Thanks for the supportive comments guys. I completely agree on the unacceptable condonement of bullying.
Not sure if the electrocuting thing would get MSA support but I really like the immediacy of it, very Pavlov's dog and all that.
Thinking on this some more and going back one step. If the purpose of the loading or making intentional contact is to gain an advantage what is the motivation. Not that I support the action but the train of thought probably goes like this:
Either it is to get past someone that you just don't have the skill to get past or it is to get past someone who you do have the skill to overtake but within the confines of a cadet race you just don't have the time / laps to achieve and so the driver feels impelled to make contact for the sake of advantage.
Both are indefensible, but the former is the worse of the two.
Solution-wise: Looking at the latter the argument would be either the driver has to qualify higher up the grid and or the race needs to be about twice as long with place penalties or greater for loading at the start.
I have to say that I haven't really got to grips with the calculation of qualifying but in order to ensure that the fastest were always at the front surely staggered pit exits over the three qualifiers with final grid positions being based on speed and consistency.
Longer races, if I look at the fastest laps particularly in something like honda cadets where there are huge grids, a tenth of a second can separate the fastest laps of seven or eight drivers and half a second can cover four or five places at the finish. Would running the race for longer increase the opportunity for overtaking fairly and squarely (genuine racing incidents aside)?
Again just my 2c, but in anything the question of sustainability and outcomes has to be a consideration. There is no way that any sport can sustain if long term it becomes accepted that because the minority pass and behave this way that eventually it becomes the majority behaviour and the outcome is that it filters through to subsequent stages of karting.
The last factor and probably the most important one is do the powers that be want change to happen, do they recognise that there is enough of a problem for change to be required or do they feel that the tipping point has not been reached and so no action is needed or that things will resolve themselves. Do they recognise that the sport as a sport or as a commercial concern is dependent on new cadet drivers entering, if they do have they yet felt sufficient pain that would lead to change?
I don't see any changes on the horizon, so probably not, which is a pity because they owe it to the sport and are missing an opportunity to lead from the front.
Whether any of that makes any sense or is practical I have no idea, I only have a very narrow view and limited experience.(I've only been involved at this level for three months, in karting for a year and my knowledge is based on what I read here and in Karting, what I have seen from spectating at eight race days and from conversations that I have had)
I remain optimistic despite what my crystal ball keeps telling me and so we'll keep at it and see how it all goes, we're not yet at our personal tipping point
Though I have to say we've come pretty close - when you see the ugly side of karting and the ugly side of other drivers (who remember are just kids) when your son in the course of one race being dumped in the dummy grid and then dumped again, and then dumped again in the rest of the qualifiers after having had a trip to the paramedics all due to intentional contact (yes when another driver whacks into the side of your kart three times in quick succession to get past on a straight I class that as intentional) or racing incidents based on reckless driving - you know the ones "Which non-existent gap on that apex were you going for? or "How exactly did you wipe me out on the dummy grid" you have to question how much fun it is for your son or you as a parent - kind of makes you question the opportunity cost of your time, emotions and money invested.
(Once again I seem to have rambled so apologies for that - next time I'll keep it five lines or less - honest)
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