No excuses for racers at the Baja 1000

SCORE has posted some pdf files showing exactly what they want to see for speed zones and course compliance.
http://www.score-international.com/races/1124/Tecate_SCORE_Baja_1000/2009.aspx
Please read and review the info.

2009 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000

Explanation of Rules Enforcement

SCORE has had the privilege of organizing/sanctioning races on the Baja Peninsula for some 36 plus years and as in life,

nothing stays the same. What once was a wild frontier is now fast becoming a rapidly growing society. We have had to

constantly adapt and make concessions to the authorities because of the rapid expansion of farmlands, and safety concerns

for the growing population. We have to accept stipulations from the federal highway police that we will not speed or act

irresponsibly on the highways. Furthermore, our negotiations with ejido landowners requires that we will conduct ourselves

in a professional manner and respect their property in exchange for the privilege to race across their land. Without their

cooperation, there would not be the Baja racing we have come to know and love. As a result, we have had to initiate

"Speed Zones" and "Course Compliance.”

We have made adjustments along the way - GPS was introduced a few years back, then came Tracking Devices, then IRC Live

Tracking and now computerized enforcement of Speed Zones and Course Compliance.

At the Baja 500 in June, we informed the race participants that a complete tracking review of each finisher would occur prior

to release of class results. We were faced with having to enforce an overwhelming amount of rule infractions based on the

tracking data. Many learned a valuable lesson that day, including SCORE. We learned the racers needed a better line of

pre-race communication, as well as a better course definition to go along with the stricter enforcement. We recognized that

the racers need representation and the ability to take an active part in the process.

As a result, we have taken the following steps:

- Provided a clear and concise course description.

- Developed proprietary data file auditing software.

- Provide a system of virtual check points to indicate special areas of concern.

- Identified Multiple Legal Lines

- IRC now offers a back-up tracking device for missing data.

- Implementation of a Tracking Review Committee.

- Generate next day official results.

These changes came about from listening to racer concerns, comments and suggestions. We have also received hard work

from a few volunteers. We sincerely hope that these tools and procedures will help produce fair and successful racing.

Course description:

We wish to better inform the racing community of the sensitive areas of concern with more descriptive course notes and

provide many forms of electronic data such as Google Earth, GPX, USR files and a multi page PDF indicating "Either Or's"

"Virtual Check Points" and “Speed Zones”.

Proprietary data file auditing software:

We have had a custom program developed to compute course compliance and automatically issue penalties for speed zone

violations and course deviations. The software will compare racer's recorded data to a course template within a general

tolerance. That tolerance will be tightened up in areas of concern and loosened up in areas of multiple legal lines.

System of virtual check points to indicate special areas of concern:

This new feature of Virtual Checkpoints or "VCPs" is a series of waypoints that act as unmanned checkpoints in which you

must travel along the course much like a traditional manned checkpoint except you race through them without necessarily

stopping. Missing a VCP carries a ten minute penalty for each VCP missed. They are strategically placed to discourage short

coursing or to visually indicate sensitive areas of concern. The more sensitive areas will have more VCPs among them, thus

carrying a higher degree of potential penalties. Please review the course notes. Also, there is a list of GPS waypoints for all

the VCPs. It is the competitor’s responsibility to download and thoroughly study all race information that is posted on the

Related Downloads section of Baja 1000 race page on the SCORE website.

Multiple Legal Lines:

This feature has been added to preserve the spirit of Baja racing and to help offset some of the constraints of the other

sensitive areas.

Backup program for Missing IRC data:

Penalties are severe for missing data and are necessary to discourage any incentive to remove or tamper with the recording

device. Most racers now recognize the importance of having complete data at the finish line. Since any component on a race

vehicle is vulnerable to damage during the race, SCORE has provided the ability to rent a secondary officially recognized IRC

data recorder as a backup device at a discounted rate.

Tracking Review Committee:

A Tracking Review Committee (TRC) will be in place to monitor the auditing software. This Committee is comprised of a

three member "jury of your peers" veteran Baja racers equipped with double redundant backup systems for track review.

They will add a human component and review the files with a racers mentality whenever a questionable irregularity shows up.

This system is kept pure through the anonymous coding of all track files. The TRC will not know the true identity of any file it

is reviewing until way beyond the posting of the official results.

Generate next day official results:

Through the use of the new track auditing software