Why Joel ‘Shifter Kart’ Jackson lodged a protest- Andrew Jackson speaks!

Read the following with a surgeon’s precision.

I read a document. I will share the salient portions of what I read. I could not confirm the document’s authenticity but I read it nonetheless!

Date: Nov 19,2014 – 1:05 am

Subject: RJ 2014 Bulletin No. 1

To competitors and crews. Please refer to the attached Bulletin for your attention and information………

I hurriedly led the ‘rat’ to the Pdf file and my finger bellowed the command – click!

Date: Nov 17, 2014

Subject: Bulletin No 1        Time: 09:00 hrs    Document No. 1.1

From: The Clerk of the Course

To: All Competitors/Crew Members.     Number of pages: 2.

Page 1 dealt with the following – Amendments to Supplementary Regulations, Titles for which Rally counts for, Date of event – Nov 22-23, Stewards, JMMC Officials and Registration. Nothing peculiar or uncanny here!

Page 2 was a continuation of the same pace-notes! My patience, like a prototype, was being tested! Drivers Meeting – Wed Nov 19,2014 at 19:30, Technical Inspection, Event Schedule – the end of the page was rapidly approaching – flat right, don’t cut! In an innocuous paragraph, the final paragraph of Page 2, the gourmet chef-inspired main course was served on a sizzling hexagonal dish – Additional Regulations.

The fact that you are a guest on these pages, intimates that you are blessed with a special gift. A gift which unfortunately, is not held by everyone and as such it is a treasure which should be kept for every letter it is worth – so read what appears next –  slowly.

Additional Regulations

Each competitor will be allowed to miss 2 competitive Stages per leg of the event due to technical vehicular difficulties. For each infringement, a competitor in class with 3 or more will be awarded the slowest Stage time of that class plus 60 seconds and competitors in class with less than 3, will be awarded the slowest time in the next lower class, plus 60 seconds. This rule will not apply to the last competitive stage of the event. All competitors utilizing this regulation will qualify as an overall finisher in this event.

Kyle ‘Speedy’ Gregg

So when I learnt that Kyle ‘Speedy’ Gregg’s RJ 2014 victory-visa was revoked due to Joel’s protest, I contacted the bank account and head-honcho Mr. Andrew Jackson. Mr. Jackson is someone I have spoken to on numerous occasions re auto or motorsports related matters so when I was experiencing difficulties locating Joel, I called him. I explained what I was interested in – Why they lodged a protest. He indicated that he could speak on the matter – which I expected and he added that he would provide a cell-phone number for Joel.

Mr. Jackson had 2 areas of concern. He mentioned the Additional Regulations. He stated that the Regulations spoke to ‘miss’ a stage. Kyle did not ‘miss’ a stage –  he started the stage, experienced mechanical difficulties and failed to complete the stage. I listened.

I spoke to 2 prominent individuals in our minute motorsports circle and they both agreed that Mr Jackson had a point. But, they also conceded that words, when bundled in any sentence, construed using the language spoken by the United Kingdom’s Queen Elizabeth, may convey multiple messages! This is where the 5 years-plus of law school intervenes. Let the legal battle begin!

But wait, there is more. Mr. Jackson’s probing mind, sought and found a gem. He reminded me that in every rally all of the teams and competitors are vying for victory – overall victory, despite their class-designation. I agreed.

I revisited the RJ 2014 Provisional Results. There were 14 teams in 5 classes – JN8, JA4, JA3, JA2 and JC1. Do you think that Nigel Wilmot and Leroy Spence – JC1 – did not have visions of popping champagne to celebrate a hard-fought and well-deserved victory?

Mr. Jackson suggested that the Regulations as they were presented, allow a competitor who did not start a stage, to be awarded with a stage-time which is faster than that which was achieved by a competitor who actually completed the stage! I found this hilarious! [It is easy to understand - both competitors are in different classes]

I exchanged words with one of my well-informed motorsports colleagues. He admitted – again- that Mr. Jackson had a good point!

Cecil Munroe Gleaner On-Line Writer