The recent discussions on this board as well as other boards and such have bothered me considerably. There seems to be a certain misconception regarding the rules. Seems some folks are arbitrarily choosing the rules they want to obey, and ignoring others.
The rules are simply THE RULES. They apply to everybody! What I mean is that they apply to EVERYBODY. If it says you need a dash, well, you need a dash. It doesn't matter if the weight makes no difference, or if you had to cut it to get the cage in....if the rules say you need a dash, YOU NEED A DASH. If the rules say you have to renew your belts every two years, oddly enough what that means is that you have to renew your belts every two years. EVERYBODY ! Not just those who read the rules and pay attention, but EVERYBODY !
The rules are there for a reason. They are well thought out, and have evolved over many years of racing. Some of them seem a little goofy, or outdated, but the fact remains that they apply to EVERYBODY ! That means that they apply to all the other guys in your class as well as you.
Many of the rules are there to make competition equal, and many are for safety. Whether you like the rule or not is not the point. Whether or not you think the rule is dumb is not the point. The point is, they are the RULES, and we all have to follow them.
My concern is that I am on the track with some people who have decided to ignore some of the rules, and I have to question their safety and skill while bumper to bumper at high speed. Which of the rules are they going to choose to ignore next?
When you build a car, build it to the rules, don't just build a car and try to bend the rules to fit it in.
Clearly, the Tech Inspector has to fail a car if the rules are not followed. If your helmet is out of date, if you don't have a HANS, if your belts are expired, if your brake lights don't work, if your car is underweight, you DO NOT conform to the rules, and it is NOT the Tech Inspectors fault if he says you can't race. It is your fault!
Clearly considering what we do, the danger involved, the potential for injury, you would think that EVERYBODY would do their utmost to comply with all of the rules and regulations.
I wonder.
