Starting gate rule - interpretation required

Justin345
Posts
644
Joined
6/26/2014
Location
Southern MD, MD US
4/17/2018 3:55pm Edited Date/Time 4/19/2018 8:22am
Paging vital keyboard experts! Friends and I are having a discussion on the starting gate rule in MX that states you cannot prep in front of the gate. Can someone post the actual verbiage in the rule book?

View point 1: you cannot cross the gate. The “gate” being the physical part that drops. You can lift up the metal plate under it to get the dirt off, but you can’t step over the gate.

View point 2: rider in the picture is OK because while he is in front of the gate, he’s standing on that metal plate and at no point did his feet go in front of the pin.

So it really comes down to what specifically is considered the “gate”. Which part of the “gate” can you not go across while prepping? Let’s hear it.



|
4/17/2018 4:44pm
No tools may be used to groom a rider's starting area, only hands and feet may be used. Only dirt from within the starting area may be used (as defined by the starter), no liquid may be added to the rider's starting area. Grooming in front of the gate is prohibited except when cement extends beyond the front of the gate, in which case, a broom may be used on the cement portion in front of the gate (wire brush is prohibited).
racerx317
Posts
225
Joined
1/4/2016
Location
Thompsons Station, TN US
4/17/2018 9:53pm Edited Date/Time 4/17/2018 9:56pm
SlowOldGuy wrote:
No tools may be used to groom a rider's starting area, only hands and feet may be used. Only dirt from within the starting area may...
No tools may be used to groom a rider's starting area, only hands and feet may be used. Only dirt from within the starting area may be used (as defined by the starter), no liquid may be added to the rider's starting area. Grooming in front of the gate is prohibited except when cement extends beyond the front of the gate, in which case, a broom may be used on the cement portion in front of the gate (wire brush is prohibited).
^^^ this is all exactly correct.

To clarify the question about what is defined as “gate”...

Anything that is metal and part of the material that constructs the gate, is considered the gate. So, the rider pictured is fine as long as the boot is not touching the dirt on the track side of that flat metal strip that is part of the gate frame. The metal strip can be wiped off with your hands or feet without a problem and be within the rules.

NOTE: to eliminate anyone from freaking out... instruct your rider to simply lift the bar part of the gate straight up from the pit side of the gate bar and clean that flat metal frame with their hands. Lifting the bar straight up also allows you to clear dirt away between the frame and the bar that drops to ensure it fully drops flat.

New rule this year states that the front wheel cannot be further than 12 inches behind where the gate bar drops because many tracks don’t have a proper back stop and to stop mini riders from creeping to get a running start.

I’m an AMA ref, btw.

The Shop

Justin345
Posts
644
Joined
6/26/2014
Location
Southern MD, MD US
4/18/2018 2:54am
racerx317 wrote:
^^^ this is all exactly correct. To clarify the question about what is defined as “gate”... Anything that is metal and part of the material that...
^^^ this is all exactly correct.

To clarify the question about what is defined as “gate”...

Anything that is metal and part of the material that constructs the gate, is considered the gate. So, the rider pictured is fine as long as the boot is not touching the dirt on the track side of that flat metal strip that is part of the gate frame. The metal strip can be wiped off with your hands or feet without a problem and be within the rules.

NOTE: to eliminate anyone from freaking out... instruct your rider to simply lift the bar part of the gate straight up from the pit side of the gate bar and clean that flat metal frame with their hands. Lifting the bar straight up also allows you to clear dirt away between the frame and the bar that drops to ensure it fully drops flat.

New rule this year states that the front wheel cannot be further than 12 inches behind where the gate bar drops because many tracks don’t have a proper back stop and to stop mini riders from creeping to get a running start.

I’m an AMA ref, btw.
Thanks! This settles it
billyp330
Posts
416
Joined
4/3/2017
Location
Dorset, OH US
4/18/2018 5:19am


Wonder how far exactly Vince is from gate....
bowser977
Posts
174
Joined
4/15/2018
Location
Bakersfield, CA US
4/18/2018 8:01am
Oops. At mammoth most people prep in front of their gate halfway up the hill haha.
BroFoSho
Posts
742
Joined
9/26/2013
Location
Tucson, AZ US
4/18/2018 10:06am
I can guarantee you that at an Amateur level you aren't losing a race because someone else packed down the dirt in front of the gate an extra 12 inches...
racerx317
Posts
225
Joined
1/4/2016
Location
Thompsons Station, TN US
4/18/2018 10:14am
BroFoSho wrote:
I can guarantee you that at an Amateur level you aren't losing a race because someone else packed down the dirt in front of the gate...
I can guarantee you that at an Amateur level you aren't losing a race because someone else packed down the dirt in front of the gate an extra 12 inches...
Maybe not a local race with 5 riders but can make a huge difference on big amateur gates like a LL Qualifier, LL National, any of the Amateur nationals and even big local gates of 20 + racers.
KDXGarage
Posts
2562
Joined
12/16/2010
Location
AL US
4/19/2018 12:28am
Thank you, racerx317. I had not read about the one foot rule.

In a local race a couple of years ago, some racer's dad was in front of the gate making the sand all smooth. When I mentioned that he was not supposed to be doing that, he asked me if this was a pro race. LOL

I wanted to scream, NO FARMING IN FRONT OF THE GATE!! LOL
Stuntman949
Posts
2849
Joined
11/10/2015
Location
San Clemente, CA US
4/19/2018 8:22am
BroFoSho wrote:
I can guarantee you that at an Amateur level you aren't losing a race because someone else packed down the dirt in front of the gate...
I can guarantee you that at an Amateur level you aren't losing a race because someone else packed down the dirt in front of the gate an extra 12 inches...
This x1000

Post a reply to: Starting gate rule - interpretation required

The Latest