Easy and best solution to teams who have been soaking tires (and it is much more than Walker), is to outlaw the DT3. Do this, and everyone is on the same playing field. Using only one right rear tire isn't feasible as you sometimes neeed to change offsets.
It seems like sprint car racing is just now running into an issue the late model teams have had for a long time. I have seen tracks have mixed success with the sniffers. The only way to be accurate is to have samples tested in a lab. A durometer reading is definetly not the answer. Like jerry said, it is easy to make any tire read whatever you want. Pressure washing a tire on a high psi setting will softer the outside layer dramatically.
If the rule infraction was due to a tire infraction, and a sample was not taken to a lab, than they could have made a mistake.
Either way, suspending the team for the entire season is a little harsh. The normal violation for a rule infraction is the confiscation of the nights pay and points. Maybe a few week suspension, but not an entire year.
Jason Feger (late model guy) won a $20,000 to win show and was caught with treated tires, after a lab test. His money was taken away, he had to pay a fine, and was suspended for 60 days or something. But he was allowed to run again later that year.
You want your racers to know they have to obey the rules, but you don't want to over penalize them and run them away either.
You know the best thing that could happen is for this dumbass spec tire rule to be gone. If you can afford new tires you will run new tires. Just saying we have a spec tire does not change that. A new tire regardless of compound will be faster than a used tire. The only people benefiting from spec tires are the tracks and suppliers. I can say my team has spent more since all of this spec tire garbage than before, do I run the tires yes but only because I have to. No local track has the ability to police a tire rule to make it effective. Why do we not open things back up and go racing. With technology there are other things like traction control units that can make a bigger difference than tires ever thought of. I just wanted to put my two cents in. We as a sport need to look at common sense ways to control our costs. Tires are one of the smallest portions of the price of racing. I am sure many will not agree with me but I would really like to see the sport be able to sustain itself in these tough times.
Wow, My Buddy Mr. Chambers said exactly what I have been thinking about this morning! Go back to the Open Tire Rule!! The spec right rear doesn't save us crap! Hoosier loves it and so do the tracks. That is all there is to it! What is also something to ponder, some tracks pay a point fund and some don't. Why is that, if all of them are getting a check from Hoosier? Why not give that back to the racers? JMO. Happy Halloween!
