Mike brought this one up in the disqualification posting. 

Comunication equipment is allowed (see rule #25.2) 

What comunication is allowed and not allowed durring a race:
     Radio?
     Cell phone?  What about blue tooth?
     Texting?
     Possibly others?

I feel strongly that all communication needs to be hands free. With that said a cell phone, radio, blue tooth, etc. would be fine if it was hands free. So it would need to be located in the car and not need the driver to dial, push a button to talk, read a screen so as to take their eyes off the road, etc. This is unless it was determined that the driver was being distracted by it and being a hazard to themselves and/or others. That would be "unsafe driving" and would require a furled black flag for the first offense and then a black flag pull over and talk, followed by a D.Q. Mike

When we raced last year, we used a simple set-up where I could only listen, but my crew could talk to me. In other cars I have driven, we use a two-way system so that with a push of a button, I can talk as well. We always mount ours on the steering wheel, thus I do not actually take my hands off the controls one bit, I just move one finger to push the button. Then again, I realize I have more outside racing experience then most, so what's second nature for me, may cause problems for other racers. Texting is a definent no-no, personally I think any "rules" applied to street driving in terms of communication should be followed here as well. No texting, bluetooth might be destracting, same with cell phones. The advantage of radio's is that they only make noise when someone is pushing a button, and talking, where as with a cell phone the communication would be open and on at all times. We did some testing on using cell phones for communication in our race car, I found it very destracting and hard to focus.

In Nebraska, radio's are allowed but no texting. Would you believe they actually had to make a rule against texting. I would personally favor no radio for everyone . That levels the field & cuts costs. Not every team can afford good equipment. Cheap stuff isn't that great. Use a pit board. It's cheap, it gets the message across.

I was rather flabergasted the first time we found someone texting. After yelling at the kid (it was one of our students!) and the race was over he tried telling everyone that it was no big deal, he could do it easily. Well, he was all over the track, had no idea how inept his driving was. After that I started threatning to DQ anyone caught texting. I started this thread as a lead in to hopefully getting a hard rule against texting while driving. I was reading the rules though and came across the comunication equipment part and it got me thinking that it sort of is allowed (hence the threat against it in the drivers meeting). I do know a lot of people are now using cell phones to comunicate too, hmm. I do not recall ever seeing anyone using a blue tooth yet. You have to touch it to call and answer, all under the helmet. Many of the radios must be lifted close to the mouth and the button pushed to talk, hmm. Not sure where I am at this point. Others please speek up (and please say where you race).

I agree with Stan, I would like to ban radios, etc. completely. A pit board does well and is less distracting on most of the track except at that very point they are reading it-hopefully they still keep one eye on the track and other cars. Allowing electronic communication seems to open a whole can of worms--what is allowed and not and what will be allowed in a few years with new tech. Mike from the NW.

This one is going to take some thought. I have got some of the best information about trouble with drivers on the track when my team called information back to the start line on the radio. I have also been able to tell my driver info they needed to know to better drive the race. No matter what, texting is out. Not quite sure about cell phones. I have seen many people use cheap radios and they usually barely work for a few hundred feet. Cell phones usually have pretty good reception, but hard to use while driving (Radios can be too without an ear bud).

I would say no on the radios as well.  Because then if one team (not pointing fingers at anyone in particular) got all technical about everything, then they would have lots of donations from outside groups.  Then they would always win every race.  The point of electrathon racing in my book is to have fun and learn from your mistakes.

How about if we make it 'hands free' except for maybe pushing the 'talk' button on a radio mounted close to the steering system. So either they have the volume turned way up or have an ear bud, headset, blue tooth, etc. They can not hold any device in their hands. That way we can keep the conversation and information flowing but both hands can remain on the steering system. Mike

Cedar Rapids Kennedy uses real time telemetry, radios and more High Tech stuff than I can imagine and still does not win all of the races; whereas we used nothing other than the "Force" and still won our share of races.

We use basic hand held two way radios.  Ours have a 5-9 mile range and work well on all the tracks we run on.  We have all sorts of ear buds.  Clip the radio high on the shoulder belt.
We have one of our helments set up with a mike and ear phones like the motorcycle guys use in their helments.  It was $55-60 and has a push to talk button that mounts on the steering wheel.  No distraction to the driver.  Got it from the Harley dealer.  There is one for open face and one for full face.
We have one spotter who keeps the driver informed of race conditions and one in the pits to keep track of volts, amps and genreal car conditions during the race.  The driver mostly just listens.
I have seen cellphones used in practice but don't like them.
Texting?  That is time consuming, dangerous and stupid.

-- Edited by Vic on Monday 22nd of March 2010 01:21:55 AM

I have started a posting in the 2011 race rule section about this topic. Please post further comments in that section. Aaron