our street stock rules was "all suspension components must be stock or stock equivalent". The front half of the pack were running the 68-72 novas using alante front spindles. This met the rule interpretively. Later the rule was changed to "stock or equiv for year make and model of chassis". This hurt as many of the 69-72 novas had drum brakes. In 71-72 they were optional and became standard for 73. This dq'ed 4 or 5 cars that had put 72 disc spindles on their 70 and earlier as I recall. I very adamantly protested the change (hard to do when you are one of the inspectors - at least and still stay in the graces of the assocn) - this is after all what racing is all about. I always felt and still do that if the part comes from detroit on a vehicle any one could have bought, it should be legal (within the spirit of the class obviously - no zo vette stuff etc.)!!! It took us four years of arguing to get ford rear ends allowed under non ford cars. It actually took an accident where it was demonstrable that it was a safety issue more than a competitive one. Another example was the "stock exhaust manifold" rule. More than half the chevys were running the center dump vette manifolds. So the assoc voted to consider it stock - while arbitrarily calling the allante spindle non stock!

 

Its hard to do but it's up to the racers to present argument for rule changes to assist in compliance. How could you try to make black and white out of grey without fronting off what you are doing? I knew about the allante spindles as did both of the other techs - we never told the guys who weren't clued in and we only knew because one of us spotted the difference and questioned the crew chief.

 

Therein lies the importance of attending and (obviously very carefully) voicing the Association meetings.

[NickHolt]

Sure, getting input on rules interpretations and possible rules changes from racers is a valuable tool for the track, but many times racers don't have the best interest of others in mind.. LOL.. So you have to filter a lot of the input.

 

I used to love it when I'd tech a front end on one of the lower level classes and see something very creative, but within the rules. Quite often you'd hear me laughing out loud under the car while I was teching. Of course, the team involved knew right away what I was laughing about and were on pins and needles wondering if it was a violation or not. Most of the time it was not. But when someone moved pickup points, remounted the steering box, put in an aftermarket center link, etc, that didn't fly, nor did aluminum parts no matter how much metal based paint they sprayed on em.. LOL

 

Nick

[jwmbishop]

Before I teched em and was one of the guys "slipping" things thru - my favorite trick was to give em something to find so that their eyes did not fall where I did not want them! That prooved valuable when I started teching!

[Blue Moon Motorsports]

If you don't tech, you just give teams cart blanche for rampant cheating. Tech has to be consistant and fair, not overly hard core nor too lenient. Big money team will find a way to skirt the rules.

[chevyfan]

yes . i do agree with teching . keeps the battle ground on somewhat of same playin field, if i got dq;ed for something . i prob. was wrong in the first place either knowing or not by the rules set. the only prob i saw was some cars got dq;ed while others may not have been . overlooked i guess you could say... so yes dq , jus make it fair..ok better stop with that. if car A is dq;ed for infraction

and car B has same infraction it should be dq;ed as well nomatter what driver or sponsor is on the car.JMO its will always be a wonder to second place on back positions .if the winner was legal or not

[ToryC]

Tech Hard. Tech Often.

[NickHolt]

... the only prob i saw was some cars got dq;ed while others may not have been . overlooked i guess you could say... so yes dq , jus make it fair..ok better stop with that...

Let's not get into the favoritism stuff. I'm not saying it doesn't exist, I'm just saying that we're not going there in this thread.

 

Nick

[jwmbishop]

I agree not to go into the favoritism stuff - but would like to point out that sometimes what appears to be favoritism is really just an eloquence in explanation that sells to the inspector what is kinda grey in the book.

[Pacecar]

I think THR did the right thing by having the "Technical Infraction" category. A DQ that takes aways all points for the night, or ruins any chance for a points chase can be disastrous to all involved.

[poorboy]

I think cars should be cars should be teched, but I also think that the tech man should have in writing how things will be teched. I think there was a discussion on here before about crank weight being checked with or without the timing gear. I think it should be without, but a tech man may feel it's easier not to remove it at the track. There may be less grey area if every racer knows how there car will be checked.

[supertx]

One thing that I know for sure rules cost people alot of money.Everytime I see new rules to save the racer money it cost them more to go by the rule.The haves will always out spend the have nots and have the best equipment ,legal equipment.I think if it is not a performace advantage then don't DQ them for it.The upper classes of racing should be creative if you don't have the money or the talent to figure out a better mouse trap you shouldn't be in that class.Racing would not be where it is today without crew cheifs and engine builders pushing the limit.If a tech man does not understand modern technlogy or being inovative don't DQ the team because they studied and put the work in to be faster than the next guy THIS IS NOT A SOCALIST SPORT.

[JohnnyT66]

Enforce the rules or you have NO RULES!!...Frank T

[Wayne Walker]

Tech ALL of the rules without discretion. There are rules that seem trivial to some but we, as racers, agreed to follow them. The electronic tachs were linked to traction control a few years ago. It is not about what gives or takes away performance. These are rules we are supposed to follow.That is why a certain sanctioning body outlawed them. All I ask from tracks and the tech team is parity. What is good for the weekly winner must be good for me as a off and on visitor.

 

WW

[rebelracewriter]

Why should it even be a question?

[BobbyJack]

tech tech tech. Our man at STS spends a lot of time just looking and comparing. If you ask what he is looking for he says he is just looking. This is on top of what he is actually teching. At STS the top 10 sport mods and top 5 other classes go to tech. I dont always agree with what they are teching but thats the way it ought to be I think.

Bobby Jack

[Blue Moon Motorsports]

Jack techs the top 5 in each class....Never known him not to honest and fair.

[kennystone5k]

I see nothing wrong with teching and i was DQ'ed for a digital tach last weekend. It was in the rules and i have been running for the past 3 years and didn't relieze it was in the rules(my bad and lesson learned). The only thing i do have a problem with is when they plan to tech all the top 4 cars for roller cams and a fellow racer tells the tech guy he needs to check for a digital tach on my car is wrong. If a fellow racer wants something teched on a car they need to protest it. the tech guys need to be equal and when they tech all cars they need to tech all cars the same!! I feel really bad about getting DQ'ed because that was my first time ever getting DQ'ed for a not approved part.

[abrungot]

I watched for many years a tech process that sucked, but caught several things, and kept motor's honest.

 

The winner drew from a hat that contained the numbers 1 - 3 or pass... if your finishing position was drawn, your car was parked in the infield to "cool off" from there it was taken to the tech area by officials and gone thru with a fine tooth comb. Yes this could and many times would include things like weight of crank/machining, rods..

[Hobby Fan]

Tech guys are going to see this discussion and sharpen their pencils a little more. Sheesh.

 

What do ya'll think about everybody, and your competitors, looking over the techs shoulders at your car? Should it be between the tech man and crew being teched at the moment? If your legal it shouldn't be a problem but at the same time you don't want to give out any free info.