Drivers Meetings

In all the years that I have been involved in Conference racing I have never seen a single race weekend where at least one driver did not attend the mandatory driver's meeting. The meeting(s) are for the benefit of everyone involved, and the cavalier attitude that some drivers take towards their participation in a race weekend has always concerned me.

It is as if some people feel that they cannot be bothered with such things.

The same goes for behavior on track and in the paddock.

Far too many times I have seen drivers traveling through the paddock way too fast. Not a good thing.

Far too many times I have witnessed poor behavior on the track, passing under yellow, failing to observe and respond to flags from the turn stations, etc.

I volunteered many times as a instructor at the IRDC driving schools. Every person who registers for the school is given a clear set of rules and expectations to help them prepare for the school. I cannot recall a single time when I did not have to tell a student that his or her car was not ready for the on track sessions. Clearly they did not read the information provided to them, and take it seriously. A trunk full of stuff, the spare and jack laying loose, floor mats still in the car, glovebox overflowing with crap.

During my novice period I fulfilled my work requirements, including tech inspections. I recall there were many drivers who presented cars that were not ready for competition. It cannot be because they were not provided with the information they needed, but because they failed to do their part to be ready to go.

Over the years I would volunteer now and then, performing tech inspections to help out. For some reason, things just do not change. Drivers would bring their car and gear for inspection, and not be ready to go. And often they would try to get by without correcting whatever it was that had to be done so they could compete safely.

Sometimes I wonder why there are always a few drivers who seem to have the attitude that the rules are for every one else but them. The rules are in place for the safety of every one, the drivers, their friends and family who come along to help and spectate, and of course the turn workers and many other folks who give so freely of their time so we can go out and play on the track.

As far as implementing stricter and more expensive penalties goes, I really doubt it would be effective. I have seen this tried many times over the years, yet the problems persist. There seems to be some odd thing about human behavior where some of us just never get it. Conference has a clearly defined set of guidelines established to deal with enforcement of the rules, and what happens when one of us breaks them. Section 8 of the rulebook is quite clear, but many times I found myself wondering if the only people who read it were the stewards.

The way I see it, if fifteen minutes (or so) of your time each day is too much to ensure that every one has a safe and enjoyable weekend, then may be you shouldn't be part of the Conference experience. The rules, and the procedures are in place to ensure that we all can have a good time, a safe time, and everyone can go home on Sunday, ready for another week of that dirty four letter word, WORK.
 
A Saturday meeting makes much more sense to me as the Sunday deal has never seemed logical. I would rather have track info and any other pertinent details explained before we go out to qualify. If there are issues either that afternoon or Sunday morning, then the Steward has the discretion of calling for a second meeting.
As to the drivers either attending club meetings, reading the rulebook thoroughly or volunteering at the race track that number is very low.
I have known dozens of drivers who have admitted to me over the decades that they have never read the rules or even glanced at the P&P, because they don't care, all they want to do is pay their money and race.
Our volunteer worker force is amazing, well trained and dedicated, as are the folks who run these races at every club in Conference. The weak point has always been with those who only want to pay to play and then go home without contributing anything other than an entry fee.
With the doubles and triples that we are now enjoying, earlier meetings are more important than ever, although having one each day is unnecessary in my opinion. Well, as long as we are behaving ourselves anyway!
 
A bit of history

This is from so long ago, there be few if any of us will remember it, BUT when I was Race Chair for the VMSC races at Western Speedway, nobody turned a wheel either saturday or Sunday until I had called and they had attended, a Driver's Meeting. I saw liitle use in turning them loose to find out the hard way what could be explained with a few sentences.

At one race there was an incident where a car left the track during a race. It actually disappeared behind a billboard, a reversal of the cop's favourite tactic. The pit crew in a panic all ran across the track to respond to what they thought was an emercency when all that had happened was the car high-centred on a mound of dirt, but it was out of sight. At the conclusion of the race the Steward shut down proceedings,asked me for the P.A. mic. and called a Driver's Meeting. He gave the necessary and deserved tounge lashing to all present with the promise of expullsion to the next crew pulling such a suicidal manoerver.

There is no limit to the number and frequency of Driver's Meetings, particularly if it will keep someone from leaving the track in a bag. There should be at least one per day, before the cars take to the track.
 
There is no limit to the number and frequency of Driver's Meetings, particularly if it will keep someone from leaving the track in a bag. There should be at least one per day, before the cars take to the track.

Well said Paul, excellent point.
 
What penalities might be applied for not attending the Saturday drivers meeting for those entrants that, for whatever reason, can only be at the event on Sunday?
Or send the car and crew out on Saturday to get set up and teched but no driver until Sunday?
 
Can't tech the car with registering, can't register without going to the track. Steward's roll call only includes registered drivers. If you're not going to be able to attend, make arrangements with the Steward before hand.

The penalty for missing a driver's meeting has traditionally been having to start at the back of the grid.
 
What was the original question/concern/gripe?

One answer might be, "Because the rules say they can." And there's other rules that explain how to change that rule...

But there in the ICSCC regulations is Section 7-Races

E/C 702 A. is interesting. Especially the last line.

And I think E/C 706 Drivers Meeting is fairly simple. I believe that it is intentionally flexible to allow for a club's event to have more than one mandatory meeting if it chooses.

To be sure, the Steward may well be within his/her rights to make any meeting of any day of an event manditory, within the good reason of his/her own survivablility.
 
Make a laminated card with the major items you want to driver to remember, as the pit staff back the cars into their grid spot hand them the card make them read it and give a thumbs up. If anyone commits any of the infractions listed during that session fine them. More than 3 fines in a season, put them on probation. If it continues...? Maybe do Novice all over again. Everything else gets handled at the drivers meeting.
 
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