A few days ago, John Nesbitt, whom any of you know and who serves as the Stewards' representative to the DC Region's Club Racing Committee sent a document out for driver consumption on the use of a "Redbook" by the stewards at all NEDiv events. I think it's definitely an idea whose time has come and hope it will lead to better, safer and cleaner racing in the division. Here's what he sent:

Why do we need a Redbook?
Lack of continuity is a shortcoming in Club Racing. Each race – each run group – exists in isolation. An operating steward seldom has the same group twice in a season. There is very little to link an incident one week at track A with an incident three weeks later at track B, even when it is the same kind of incident, involving the same driver.

History of the NEDiv Redbook
Over the years, there have been several attempts to track incidents through the season. The objective is always to find patterns of behavior and to intervene before they get out of hand. In the past, these attempts, often called “Redbooks”, have been very labor-intensive, involving mailing typed reports back and forth, and have failed. Two years ago, Earl Hurlbut, the NEDiv Executive Steward responded to driver complaints about repetitive misbehavior on track and revived the Redbook concept. This time, it is a Word document, and information flows via email.

The Redbook tracks drivers who consistently have problems with our rules. We focus on contact, Pass under Yellow, starts, and unsportsmanlike conduct. We want to intervene early, before problems build.

How does it work?
Before every NEDiv event, Earl emails the latest Redbook to the Chief Steward. This document is confidential. The Chief Steward shares it only with the operating stewards and the Chairman of the Stewards of the Meeting (if a driver in the book comes before the court).

During the event, operating stewards will keep a slightly closer eye on drivers in the book. They will record significant infractions, if only as a non-punitive reprimand. Operating stewards will always discuss the issue before taking action.

After the event, the Chief Steward submits a report to Earl. These are objective reports. “Driver X received this penalty.” Not, “Driver Y has a bad attitude.” Earl revises the Redbook as appropriate. The next weekend, the cycle repeats.Earl notifies drivers who land in the Redbook. Over time, if the incident was a one-off, a driver will fall out of the Redbook. However, if the pattern continues, Earl will intervene with stronger corrective action. This could take the form of a Driver Review (see GCR section 2.5.).

What the Redbook is not
The Redbook is nothing more than a tool for tracking behavior over a span of time and a variety of tracks. It is not a penalty or punishment. It is not some kind of probation. It does not expose occupants to more severe treatment. It simply records who did what, where, and when.

What the Redbook means
The Redbook is an attempt to overcome the shortcomings of Club Racing event organization. It is a non-punitive record of significant infractions. It comes into play only when the infractions repeat.

The Redbook is a response to frequent - and vocal - complaints from the driver community about repeat offenders. If you have questions or comments about the Redbook, please do not hesitate to contact Earl or me.
Both John's and Earl's contact info can be found here:

http://www.nediv.com/?option=com_etr...ers&category=6