gran racing
Super Moderator
Since we're still in the winter months, I might as well stir things up a bit.
We’ve often talked about how we are responsible for self-policing our classes, but many of us are intimidated by the protest process. This maybe caused by a lack of knowledge of how the process works, potential costs associated, feedback from others past experiences - et hmm, can you say “The Protest Story” thread? - among other things. I’ll openly admit that I fall into this category, but would like to learn more about the protest process just in case. In the past we’ve discussed other methods to address a potentially illegal car, but at some point protesting makes sense.
I would like to keep the majority of this discussion focused on protests regarding potential illegal parts on a racecar that would provide an unfair advantage versus driving conduct. Lets also leave silly stuff out like the infamous washer bottle, horn, or other similar items out of the discussion. My hope is that through this discussion, people such as myself can become a bit more educated on how to best approach the process, things that should be done / shouldn’t be done from people experiences, a basic idea of what the costs are for various items if the protested car is found legal, as well as other tips on how to conduct a successful protest. My goal with this is not to stir up a significant number of protests, but since it is up to us to self-police I do feel it is valuable for us to be familiar with the process.
For those of you who have never seen a protest form (from my understanding they are uniform from region to region), here is a synopsis of the section the protestor would complete:
“I, ______, Driver of Car # _____ Class _____ do hereby protest Driver of Car # _____ Class _____ Driver _____ or the decision/action of (Official) _______ I hereby charge violation of paragraph _____ of the Supplemental Regulations, specifically, or section ______ of the Supplemental Regulations, specifically _____.”
Later on the form… (If teardown is required, Bond will be set by the SOM & agreed to by all BEFORE work begins)
I’ve also included a link to the sections most pertinent to this discussion from the 2007 GCR Link.
I personally have many questions, but will try to dive into this slowly. Here’s an easy one. The GCR states that “A protest against the validity of an entry or qualification and conformity to the rules of an entrant, driver, or car shall be lodged no later than one hour before the start of the race segment of a competition.”
So, if a person wants to get a better indication of whether another driver has some extra hidden power, it is not possible to lodge the protest after the race? It would be necessary to get this feeler done during qualification if timing permits (an hour before the start of the race). Sometimes cars obtain a sudden burst of power for specific events, then for other events they are down. I personally would want to try and get an idea of this before protesting, but it sounds like it would be difficult in many cases. Any recommendations on how best to approach this?
Here’s another section: Section 8.3.3 A. 5 – Verification of camshaft specifications
Who obtains a stock example of the camshaft in question (I would have to imagine it would be the SOM of the vent)? Depending upon where this is purchased, I would imagine the cost could vary greatly. The purchase cost of the cam – is that included in the bond? (For example, an OEM camshaft for my car is just under $200.)
What might some of the additional costs associated with a bond to inspect a camshaft be, if there are any? (Necessary work to take the cam out, then re-install. Maybe twice; once for protested cam and another for an interim cam?) Would the protestor need to establish a bond to pay for two OEM cams – one for the protest and another to be used in the car being protested until the process is completed?
_____________
This may not be possible, but I’d really like to see some guidelines regarding the associated bond costs to protest various items.
If a person believes that a car has gained an unfair advantage, what methods can be used to determine how it is being done or at least narrow down the possible parts? Are there some parts that you would recommend inspection of?

We’ve often talked about how we are responsible for self-policing our classes, but many of us are intimidated by the protest process. This maybe caused by a lack of knowledge of how the process works, potential costs associated, feedback from others past experiences - et hmm, can you say “The Protest Story” thread? - among other things. I’ll openly admit that I fall into this category, but would like to learn more about the protest process just in case. In the past we’ve discussed other methods to address a potentially illegal car, but at some point protesting makes sense.
I would like to keep the majority of this discussion focused on protests regarding potential illegal parts on a racecar that would provide an unfair advantage versus driving conduct. Lets also leave silly stuff out like the infamous washer bottle, horn, or other similar items out of the discussion. My hope is that through this discussion, people such as myself can become a bit more educated on how to best approach the process, things that should be done / shouldn’t be done from people experiences, a basic idea of what the costs are for various items if the protested car is found legal, as well as other tips on how to conduct a successful protest. My goal with this is not to stir up a significant number of protests, but since it is up to us to self-police I do feel it is valuable for us to be familiar with the process.
For those of you who have never seen a protest form (from my understanding they are uniform from region to region), here is a synopsis of the section the protestor would complete:
“I, ______, Driver of Car # _____ Class _____ do hereby protest Driver of Car # _____ Class _____ Driver _____ or the decision/action of (Official) _______ I hereby charge violation of paragraph _____ of the Supplemental Regulations, specifically, or section ______ of the Supplemental Regulations, specifically _____.”
Later on the form… (If teardown is required, Bond will be set by the SOM & agreed to by all BEFORE work begins)
I’ve also included a link to the sections most pertinent to this discussion from the 2007 GCR Link.
I personally have many questions, but will try to dive into this slowly. Here’s an easy one. The GCR states that “A protest against the validity of an entry or qualification and conformity to the rules of an entrant, driver, or car shall be lodged no later than one hour before the start of the race segment of a competition.”
So, if a person wants to get a better indication of whether another driver has some extra hidden power, it is not possible to lodge the protest after the race? It would be necessary to get this feeler done during qualification if timing permits (an hour before the start of the race). Sometimes cars obtain a sudden burst of power for specific events, then for other events they are down. I personally would want to try and get an idea of this before protesting, but it sounds like it would be difficult in many cases. Any recommendations on how best to approach this?
Here’s another section: Section 8.3.3 A. 5 – Verification of camshaft specifications
- A complete description of the vehicle/engine combination should be included (i.e. make, model, year, VIN #, engine code, displacement, etc.)
- A known stock example of the camshaft in question must be included with the protested camshaft.
- An accurate description of the intake and exhaust valve arrangement relative to the # 1 cylinder is required.
- The engine firing order and crankshaft rotation direction is required.
- The cost of each camshaft test is $100. Provisions for shipping to and from the national office should be included in the bond.
Who obtains a stock example of the camshaft in question (I would have to imagine it would be the SOM of the vent)? Depending upon where this is purchased, I would imagine the cost could vary greatly. The purchase cost of the cam – is that included in the bond? (For example, an OEM camshaft for my car is just under $200.)
What might some of the additional costs associated with a bond to inspect a camshaft be, if there are any? (Necessary work to take the cam out, then re-install. Maybe twice; once for protested cam and another for an interim cam?) Would the protestor need to establish a bond to pay for two OEM cams – one for the protest and another to be used in the car being protested until the process is completed?
_____________
This may not be possible, but I’d really like to see some guidelines regarding the associated bond costs to protest various items.
If a person believes that a car has gained an unfair advantage, what methods can be used to determine how it is being done or at least narrow down the possible parts? Are there some parts that you would recommend inspection of?