Ducati Sporting Club UK > DesmoDue Race Series > DesmoDue - General Questions and Chat > 3 simple questions

[twpd]

Originally Posted by NBs996

Can't believe this occured in what's supposed to be a bunch of friends going racing.
How can an engine protest be justified on a bike prepared by someone unable to strip the engine themselves?
How can a bike be suspected illegal when it can get outdragged by a 2002 5-speed unfaired monster (mine)?
And along with the riders previous race experience/successes??

It's a disgrace.

It happens at all levels of racing. It's a fact of life - get used to it. Some rumours are true - the vast majority aren't. There is only one way to stop the rumours - enter a protest. The ability to protest a competitior's bike is enshrined within ACU regs - YOU all sign up to this when you get an ACU licence - you acknowledge that at any time anyone's bike may be protested. It's rarely done of course because few people have the bottle to do it in case they are proved wrong.

You have no reason to complain about this - the manner in which it may have been done may be somewhat dubious but, you cannot complain that someone's bike has been protested.

[NBs996]

Originally Posted by twpd

It happens at all levels of racing. It's a fact of life - get used to it. Some rumours are true - the vast majority aren't. There is only one way to stop the rumours - enter a protest. The ability to protest a competitior's bike is enshrined within ACU regs - YOU all sign up to this when you get an ACU licence - you acknowledge that at any time anyone's bike may be protested. It's rarely done of course because few people have the bottle to do it in case they are proved wrong.

You have no reason to complain about this - the manner in which it may have been done may be somewhat dubious but, you cannot complain that someone's bike has been protested.

How very black and white!

I see no valid reson for a protest in this case, and no substance to any rumours (if there actually were any). A protest is not the only way to stop rumours, the best way to stop unsubstantiated rumour is to ignore it.
In this case, it would appear that the protest was constructed in retaliation to a rider very strongly voicing their opinion recently. All it's achieved was to put OTHER PEOPLE to much unnecessary grief and expense, cause unrelated riders to miss races and sink the series to it's lowest point. The action was very short sighted, and the ACU rules were just used as an excuse to do it.

There's a difference between using the rules and abusing them.

[twpd]

The reason is valid if the rumour is proved true. If you don't like the system then petition the ACU to change it.

The rules are black & white - they have to be otherwise we'd all be arguing over their application everytime the rulebook was exercised. It's the Clerk of the Course who ultimately decides if a bike can be protested - no-one else.

The C-o-C would normally listen to input from various people before deciding a protest can go ahead - I've never known this to happen on the basis of just one or two complaints. C-o-C's are normally pretty sensible and will weigh up the balance of evidence before allowing a protest to proceed.

He obviously felt that there was a valid reason - you should take up the issue with him instead of complaining here.

[domski]

Originally Posted by twpd

The reason is valid if the rumour is proved true. If you don't like the system then petition the ACU to change it.

The rules are black & white - they have to be otherwise we'd all be arguing over their application everytime the rulebook was exercised. It's the Clerk of the Course who ultimately decides if a bike can be protested - no-one else.

The C-o-C would normally listen to input from various people before deciding a protest can go ahead - I've never known this to happen on the basis of just one or two complaints. C-o-C's are normally pretty sensible and will weigh up the balance of evidence before allowing a protest to proceed.

He obviously felt that there was a valid reason - you should take up the issue with him instead of complaining here.

The C-o-C told me that a protest had gone in with the backing of the race committee.

So that would have convinced him I'm sure.

Even before they started stripping our bike I was told by another high up NE official that they have other circuit based equipment (speed related) and in his opinion my bike was no faster than anyone else's - but the strip had to go ahead!

Myself and Chass have no problem with a genuine protest, but I am still of the opinion that it was a personal issue with the RC - until proven otherwise.

It's also incredibly cowardly of the protest 'sponsors' to hide away and let Antony take all the flack. Just shows what a bunch of spineless morons they are - whoever they may be!

[twpd]

Then it would seem to me that the C-o-C may have allowed himself to be cajoled. In my experience, given the seriouslness of stripping a competitor's bike, normally a C-o-C will be very reluctant to allow a protest to go ahead without consulting numerous people including the chief scrut - the latter often giving the bike a close look over himself.

In any case, it is clear from Ant's post that there were quite a few rumours so, I think riders should be taking a look at themselves because that is where a protest comes from...fellow competitors. Not bystanders.

edit: This won't go down well but, it's true - if Ant protested on behalf of others then he is a fool. You set yourself up doing that.