This topic is near and dear to my heart as I recently introduced what some
might class as
draconian enforcement of the markings rules for the 2003 Rocky Mountain Solo
Series. Basically, we have been asking, pleading, but
stopping short of begging people to voluntarily comply with the Vehicle
Identification section of the SCCA National Solo rulebook
for years.
This year, tech is checking markings and failing people whose numbers are not
legal as per the current rulebook. The amazing thing
is now we are actually enforcing the rule, people are starting to get the
message and the quality of car markings has improved
dramatically. To help newer drivers, we have a "do-it-yourself car marking"
kit available on our website and we bring along some
pre-printed numbers and tape to each event. It's really not that hard! Have I
heard some complaints? Absolutely, but they pale in
comparison to the thanks I have received from my T&S crew!
Now back to Chuck. The rules state (and have stated for as long as I've been
doing this) "...must be of uniform color...". How can
anyone interpret "multicolored weatherproof ink on vinyl" as being in
compliance with that rule? If you choose to do something
outside the rules, expect it to be challenged, whether it be sway-bars, wheels,
engine mods - or even car markings.
Graeme Weston-Lewis
Solo2 Chair, Colorado Region SCCA
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-autox@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-autox@autox.team.net]On
> Behalf Of Chuck
> Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2003 11:14 PM
> To: Mark Sirota; autox
> Subject: Re: Numbers
>
>
> Mark,
> I never said that there wasn't a way to do things cheaply, I know people who
> have bought a 4.00 roll of shelf paper to cut their #s out of. I also know
> people who have painted their car with a brush. Maybe you're one of those
> people and if that works for you, go for it! I happen to be a masters
> degreed professional designer who cares about making a visual statement in
> all my work, whether it is my custom designed jewelry I do for a living, or
> our race car markings. Since my wife and I both drive our car, and not all
> events we run in allow us to choose any number we'd like to use, I had
> printed 2 each of the #'s 1,2,3,4,6,8 at 10" tall and the class designations
> G,S,L,1 at 8" tall in multicolored weatherproof ink on vinyl from my digital
> files. That's 20 numbers all together. The print shop charged me what I
> thought was a very reasonable 10.00 per #, other shops quoted as much as 3X
> that amount. That's a total of 200.00 for a set of #s I am planning on using
> for several seasons. On top of the printing charges, I also purchased a
> 35.00 roll of magnetic sheet, for a total of 235.00 in materials cost. That
> does not even consider the days I spent at the computer designing various
> #s, printing them on paper in a number of test color combinations and taping
> them to the car to check their legibility and contrast, and the additional
> full day I spent applying them to the magnetic and cutting them out. I felt
> the finished professional visual appearance was worth the time money and
> effort, and I take pride in it.
> Now you have the gall to tell me that I should sacrifice all that work and
> money I've invested, without question or complaint, and make a new plain
> set to meet the exact wording of a rule instituted because a small minority
> of individuals are too lazy, cheap, thick headed, or simply don't care
> enough about themselves or the sport to assist the people trying to assure
> them of receiving their correct scoring, IS FOR THE GOOD OF THE SPORT!!???!!
> I'm sorry, but to me that's like telling me I need go out and buy a new
> bottle of cologne, stronger smelling than what I use now, to cover the smell
> of the guy sitting next to me who never bothers to shower or wipe his butt
> "for the good of the others" at the table! I take personal offense to that,
> and I will fight that reverse direction solution as hard as I can!
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mark Sirota" <mark@sirota.org>
> To: "Andy Hollis" <awhollis@swbell.net>; "Chuck" <golden1@britsys.net>;
> "autox" <autox@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2003 10:18 PM
> Subject: RE: Numbers
/// unsubscribe/change address requests to majordomo@autox.team.net or try
/// http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo
/// Partial archives at http://www.team.net/archive
|