MX Race Question about track cutting

[NdKxRacer]

My friend (Kris) was protested at the race yesterday by the father of a rider who was in 1st place and Kris was in second. Kris got sideways in the whoops and went off the edge of the track and went to the outside of the last couple of whoops. The protest he made was that if Kris went off the track, then he should have to turn around and pick up the whoop section where he went off. Kris did not gain any positions on this and he went on to pass this other kid in the next lap, which is why the father protested. Our rule book does not stipulate that you have to go back to the same spot , nor does the AMA rule book say that. The referee ruled in favor of the kid and Kris got second. Is this fair? It is not that big of a deal, but this father is the biggest whiner in our state race orginization, so it would be nice to throw it back in his face. Kris will beat this kid many times again, so it will only be a matter of time before he gets his payback.

 

[Anssi]

Nobody can say whether it was fair or not from a one-sided account of the incident. Since your buddy went off the track and did not return at the same spot, it sure wasn't any kind of blatant miscarriage of justice.

Your buddy better just show what he's got at the next race and not worry about it.

 

[RM250'er]

You have to re-enter the track where you left it.

Unfortunately, The protester is correct. You must re-enter the track where you left it. It is in the AMA rule book. Your friend Kris will just have to wait for the next race and smoke him.:p

 

[mx547]

most of the tracks here are not affiliated with the ama. generally the rule here is: if you don't gain any distance or position by cutting the track, then there is no foul.

 

[NdKxRacer]

I have cut this out of the AMA rule book for amateur and pro-am races

*d. A rider leaving the course must re-enter at the same point or at the first
point where he can safely without interfering with other riders and with-out
gaining an advantage. A rider who fails to do so may be docked at
least one finishing position for the moto at the discretion of the referee.

and this is the way our rule book reads----

"Under no circumstances will a rider be allowed to improve his position by leaving the course. The penalty for breach of this rule will be docking the rider a MAXIMUM of one lap for that moto."

The way our book reads, he did not break any rules, and even by AMA standards, I think it would have been a dangerous for him to reenter the track in the middle of the whoop section, when he missed the last two whoops and reentered 15 feet downcourse which is about the extent of how much he was off the course.

 

[AAT]

I have been an AMA District 14 (Michigan) MX referee for several years. This sounds like a case where you had to be there to see if he gained any advantage or not. I can tell you that if Kris doesn't like the track referee's decision in this matter, you can write to I believe the person is Hugh Fleming at the AMA office and protest the track referee's ruling. You can also write your district MX chairman to have him/her review the case.

I can tell you that the last two times someone protested over one of my rulings, the AMA and the chairman agreed with the call of the referee on hand.

 

[NdKxRacer]

We are not AMA sanctioned, nor do we want to be, so it is up to our board of directors to make a decision. We are not really trying to get them to change their decision, just to shut down this loudmouth parent from protesting every little thing he doesn't like. He has a lot of our volunteer help wondering why they ever got involved in the races and it will make it hard to find new volunteers for these positions when the current ones resign.

 

[mxneagle]

Dont whine about a ruling where your organization has no rules. If you want a set of rules then support the AMA or make your set!!!!

 

[NdKxRacer]

mxneagle-- Ifyou would read my post, you would see that we do have a rule that covers this, and according to the way it reads, There was nothing wrong with someone going off the track when they crash, as long as when they get back on that they don't make a pass on another rider until they are back on course.
This is exactly the problem, people making judgement without reading the rule book. It is written in black and white and really isn't a rule that is that hard to understand.

 

[J_dem_Bones]

Originally posted by NdKxRacer
My friend (Kris) was protested at the race yesterday by the father of a rider who was in 1st place and Kris was in second. Kris got sideways in the whoops and went off the edge of the track and went to the outside of the last couple of whoops. The protest he made was that if Kris went off the track, then he should have to turn around and pick up the whoop section where he went off. Kris did not gain any positions on this and he went on to pass this other kid in the next lap, which is why the father protested. Our rule book does not stipulate that you have to go back to the same spot , nor does the AMA rule book say that. The referee ruled in favor of the kid and Kris got second. Is this fair? It is not that big of a deal, but this father is the biggest whiner in our state race orginization, so it would be nice to throw it back in his face. Kris will beat this kid many times again, so it will only be a matter of time before he gets his payback.

Since your buddy didn't pass him while he went off the track, the results should have NOT CHANGED!!
If he only did it once in the whole race his intensions of gaining a position by doing this should be VOID!
So I think the official made a wrong decision!!
Unfortunately the results are done and there is no use of debating it now. What you should do is discuss the view or opionions with the official now so in the future he can make the right decision.

 

[NdKxRacer]

I agree with that. I don't think it is as important to get this decision reversed as getting the offials to realize their error , so next time this situation comes up, that they can do the right thing. I do not think that their jobs are easy, and would not want to make some of the calls that they are required to make.