The last race weekend i had a shift linkage bolt come loose which resulted in no gears so i plulled into the hot  pit lane had someone have a quick look to see what the problem was.
It was a 10 second fix how ever since i'm the pit crew mechanic and the only one that knows where to look for what was needed i pulled into the pits it was repaired so i tried to rejoin the race and was told that i could not rejion the race.

Since i'm not smart enough to read and remember all the rules i didn't know that was the rule.
Even F1 and NASCAR can pull into the garage to make repair and continue the race.

Most of us don't have a hole bunch of pit crew to do the work we do it all on our own so i'am proposing a rule change for next year

I understand where you are coming from since I am also a one man show but...  It's not a rule I would vote to approve. 

Race cars are driven by racing drivers who are not all that smart.  (I happen to see one this morning in the mirror.)  IMHO Most if not all would never keep the speed down in the paddock.  The resulting risk of injury to others in the paddock to the reward of getting in a few more laps by the driver is not worth it.  Risk vs Reward ratio kind of sucks if you ask me.   

You mentioned and I agree that the race is over so we are only talking about the difference between a DNF and likely a last place finish.  I believe the more sensible action is to pull into hot pits, turn off the motor and wait patiently till the end of the race.  Then on the checkered flag, pull out of hot pits, cross the timing loop that is under the Pit lane out (just behind the start finish tower) and stop by the gate at tech.  One of the nice guys at tech will open the gate and let you in to the tech area.  From my perspective you:
- didn't need to complete another lap with a broken car
- crossed the start finish loop and got your finishing position
- didn't require a rule change
- didn't add risk to others and yourself in the paddock
The only think you lost was a few laps of track time.  I think that is a far better Risk vs Reward ratio. 


Dave

I've had a situation where I left the gas cap off and, with no one in the hot pits to help out, I retired from the race on the pace lap. That hurt.

I'm doubtful of the claim that drivers wouldn't abide by a paddock speed limit if they did have to pit briefly for some reason. That assumes the negative and is unnecessarily punitive. It's like saying that because there's a slight risk that you'd speed when you're late for work, we're not going to let you to drive to work late.

Why assume that drivers who were responsible enough to follow the speed limit 10 minutes prior wouldn't be responsible after returning from a minor repair? They know they've lost all possibility of winning the race. I doubt they would risk an accident by speeding on a return to pre-grid on the slight chance they'd still score in the points.

As a racer, I think we can agree that it's the thrill of competing that's the rush, not the win. That's why we pay hefty fees and, consequently, should be entitled to enjoy every minute of a race as long as it can be done safely. Assuming it can't be done safely is a mistake. If speeding is reported, then punish it, and punish it harshly. But don't punish drivers for something they didn't do on a hunch that they might.

I am a little concerned that Alan says he has not read the rules... in fact. Race Reg 2.4 says that by applying for a licence the driver agrees that they have read and understand the rules.

I agree with Dave as well, most drivers do not maintain a 15kph or less speed in the paddock, much less during a dash to get back on track. There have been fines and penalties given in the past, but due to a lack of a paddock marshal and too few stewards, that offence is not always dealt with. It is one of the most damaging possibilities that a spectator could be hurt by a speeding race car in the paddock...

As far as the regulation regarding re-entry from the paddock, the regulation is very clear -

"During a qualifying or race session, if a car is to be taken from the pits to the paddock, it may only return to the session after receiving approval from the Steward."

All a driver would have to do is stop and advise the steward why they are entering the paddock and that they intend to return... as long as they are going in for a repair (instead of changing tires or something) the steward would probably OK it... as long as it was fair of course... and if observed travelling too quickly through the paddock they probably would receive a penalty. The regulation is there more for maintaining a fair competition than regulating paddock speeds

Mike i have to apologize for the poor Grammar i didn't make it to High School to busy playing with cars and motorcycles.
What i was trying to say is just because you have read it doesn't mean you remember it word for word.
So what you are saying is that if the steward of the day says it's ok for you to re enter the the track that makes it safer than if we had a rule allowing you to enter without the stewards ok.
What happens if the steward is having a bad day and decides no you can't rejoin or the steward isn't at the gate.
How is the steward going to monitor what my speed is from where he is standing at the gate.
We are allow to come in during practice and rejoin how is that different and safer whether it's Qualifing or race you are still up against the clock.
Maybe we should have a big sandwich board at pit entrance that says if you speed you are Disqualified.

But the rules already allow a steward to let you rejoin the race.

I think that there's a contradiction there that should be resolved.

Personally, I'm unlikely to rejoin simply because I don't think I could ever make it back in time to get in more than a lap, and that—to ME—doesn't seem worth it. But I don't think I should make that decision for every other racer out there.

So if the danger isn't so great that we need to outlaw the practice entirely (and leave it in the hands of the steward) then I think it's reasonable to ask if we should just change the rule to allow it. As has already been pointed out, it is allowed in practice.

I would also say that the rules should also include that a violation of the paddock speed limit should mean instant disqualification from that session, be it race, qualifying or practice, and there should perhaps even be a disqualification of the next non-practice session tacked on.

The paddock is no place for speeding.

Alan B. makes a pretty strong case for allowing re-entry. Mike, why do you say it's not likely that the regulation would be changed? Is this out of the club's or CACC's hands? Wouldn't this be part of the club rule changes?

Mike_Kaerne wrote on Dec 17^th, 2014 at 5:06pm:

When do we take into count the safety of the driver that has just sprinted across the padock a couple times to do a mickey mouse repair when could have gone in to do it under a lot less pressure to do it right. So now he jumps back in the car is able to enter the race no matter how many laps is lost and chances are didn't buckle up properly is now totally fatigued how is that safe for him or his competitors. You enter the track from pregrid with out being check that you are buckle up there is no one to check when you leave the hot pits. We can't all have pits next to hot pit lane.
Maybe we can use some of the Ed Smart fun to put up several sandwich boards threw out the pits reminding everyone to watch thier speed or be DQ