TheOtherEric

I'm sure we'd all agree that IN THEORY you can liberally read the rules. But realistically, there generally are not "loopholes." That word is simply used by the cheaters to try legitimizing their behavior.

A simple test is this: would you be able to successfully defend it to a scrutineer during an inspection? If you change your secret widget back to something more in-line with the rules just prior to an inspection... well that was cheating.

Post an example and we can be more specific.

kurt M

PCA rule book has something along the lines of "If it does not say you can, you can't" this puts loopholes over the you can't line if you want to think of it that way. The 917 was a study in loophole management.

Larry Herman

I have found that loopholes are not enticements to cheat. They are an unanticipated modification or item someone discovers that falls with-in the letter of the rule, but not with-in its intention. One of the more famous ones was back in the 80's IIRC where USAC was trying to give a performance boost to "stock block" motors, i.e. American ones with push rods, and Penske came out with these specially built push rod Mercedes motors that just destroyed everyone that year.

Astroman

Hey Larry, Update your avatar!!

Brian P

Ok, but where do you draw the line? At WG, I was hit for being underweight by 6 pounds. I doubt that many competitors would say that my 5th place finish was due to being 6 pounds underweight by the end of the race (I could have refueled with about 30 minutes left in the race, but chose not to). However, if someone was 200 pounds underweight, then I would say that they likely had an unfair advantage. However, where is the cutoff between 6 and 200?

Gary R.

Better than the time I got DQ'd for being 40lb underweight and then tossed in exactly 10 Gal gas, went back and weight went up 140LB!

BostonDMD

At about 0 lbs. underweight.......otherwise why have rules at all.........

Brian P

No argument with that and I really blame myself. I try to always check my car weight before the enduro to make sure this situation doesn't happen, and I let that slip that weekend. To be sure, the scales are different every weekend (and so is my tummy), so it makes sense to make sure that my car will still be legal by the end of the race.

Gary R.

NEVER trust the first weight they give you if it's less than what you believe it should be. Have them roll and double check wheel placement.. that's the point I was making above...

BostonDMD

+1, if you are sure of not being off, have them re-weight it.......

P.S. Nice new avatar Gary....those 15" wheels look faaaaaaaaast........

Brian P

I wish that was it, because I had them do exactly that. In the previous race weekend (Road Atlanta), I had them check the weight before the race, and I thought I had plenty of weight to spare... Due to that, I didn't bother checking before the WG race. So, I think the Road Atlanta weekend was incorrect in the wrong direction, and I got lazy and didn't check for WG.

Dan Jacobs

The scales always read different. You have to weigh yourself at every race if you think you're close

Brian P

Yep, and I almost always do that. I got lazy at WG, and I paid the price for my laziness. It was sheer stupidity on my part.

Gary R.

Yes, learned that from you master Sensei...

JP66

I realize this is an old thread, but I'm a new guy and I must say I am simply appalled. In the poll 1 out of 5 racers admit to cheating. I, for one, want to race in equal cars so I can enjoy jockeying in a corner or trying to out brake my fellow racer. Creating a car that is faster so I might get a trophy seems absolutely anathema to me.

I'm a big boy and will simply race the best I can and try darn sure to make my car compliant (although I did get DQ'd in my first race by being underweight) but dang man why you's gotta ruin it by cheating?????