NHRA Levied Actions Against Don Davidson

[NORVELL BOWERS]

Anyone that knows Don,knows he would not knowingly do anything against the rules. I helped him with tear down and fully expected the car to pass. The carb was on the car when he bought it and had never measured the venturi's(how many of us have bought a carb and not measured it?) The lift on the intake was .007 ovr limit on the intake and .013 under on the exhaust. Don's main problem wound up being that he trusted the parts and work of others to be up to par. I think NHRA has way over done it in this case to a guy that just loves to race and supports the NHRA in every way. His car started running good because of good old fashion hard work from the front bumper to the rear,not a carb swap! A bunch of you guys know Don and know he is the kind of guy you want for a friend,honest and hard working.

[james schaechter]

I guess the question about this is the process as administered by NHRA. What then determined a need for a fine and if a fine is to be administered, what is the process to establish the amount?
If NHRA wants this to be a deterrent, why not spell it out? Unless the car had a dominator on it, it would seem that the punishment did not fit the crime here. The lift sure wasn't extreme.
Is this in the rulebook or amendments to the rulebook in a very specific way or is it written by a Chicago Politician?

[Dwight Southerland]

Originally Posted by james schaechter

Is this in the rulebook or amendments to the rulebook in a very specific way or is it written by a Chicago Politician?

Exactly. If this is going to be the way NHRA is going to be, they should let everybody know prior to the administration. Executive order, I guess. If you are needing money, nothing is off the table.

[SStockDart]

Based on what I have read.....the crime does not warrant the fine....note: I have been DQ'd for a half CC in the combustion chamber....later recinded. In this case....7 thou on the cam lift does not seem like much, but 1 thou is too much, but 1 thou would not get a fine...IMO....so the real question is....How big was the problem with the Carb? I'm just saying...

[NORVELL BOWERS]

The Venturi area around the booster was .017 over size. I am not even sure how you could enlarge that area.

[John Nechiporchik]

Out of curiosity, does NHRA have a requirement to calibrate their measurement devices on a periodic basis and provide documentation of such?
Having worked in Industry where precision measurement is required to determine part acceptability, procedures required calibration on a regular basis.
Additionally, utilization of such instruments require specific training and documentation of such training.
I'm new to stock racing and have not had the "teardown opportunity". But, if someone was to slap a $1k fine on me.....I'd be asking these questions as a part of an appeal.

[Jim Wahl]

Originally Posted by John Nechiporchik

Out of curiosity, does NHRA have a requirement to calibrate their measurement devices on a periodic basis and provide documentation of such?
Having worked in Industry where precision measurement is required to determine part acceptability, procedures required calibration on a regular basis.
Additionally, utilization of such instruments require specific training and documentation of such training.
I'm new to stock racing and have not had the "teardown opportunity". But, if someone was to slap a $1k fine on me.....I'd be asking these questions as a part of an appeal.

Your statement makes complete sense. When the tool could make the difference between $1000 fine and disgrace or being a hero I'm afraid it only seems sensible to make sure the tools are correct and accurate. Jim

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[Mike Pearson]

I failed a teardown at the gators several years ago. My exhaust valve was .001 below the low limit. Wesley told me if I could find a caliper or mic that would read the correct size he would let me pass. I checked that valve with several calipers and they all measured the same. Needless to say I got bounced. Fixed the heads for the next race with new valves and picked up .08 so not all infractions make you go faster.

[David Daulton]

Originally Posted by John Nechiporchik

Out of curiosity, does NHRA have a requirement to calibrate their measurement devices on a periodic basis and provide documentation of such?
Having worked in Industry where precision measurement is required to determine part acceptability, procedures required calibration on a regular basis.
Additionally, utilization of such instruments require specific training and documentation of such training.
I'm new to stock racing and have not had the "teardown opportunity". But, if someone was to slap a $1k fine on me.....I'd be asking these questions as a part of an appeal.

Yes, it would be interesting to know how or even if NHRA documents the accuracy of their measurement instruments. In order to back up their findings at any given time they would need to provide documentation that their instruments have been certified by a lab that has ISO 17025 certification and that certification is current. The measuring equipment also should be required to be verified before use to a certified standard. This is all basic stuff contained in ISO TS 16949 which pertains to the automotive industry . And what about written procedures for their use of their equipment? All of this needs to be brought up if you contest a fine as I doubt they could back up any of their findings.

[SSDiv6]

Originally Posted by David Daulton

Yes, it would be interesting to know how or even if NHRA documents the accuracy of their measurement instruments. In order to back up their findings at any given time they would need to provide documentation that their instruments have been certified by a lab that has ISO 17025 certification and that certification is current. The measuring equipment also should be required to be verified before use to a certified standard. This is all basic stuff contained in ISO TS 16949 which pertains to the automotive industry . And what about written procedures for their use of their equipment? All of this needs to be brought up if you contest a fine as I doubt they could back up any of their findings.

You make a valid point.

In the cities of Medina and Bellevue, Washington, they passed a law called the "Bill Gates" law.

Bill Gates was known to always be speeding and getting tickets.
He will send his lawyer to court along with an electronics expert and the first thing they would question was the accuracy of the equipment, last time it was calibrated, the procedures for calibration and training for whomever perform the calibration.

When the police department could not provide the information, the judge had to throw away the ticket. After passing the law, other cities, county and State Patrol had to adopt the guidance. Therefore, when you get a speeding ticket, it will have the calibration information on the ticket.