PCA medical committee revoked my race license
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I'll never race with PCA again rather than give in on a point where I know I am right. My next three races are SVRA, IGT and HSR. I'm hanging onto being involved with PCA DE as CVR's assistant track chair, but I will find it difficult to continue any association with PCA if this is not decided fairly.
PCA got back to me and the two most recent reasons the medical committee (when I say medical committee I mean Harry Kintzi because he is the one pushing to retain this rule) gave for continuing to insist that they need my CPAP data are:
1. The DOT trucking standards for people with sleep apnea are the only standards they could find, other than the FAA, and I should be glad they didn't go with the more restrictive FAA standards. In other words, a standard with no correlation to club racing is better than not having a standard.
2. If I don't use my CPAP machine I could have long term health problems.
After weeks and weeks of waiting this was the medical committee's justification for continuing to require my CPAP data. There was a meeting and a group of people actually agreed that these were two good reasons to defend their position. You cannot make this up!
The second point is the most absurd - the medical committee is NOT MY PERSONAL PHYSICIAN! How is it in their mandate, and why would it be any of their business, as to my long term health? This was one of two reasons they gave to defend their position!
I also asked PCA if they could point to one single racing incident where a driver fell asleep or the reason for the incident was blamed on the driver being tired. They just made a big change to the 13/13 rule, which they claim was based on all this data PCA has collected collected, but no one can show me a single incident where sleep apnea was even mentioned. Where is the risk? This is a solution in search of a problem!
The fact that Ken Laborde, PCA's general counsel, has convinced PCA leadership that it is a risk to overrule the medical committee is another absurdity. What risk? When is there ever going to be a situation where I get into an incident, with my heart rate well over 100 bps, and someone is going to say "he was falling asleep"?!?!
I also brought up that there are, to my knowledge, only two amateur racing organizations that have a medical committee: PCA and BMW CCA.
While the medical evaluation forms for PCA and BMW CCA are almost identical, the huge difference is that PCA's form contains several statements that the PCA medical committee has the final say regardless of what the driver's doctor says. The BMW CCA form gives the power to the driver's doctor to make the decision as to the fitness of the driver.
I'm being told that the next time my issue will be discussed is mid-June. I have to wait FIVE WEEKS just for them to talk about it again! They changed the 13/13 rule in the week between RA and LRP but my issue will still be unresolved after three and a half months!
I may go race with other clubs, and I may pull back on other activities with PCA, but I will stay here and fight until the medical committee no longer has final say over a driver's fitness to drive. Who trust's their judgment with all that has happened? Surely not me!
How are all the people involved with this not embarrassed?! They look like fools!
PCA got back to me and the two most recent reasons the medical committee (when I say medical committee I mean Harry Kintzi because he is the one pushing to retain this rule) gave for continuing to insist that they need my CPAP data are:
1. The DOT trucking standards for people with sleep apnea are the only standards they could find, other than the FAA, and I should be glad they didn't go with the more restrictive FAA standards. In other words, a standard with no correlation to club racing is better than not having a standard.
2. If I don't use my CPAP machine I could have long term health problems.
After weeks and weeks of waiting this was the medical committee's justification for continuing to require my CPAP data. There was a meeting and a group of people actually agreed that these were two good reasons to defend their position. You cannot make this up!
The second point is the most absurd - the medical committee is NOT MY PERSONAL PHYSICIAN! How is it in their mandate, and why would it be any of their business, as to my long term health? This was one of two reasons they gave to defend their position!
I also asked PCA if they could point to one single racing incident where a driver fell asleep or the reason for the incident was blamed on the driver being tired. They just made a big change to the 13/13 rule, which they claim was based on all this data PCA has collected collected, but no one can show me a single incident where sleep apnea was even mentioned. Where is the risk? This is a solution in search of a problem!
The fact that Ken Laborde, PCA's general counsel, has convinced PCA leadership that it is a risk to overrule the medical committee is another absurdity. What risk? When is there ever going to be a situation where I get into an incident, with my heart rate well over 100 bps, and someone is going to say "he was falling asleep"?!?!
I also brought up that there are, to my knowledge, only two amateur racing organizations that have a medical committee: PCA and BMW CCA.
While the medical evaluation forms for PCA and BMW CCA are almost identical, the huge difference is that PCA's form contains several statements that the PCA medical committee has the final say regardless of what the driver's doctor says. The BMW CCA form gives the power to the driver's doctor to make the decision as to the fitness of the driver.
I'm being told that the next time my issue will be discussed is mid-June. I have to wait FIVE WEEKS just for them to talk about it again! They changed the 13/13 rule in the week between RA and LRP but my issue will still be unresolved after three and a half months!
I may go race with other clubs, and I may pull back on other activities with PCA, but I will stay here and fight until the medical committee no longer has final say over a driver's fitness to drive. Who trust's their judgment with all that has happened? Surely not me!
How are all the people involved with this not embarrassed?! They look like fools!
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[QUOTE=Carlo_Carrera;19421788]PCA clearly does not realize who they are dealing with. Go get'em tiger's/QUOTE]
I can feel the coup coming….
PCA has and always will be my first track love.
Student to instructor, PCA every step of the way.
5 down, 11 to go.
This **** with Todd just baffles me…..
I can feel the coup coming….
PCA has and always will be my first track love.
Student to instructor, PCA every step of the way.
5 down, 11 to go.
This **** with Todd just baffles me…..
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I told Aaron Ambrosino, the PCA President, that it was unrealistic for me to wait 5 weeks for the executive committee to talk about this again. The flat out response was that there would be no decision before the PCA WGI on June 14.
PCA is a joke and they do not give a F*CK about their members.
PCA is a joke and they do not give a F*CK about their members.
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I told Aaron Ambrosino, the PCA President, that it was unrealistic for me to wait 5 weeks for the executive committee to talk about this again. The flat out response was that there would be no decision before the PCA WGI on June 14.
PCA is a joke and they do not give a F*CK about their members.
PCA is a joke and they do not give a F*CK about their members.
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I told Aaron Ambrosino, the PCA President, that it was unrealistic for me to wait 5 weeks for the executive committee to talk about this again. The flat out response was that there would be no decision before the PCA WGI on June 14.
PCA is a joke and they do not give a F*CK about their members.
PCA is a joke and they do not give a F*CK about their members.
What PCA is doing in your case is clearly wrong, and arguably also foolish. But you need to be realistic about the dynamics at play here. They hold the power, and you're not going to convince them to change their position by giving arguments, calling them out publicly, and saying they're stupid. Unless you can exert some real leverage, such as by causing a 'class action' which impacts the financial viability of club racing, it's basically just you against them, and they won't change their position. If you can't exert that leverage, you need to think about whether you can appease them and enable them to change their position while saving face.
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I was thinking the same. I was thinking everyone should threaten to boycott WGI.
At this point, there is no reason for them to give in to Todd. Lose one racer, no big deal. Lose a whole race worth of people, that makes a difference.
At this point, there is no reason for them to give in to Todd. Lose one racer, no big deal. Lose a whole race worth of people, that makes a difference.
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#327
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PCA is social club that does things like DE, club racing, etc. and has a rotating group of people who voluntarily serve in various unpaid leadership and other positions. When some people in those positions do dumb things, I don't take that to represent PCA as a whole. The vast majority of my interactions in PCA are with people who attend events and aren't in those positions, and many have become my friends. That's the reason I continue to attend PCA events.
What PCA is doing in your case is clearly wrong, and arguably also foolish. But you need to be realistic about the dynamics at play here. They hold the power, and you're not going to convince them to change their position by giving arguments, calling them out publicly, and saying they're stupid. Unless you can exert some real leverage, such as by causing a 'class action' which impacts the financial viability of club racing, it's basically just you against them, and they won't change their position. If you can't exert that leverage, you need to think about whether you can appease them and enable them to change their position while saving face.
What PCA is doing in your case is clearly wrong, and arguably also foolish. But you need to be realistic about the dynamics at play here. They hold the power, and you're not going to convince them to change their position by giving arguments, calling them out publicly, and saying they're stupid. Unless you can exert some real leverage, such as by causing a 'class action' which impacts the financial viability of club racing, it's basically just you against them, and they won't change their position. If you can't exert that leverage, you need to think about whether you can appease them and enable them to change their position while saving face.
That being said, PCA completely ignored me and told me to pound sand, until I made my fight public.
I told the president just last week if the EC agreed to put to a vote getting rid of the medical committee's ability to override a driver's doctor, I would give my data now, and await the vote next year. I would abide by the vote no matter what. I also offered to give an affidavit of compliance. I've offered compromises and been told no.
They may be in control of the outcome but I am in control of the narrative.
I honestly don't even feel like driving anymore. It's just one big F-ing joke.
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Originally Posted by LuigiVampa
I told Aaron Ambrosino, the PCA President, that it was unrealistic for me to wait 5 weeks for the executive committee to talk about this again. The flat out response was that there would be no decision before the PCA WGI on June 14.
PCA is a joke and they do not give a F*CK about their members.
PCA is a joke and they do not give a F*CK about their members.
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LuigiVampa (05-07-2024)
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