[bbventovr6]

Originally Posted by SlowOne

Yes, there should be a uniform application of the Rules. There are anything between 50 and 120 drivers at a race, and anything from 5 to 12 heats/finals. There are ten cars on a large track at any one time covering scores of laps per race and final. And the Referee has one pair of eyes...

The 10OR Rules are quite clear about the officials you need at a sanctioned meeting. If the officials are not there, what do you elect to happen? Don't run the event? Stop the event multiple times because the officials are off having a pee or a drink or something to eat? None of the above. And even if the Ref is present, he can only watch one piece of track at a time and your 'accident' has a greater chance of being not in the Ref's eyeline than being in his eyeliner. It is by definition almost impossible to have a uniform application of the Rules without people volunteering to help out.

I sympathise with your point of view, but unless you have something to offer as an alternative to voluntary people with one pair of eyes then the answer lies with the drivers, not the officials - behave yourselves and stick the Rules. Perhaps it would be a good start if everyone read the Rules!!

At 12th Scale Nationals every heat has a referee. Yes, the standard might be variable, but I don't think it any co-incidence that the standard of driving is higher than in any other class I race, or have raced. These guys are volunteers and they give of their time freely during a meeting. They are all racers. Marshals take their job seriously and do the best they can to get cars back on the track - they want others to do the same.

The many drivers who have been around the 12th scale block a few times make it their business to talk to the people new to the class and remind them of their obligations. We race Stock classes extensively (LMP12, GT12, GT10 and F1) so we all know that causing a collision is bad for both parties, and holding people up in qualifying is not on - one day it will be us on for that really good time.

We aren't angels, but we work together to make the racing as clean as possible. Noticeably it is at the non-BRCA races when the horns and elbows come out and you get the racers trying to get a good time at all costs - no referees!

As I said, I sympathise. But unless individuals are prepared to take a role and help everyone have a better day's racing, this will remain a feature of most meetings. Go an have a go at being a referee and applying the rules. I don't know of any organiser or Race Director who would refuse an offer of help.

Is it compulsory for refs to wear eyeliner?