Suz Weldon

I think the 10 bucks is refunded if the protest is upheld.

Quoting 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 I have rescinded the DQ that I applied to the lead group of Cat.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.
>
> --------------------------------
> 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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>
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