John Schader
Regarding the protest rule: it seems odd that disincentives, in the form of a $10 fee and a very short 15 minute deadline for the written submission, are required in filing a protest. I would think that OBRA would want to encourage riders to self-police by officially reporting dangerous and illegal behavior of fellow racers. However the rule just discourages people from doing so. It actually favors those who would cross the center line or otherwise take illegal advantage of the others in their race because they know the others probably would not wish to pay to file a complaint.
Just out of curiosity, how many official protests were filed in the 2005 season?
Ted Turner wrote:
I have rescinded the DQ that I applied to the lead group of Cat. 4?s. Several well-articulated and consistent observations submitted to me from guys who were in that lead group contributed to my decision to reverse the call. Thanks guys for taking the time to jot down your observations.
The crash that occurred about a mile from the finish was my first priority as an official and I admit that I was extremely disappointed that I had to summon an ambulance again -- for the third year in a row -- within a mile of the finish. I was about to place my vehicle in the opposing lane to block the field from drifting when, concurrently, the anxiety and tension in the lead group reached a crescendo and the premature accelerations triggered the crash.
Observations of the pre-200m centerline violations were from a few riders in that group as well as spectators and finish line judges. However, we can?t confirm all of the race numbers of those in violation based on these observations. I was fully aware at the time that I was punishing the entire group for the actions of a few.
When I worked as a USCF official in other states prior to coming to Oregon about 10 years ago, I frequently received formal protests regarding rider conduct. The protests were submitted in writing immediately after the race along with the $10 fee. The Chief Referee could interview the parties involved, including the official(s) that may have witnessed the violation, prior to making a final decision. I don?t think I have ever received a formal protest as an OBRA official ? at least not one that was submitted quickly, in writing, and accompanied by the $10 fee. Several riders mentioned problems in the Cat. 4 race, yet there were no written protests that detailed the race numbers of those involved or what occurred.
So this may be a good time for everyone to review the protest rule. We typically only have one official assigned per event. The official can?t witness every serious rule violation and it can be difficult or impossible for the official to read the number of the rider that, for example, drifted across the line near the front of the pack. I realize that most of you are probably uncomfortable with self-policing race conduct, but the protest rule is a valid way to do this. Protests are best when there is more than one witness, the race numbers can be verified, and when all parties stick around after the race to help the official make the call.
14.3 Protests concerning incidents during the race will be presented to the Chief Referee in writing and accompanied by a fee of $10, which will be forwarded to OBRA. They must be submitted within 15 minutes of the protester's finish. The Chief Referee will decide the results of the protest and communicate them to all parties involved.
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Ted Turner, R.G., L.E.G.
Geologist
Weyerhaeuser Forestry Research
541.741.5597 (voice)
541.912.6664 (cell)
ted.turner@weyerhaeuser.com
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