Steward-initiated proposed rule changes

Steve Adams

Just this guy, ya know?
Along with the usual crop of class-specific rule change proposals and our annual definition of what a race week-end looks like, there were two proposals from the Stewards that caught my attention:
  • Elimination of the ARR license
  • Creation of a new number system for race licenses that is separate from car number, plus a new "permanent car number" system that sounds similar to SCCA/NASA
Am I just clueless for not already knowing/understanding why these proposals were made? Are these changes just so "duh, obvious" that there's a reason nobody has brought them up for discussion on the forum?

Is anybody actually using the forum anymore?
 
I agree, it would be really nice if people would use the forum to inform the rest of us why they created their rule change proposals. It may seem obvious to everyone that was in the room where it was discussed, but many of the proposals leave us scratching our heads when we open up our newsletters and vote at our club meetings. If the intentions were explained, some proposals would have a better chance of passing instead of being shot down because we couldn't come up with a good reason to vote for them. Additionally, many well-intentioned proposals could have passed if their fatal flaws could've been caught by a wider audience.
 
Steve & Bryan,

I'm surprised it took so long for this to show up on the forum!

These proposed changes have been discussed on the race weekends with multiple licensed drivers, ICSCC officials, club officials, turn workers, race registrars plus other people impacted by these proposals. There should have been someone at each club Contest Board meeting (except one affiliate club) who was aware of these discussions.

The changes are a first step in a journey that is designed to make ICSCC a better place to race, volunteer, and be even more driver friendly.

Reason #1. Less Volunteer Time -

My wife, Linda was the ICSCC License Registrar this year. If you add up the time it takes to process the license application, input the data into the data bases, talk to drivers about numbers, talk or email drivers about mistakes on applications, print and mail the licenses, inform drivers they need a new physical this year, down loading documents, down loading pictures, communicating with the ICSCC Medical Officer and the list goes on and on, she spent at least 450 hours this year. This does not count her time at the track on race weekends. When all the changes are implemented I'm hoping it will save her about 100 hours per year.

The Race Stewards spend hours each year dealing with 700 numbers being hard to read. Many cars have multiple sets of numbers on the car which makes it extremely difficult for workers to tell what the number of the car really is, and cars with incorrect numbers because someone forgot to change them for the next driver using the car.

Timing and scoring personnel, race registrars and tech personnel jobs should be easier when all the changes are implemented.

Reason #2. More Driver Friendly -

More and more drivers are sharing/renting cars. Under our current licensing system each driver must have their own number to put on the car which is time consuming and creates additional expense. Several drivers who licensed this year did not want a number because they were only going to race once or twice in a rental car. However, under the current system they could not use the car owners number.

Non ICSCC drivers must race with a 700 number, causing them extra expense or making their numbers look like after thoughts. Most of the 700 number drivers do not understand our licensing system and feel like they are being picked on because they are not licensed with ICSCC.

Steve, you are licensed in groups 1 and 4 this year. If you had an opportunity to race a Spec Miata this year and wanted to race with the other Spec Miata's in group 2, under the present system you would be unable to race until you spoke with Linda to get a number for group 2. Then she has to make out a new license showing all three groups and car numbers. You get to put your new group 2 number (most likely nothing close to the actual number on the car) so you are able to race. These changes would allow you to race with the car number already on the car and you would not have to get a new license since your license is valid for all race groups. This scenario happens all the time.

There are many more reasons, I just don't have the time to list them all.


Reason #3. Dropping of Area Licenses -

The last 4 ICSCC License Directors all agreed these were no longer necessary. In fact it was a former License Director who suggested we get rid of the 300 and 400 numbers for novices.

95% of the Area drivers never spoke with the License Director again after being upgraded to Area until they wanted to upgrade to a Senior license. Since the Race Stewards were the officials they were interacting with, it was determined the Area license had out lived its usefulness. The rule change proposal still requires the Novice upgrade drivers to have the 6" by 6" day glow sticker on their car for a minimum of 3 races.


At the start of this reply I stated this is the first step in a journey, some of the other steps are:

1. Licenses with your physical expiration date listed on the front of it.

2. Physicals being valid or 5 years instead of 2 for drivers between the age of 18 and 49.

3. No gear tech at each race if you have an annual tech.

4. No rotating mandatory tech each weekend for cars with annual techs.

5. On line licensing and payment.


All of these changes as well as the rule change proposals are subject to E Board approval.


If you have any other questions, please feel free to call me at 503-310-6610 until 10PM - 7 days a week.
 
Dan, thanks so much for the detailed explanation! Sounds good to me.

BTW, my rant was about rule change proposal discussions in general, not Steward-initiated ones.
 
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