The GCR and You

[John Nesbitt]

[Editor's Note: the following is a series of articles written in the Summer of 2009 by John Nesbitt, describing many functions/features of the GCR, and how our Club Racing processes work. This series was originally done in seven different threads, but for the sake of clarity I have merged them all into a single topic. As such, the reader responses may at times seem a bit disjointed; your patience in this regard is appreciated. You may also note indiciations where I edited posts; that was done solely for descriptive purposes (e.g., titles, format, etc) and no content was changed in any way. - Greg Amy]


Part 1 - SCCA Protests and Appeals

As a steward, I get to see what happens after the incident on track or measurement in Tech. I am distressed at how many SCCA drivers forfeit their rights under the GCR from not understanding the rules and process.

In particular, many drivers don't understand how the SCCA 'judicial' process works - the role of the Chief Steward, and protests and appeals.

SCCA has a 3-tier system which is fairly simple, yet committed to providing due process and review to all participants. Here are the basics.


Chief Steward's Actions

By this, I mean any official action taken by the Chief Steward. This includes all the normal executive actions at an event, as well as disciplinary actions taken as a Chief Steward's Action. (When I write 'Chief Steward', I include also the Assistant Chief Stewards, such as operating stewards, tech stewards, safety stewards etc. to whom the Chief has delegated authority.)

The Chief Steward (CS) can identify an infraction (e.g. underweight at tech or a pass under yellow) and apply a penalty by means of the Chief Steward's Action (CSA). The CS will give you a coupon from the CSA, specifying the infraction and the penalty. You will see that it has a box "Chief Steward's Action" ticked.

You can protest the CSA, or any executive action which is not specifically exempt from protest. Ask the CS for a protest form. You submit the protest to the CS, who must transmit it to the Stewards of the Meeting.

Be aware of two critical facts: first, there is a strict time limit (30 minutes) in which to protest an official's action; and, second, you cannot appeal a CSA as your first step - you must first protest it at the event.

The words 'protest' and 'appeal' are often misused, even by officials. The only recourse you have to an official's action is to protest it in a timely fashion.


Protests and Requests for Action

The second tier involves the Stewards of the Meeting (SOM) at the event. They act primarily as a first court, with the duty of enforcing rules and resolving disputes. They cannot take any part in running the event.

There are three ways in which disputes reach the SOM:
1. A driver protests an official's action, including CSA's.
2. A driver protests another driver for something they did (e.g. contact) or for a mechanical issue.
3. The CS files a Request for Action (RFA), requesting the court to investigate a participant's action. Essentially, the CS is protesting the participant.

The SOM process is identical in all cases. Again, remember that there are strict time limits in which to file a protest.

If the SOM find that you have committed an infraction, and assign you a penalty, they will give you a coupon specifying the infraction and the penalty.

The decision of the SOM is binding. However, all named parties to the action have the right of appeal. Again, there is a strict time limit in which to file your appeal.


Court of Appeals

The Court of Appeals is the third tier. Its judgments are final and cannot be protested or appealed.

Be aware that the Court will entertain only appeals of judgments from first courts. It will not accept an appeal of a CSA; you must first protest it.


More Information

You can find complete details about these actions in the GCR. You can also read a condensed version here (sections 4 and 5): http://offtotheraces.net/PortableDri...isor2009-1.pdf

Process matters. Nobody likes fooling with paperwork. However, the day may come when you need to assert your rights under the GCR. If you do not understand the rules and process, you risk forfeiting your rights.