SBX Trivia

[Rob Smith]

Ok, there's no snow, (in Ontario) the count down is on, we think about...

An sbx heat, you are a gate judge; 4 riders on course. You hear on the radio they have cleared the station above you,you are excited. The riders come into site, they are tight, you can't make out individual riders,they're rippin through the berm... what looks like the lead rider throws his arm out hitting the #2 rider, (who's trying a pass on the hole shot) #2 sketches out taking rider #3 off his line just enough for rider #4 to pass. The heat continues to completion with ( at the time of the possible infraction) Rider # 1 in First place, rider #4 in Second place, #3 in Third place & #2 in Forth. There is a protest. Only 2 riders can go through. The next heat is in the gate waiting to go. What happens now?

This senario is not unusual; maybe it happened at a NorAm race...
I'll let you know how it might have been called... lets hear some feed back.

[Dan]

Rider #1 shoved rider #2, so shouldn't advance. Rider #2 created the dangerous situation in the first place by trying to shove his way through a space that was too small/too dangerous to pass, so shouldn't advance.

I say riders 3 and 4 should continue to the next round. :biggthump

[ncermak]

per the rules, rider 1 would be disqualified, 4 and 3 advance. If the gate keeper could not distinguish bib color or number, the gate card would be dismissed in the favor of the rider. thus 1 and 4 would advance. If the TD DQ's #1, then he could put it to the other three to re run the heat, excluding rider 1 for the rules infraction.

[philfell]

Not all contact is considered interferance. Without seeing it I can not make the call. Probably rider number 1 and 4 will advance. If the contact was considered interferance rider number 4 and 3 advance. Remember there is no reruns in FIS SBX.

[RobRidesSquaw]

Most likely they would let it go like Phil said...rubbing is racing

[toddflyingdog]

I don't think a flaying arm is the same as a shove at all.
A shove is intentional and directed. A flail is poor form but not malicious or purposely advantageous.
SBX is chaos, the judge should let gravity(the god of racing) decide this heat in my opinion.

But every situation should take into account the four racers consensus in my humble opinion. In my many years as a SBX racer I've found there to be a very high honor code at least amoung the Open class. I've never seen a case like this where the racers wouldn't fess up to the infraction, and if it falls in the grey area than the course not the officials should choose the victor. Usually it is parents and/or spouses that make a fuss rather than the racers.

SBX will collect any back debts if inequity slips in...
over the course of a season or two there are no freebees...

[philfell]

Flyingdog, you haven't spent much time at a World Cup SBX event or similar high level event have you?

[DiveBomber]

just curious, but if you see someone about to collide with you can you preemptively push them away?

[ncermak]

a push is a push...you can try to avoid them...

[Rob Smith]

"what looks like the lead rider throws his arm out hitting the #2 rider, (who's trying a pass on the hole shot)"

If the thrashing arm is just that... no foul. Rider #1 &4 go through. Phil got that option.

However,
- the gate judge did see an infraction. An intentional push.
- the protest was from rider #2

[DiveBomber]

where did you/can we see this?

[ncermak]

1 DQs, 4 and 3 advance...

A usasa TS might allow a re run, provided all Athletes agree to it, excluding the DQ'd rider. Of course, they would have 6 riders in the heat, and no squaretailed boards.

FIS would be as Phil said. No re run.