Well, here we are. RCP(rule change proposal) time again in Quarter Midgets of America. Every Fall the membership is allowed to submit their latest pet peeve for the betterment of the organization. It is a process that allows the membership to put forth their smartest ideas to be voted on at several levels of the organization. Ultimately, if it is well written, and has some support, then it's on to the National meeting where it really starts to get interesting.

Are you confused yet? Let me try to make it a little simpler. Joe Member would like to see the on/off switch relocated to the side of the car. He writes up a RCP detailing his idea and submits it to his club president. Club president then forwards it to his region director where each club president and region board member vote on which RCPs they think would be good, but they're limited on how many they can send to national so they have to actually figure out what RCP is in the best interest of the sport and whether or not it would actually pass. Sometimes it's easy and they have less than the allowed number to decide on. Sometimes, but not always.

Now national puts all of the RCP's approved by the regions together and sends them back to the clubs for the members to give a yea or nay vote on. After 3 or 4 or 5 hours, (depending on whether or not the RCP for the vulture car has made it this far), the club tally is taken to the region for another yea or nay region approval. Then it's off to the national meeting where it's fate can be decided before everyone has had a real opportunity to actually vote. It's Vegas baby. Use your imagination.

So Joe has successfully made enough sense to those who would listen to get his on/off switch relocation project past the room of doom and into the actual meeting. Vote is taken, and the RCP successfully passes, resulting in several thousand race cars being required to relocate their ignition switch to the left, outside cowl area. It made sense. Make it easier for a handler to snag a runaway car and get it turned off before anyone gets hurt.

But a slight problem develops the next year, in the form of Little Johnny's hand getting crushed by another car while reaching outside his car to turn the engine off. Oops. Time for a rewrite. Put the switch back in the car the next year, and if you're like me, leave the hole in the bodywork as a reminder of .....well, a reminder that I don't know how to do paint and bodywork. We'll just leave it at that.

Now there is also the opportunity for the national board member to submit his/her favorite idea at the meeting, without membership input, and that in itself causes some controversy and leads to another RCP from the membership, and more votes, and in some cases, a barrage of personal insults. Discussion ensues, motion passed, and the membership is informed that their titanium axles will be banned the following year. So the next year another barrage of RCP's are carefully planned out and written to overturn the decision made by the elected leaders of a volunteer organization.

Phew! Are you tired yet? Stopped caring yet? Just want to race right? You probably have just had enough, your kids driver development deal is about to reach it's maturity date, and you've decided to go cash it in. You're headed for the land of real big time racing where your input is neither needed or wanted. You're going to learn to abide, or be asked/told to move on. In theory, it should be easy now. UH, ya, OK.

The story about the on/off switch is real, though the exact details are blurry to me as it happened in our novice year - before I knew what RCP, (or QMA for that matter) stood for. This year the main focus is reinstating the use of titanium axles for 2008. Not one, but several regions submitting seemingly very similar proposals. And oh yes, the alternate car RCP has made it's return after a one year hiatus. 9 for 10 is not bad though. Maybe this year it will finally pass so that next year someone else can try and repeal it.

How do you move forward in an organization with a system designed to allow so many different personalities the opportunity to have their say? Answer that question and you may want to drop a dollar in the nearest progressive slot machine.

My preference would be to leave it all alone for awhile. Changing rules year in and year out takes an exorbitant amount of time, energy, and money. It tears the union apart. When was the last time someone left the organization because no rules were changed? When was the last time the guy who never votes left the organization because something was or wasn't changed. But we're looking out for them - right?

In QMA, Joe Member is afforded the opportunity to steer the ship. I like that - sometimes. My only complaint is that steering the ship doesn't require a license, or a permit, or even experience. I find that interesting, and wonder - should there be a RCP to correct this? Just a thought.

I wonder how the real racers deal with things like this. Do you think they would vote for my RCP?



:greenflag: :checkered:

Green to Checkers,

Ted Hartman

The real reason that rule changed (the ignition switch one) was because a QM member did lose his finger. He is now known as Stubbyracer. Scott Pierovich.

And here I thought Stubby was a drywall hanger in Ohio....

This is what has most people up in arms. The Ti Axel ban was put in place without any membership input. It is believed that there are over 1000 of these axels being used in QMs today.

Bear in mind that QMA is an all volunteer kids racing organization, where membership input and participation is encouraged.

Ted

My last year in QMs I wrote out one of those carefully thought out RCPs.

For those of you that don't know in QMs there is an alternate car, so lets say you are starting 10 cars in the feature, the alternate is the one that finishes just one out of the transfer spot in the lower main.

The rule states (or it did) that if a car is unable to start the race or gets wrecked on the track before the green flag falls then the alternate car who is sitting in the hot chute ready to be pushed off in case this happens will take its place.

I don't know how many times I have seen it happen where immediately after the field takes the green flag there is a wreck in the first turn and one or more cars get wadded up and are unable to continue, but as the rule states the field took the green flag so the alternate car could not take the track.

My well thought out RCP stated that there had to be one completed lap in the books before the the Alternate car would be unable to race in case one of the original starting cars was unable to continue.

I don't know how many times I have seen some kid race his butt off at a regional or grands event where he may have transfered up through several lower mains only to be denied to race in the next race because of this BS rule, Not to mention the parent trying to explain to the kid about the rule and why they are not allowed to race, Remember again we are talking about young kid from 5 to 16 years old.

The only reason I was ever given about why my RCP did not pass was that it would make it more difficult for the scorers.

Eric C

You don't......99% of all rule changes in QMA are soley based on how it will affect each individual members personal racing program with the lone exception of Safety changes. Why do you think the rule book is a 1/2" thick when it only needs to be 1/8"?

Curt

:dologob:

I would agree with that Curt. I don't know how a member ran organization would ever get everyone on the same page, but I'm still hopeful that one day .............

Ted