Quote:
Originally posted by Matt Rowe:
The recent topics on legality of this mod and that mod bring up an issue that's been on my mind. As someone new to IT and club racing (I've spent several years in Solo I as both a driver and official) just how common is cheating?
Apparently too common. It ranges from innocuous to nefarious.
We already know that Bob Stretch had a short shifter in his 240SX at the ARRC. While not legal, I personally would categorize it as innocuous. I've heard of many things that are quite nefarious. I've seen things that fall in the middle somewhere.
Quote:
Originally posted by Matt Rowe:
From a new person looking in the impression is that everyone cheats.
Please don't believe that. I can see why you might, but it's not true.
Quote:
Originally posted by Matt Rowe:
All you have to do is walk around the pits and you can hear someone saying that car #XX must be cheating.
Be wary of unfounded allegations. They may be right. Or they may be wrong. If they really think someone it cheating they should put their money where their mouth is and write the paper. Rumors do no one good.
Quote:
Originally posted by Matt Rowe:
The end result is a new guy is left with the impression that everyone is doing it, and getting away with it so why not join in?
If a guy crosses the finish line first, but is cheating, is he still a winner? Ask yourself that question. I hope you come up with the right answer.
Quote:
Originally posted by Matt Rowe:
There are some people who seem to stretch the rules to a point of being all but indistinguishable from cheating but that's a definite grey area and they are still trying to work within the rules even if the justification seems illogical at best.
Some rules are not as clear to some as they are to others. Some rules leave doors open. Sometimes those doors need a secret decoder ring to figure out and others just need someone to read differently than everyone else. Pushing an interpretation is a lot different from knowingly cheating.
Quote:
Originally posted by Matt Rowe:
But with all the accusations flying we give the impression that the problem is rampant. Every time somebody makes an unsubstantiated claim and doesn’t back it up with a protest or getting the other guys in the class to approach the driver gives the impression to me that cheating is tolerated.
Or could it be that those who don't put their money where their mouth is are just full of hot air?
Quote:
Originally posted by Matt Rowe:
It may be difficult (and expensive) to prove cheating but complaining about it without proof only seems to make matters worse.
Amen. Club racing, at least regional club racing, seems to have a rather different culture regarding protesting suspected cheaters than what I understand is the culture in solo II. Not saying it's right.
Quote:
Originally posted by Matt Rowe:
And of course there are issues of “creative rules interpretation” like reinforcing a subframe before it cracks or “substituting” a lightened stock crank pulley. With no place to turn for a ruling on those issues who is to say how far you can go with pushing the rules. Often the only way to know you’ve gone to far is when the steward makes his decision, assuming someone protests you.
There is that. There is also a way to get an official ruling. That costs money however.
Quote:
Originally posted by Matt Rowe:
I certainly don’t have the answers for these problems, and maybe I’m the only new guy that feels this way. I want to run a keep running a legal car but am I in the minority? More importantly, what can we do to keep giving this impression to new people?
Good question. I don't have the answers. I can come up with theories, but they have to work within the environment that exists.
------------------
George Roffe
Houston, TX
84 944 ITS car under construction
92 ITS Sentra SE-R occasionally borrowed
http://www.nissport.com