I agree with Tony on this one. I don't think competitors are responsible
for counting their own cones. That's the job of course workers, and is one
reason why they are out there in the first place. Certainly there are
situations where you think you clouted a cone, but you can never be sure
unless you see it flying off in the mirror or if it's dragging under the air
dam. That course workers miss cones is a given, but I think it has to be
accepted as part of the sport.
When it comes to situations like the one that Jerry mentioned, when you
*know* you DNF'd or something like that, then there may be no easy answer.
In golf, you are responsible for knowing the rules and calling your own
penalties. Whether people do this or not is another question, but it's
pretty clear that the player takes responsibility for reporting his/her own
score honestly. Even in pro tournaments, the main role of officials is to
help competitors interpret the rules, not to hand out penalties. In most
forms of professional motorsport, there is a governing body whose job it is
to make sure all competitors are following the rules. I can't remember the
last time someone called a pit lane speed limit violation on themselves.
In my mind, our sport is more like golf than pro racing in this regard. We
aren't competing for big money on a weekly basis, and don't have any
pressure from multinational conglomerates who pay our bills. Most of us are
out there for fun, and the competition is a big part of that fun. We could
spend all of our time trying to police all the rules but in the end everyone
has to make decisions they are comfortable with. If you believe that good
and bad breaks even out over time, you are probably right. If winning is
the main reason you compete, then you'll want to take any advantage you can
get and let disputes be decided by protest. On the other hand, if you don't
feel comfortable benefiting from someone else's mistakes, then you are free
to request a correction. You can hope that your competitors will make the
same decisions, but there's no guarantee. In the end it is your decision to
make and your consequences to live with.
Peter Thana
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