Check of AX runs instead of herding cattle?

[Robert Joe]

Many of the faster drivers like to start at their optimal tire temps and reset them between runs. When you are driving 10/10ths a few PSI off can cost you some time. We may also decide on a different front to rear difference depending on how the car feels on that course at that time of the day. Also, less overheating of tires mean greater longevity. I can only do this if I buddy up with someone to bleed air as my car moves through grid. Could we entertain this idea which would not impact efficiency, keep the track hot and still allow us to get as many runs?

Add a check mark to the window sticker as the car gets ready to go out.
As the current run group is tapering off, start the cars in pre-grid.
As the check mark for the last run is done, give the driver a reminder that this is the last lap.

[marcus981]

Hi Robert,

I understand your first paragraph, but I don't fully understand what you are proposing in your three bullet points below that. Can you please clarify?

I know the OCR region has a "fiddle lane" for people to adjust pressure and cool tires, and that's pretty popular with some of the crowd up there. It made things a little frustrating for me, since the grid flow was very dependent on who was directing traffic from the multiple active lanes that they had funneling people to the start. Sometimes I got sent back out very quickly, and other times there was a really long wait between runs as two overlapping run groups were on the course at once. I personally prefer the consistency of how we do it in San Diego over the OCR method. The time interval between runs is pretty predictable, and I can plan my tire pressure and tire warm-up better. I'm curious to understand your proposal better though.

Thanks,
Marcus

[Karen Garcia Raines]

Robert,
The individuals in a specific group need to finish together. For example, there are are duties beyond driving that occur. Specifically, instructors and students must be together for drives and corner working. Additionally, registration attempts to have as close to equal distribution as reasonable and puts drivers in as similar speed group as possible. Lastly, those of us that work start learn the speeds of the drivers running together and use that knowledge to release the next car. So if you group some who are on their last lap and some who are on their first then spacing becomes an issue due to the difference in speeds.

So we will keep the drivers in the same group.

However, there is normally a pull off lane in the hot grid. Use that to check your temps and stay with your same group.

Andrew Raines

[Robert Joe]

Hi Marcus

Yes, the OCR method can get a bit muddled up depending on who is directing grid. The SDR one is much more efficient which I like better.

Without disrupting the current method all we need is a lane we can optionally turn into, adjust pressures, then merge back in line. Right now you could pull off to the side but you could end up losing a run. The current method assumes everyone stays in line so the starter just remembers who the last car was and when 5 is up, that run group is done. All we need to do is for the starter to add a check mark to the window sticker to count your run each time you go out. When you hit 5, you are done. No sneaking one past the starter.

It won't add chaos because most people won't bother to fiddle. There is no loss of efficiency since the few stragglers will just get their last run when the next group in pre-grid is starting out. BMW Club do this and it works well.

[marcus981]

OK, I understand now what you're proposing. With Robert Baizer's new sticker scanning system, each driver's lap number is already automatically counted and then announced through a synthesized voice. If I remember correctly, this was even active during most of the practice sessions of the last AX. So that should handle the lap counting aspect when people get out of order.

We only sometimes create an extra return lane depending on space constraints, but we can try harder to add that at all events.

Marcus

[Robert]

With Robert Baizer's new sticker scanning system, each driver's lap number is already automatically counted and then announced through a synthesized voice. If I remember correctly, this was even active during most of the practice sessions of the last AX. So that should handle the lap counting aspect when people get out of order

Marcus is exactly right. During practice and timed runs, the scanner keeps track of laps, so it doesn't matter much if run groups overlap a bit. Because it's loud out there, so drivers have trouble hearing the lap count, I'm now working on a light system that will flash the lap number. Probably not ready for the August 9 AX, but should be ready to test in September.

[Robert Joe]

You guys are setting the standard for efficiency and tech!
Thanks for your efforts.

Let me know if you ever need a hand with the timing stuff or a backup person to learn it or keep an eye on it to make sure it keeps working during practice.

[Karen Garcia Raines]

.... so it doesn't matter much if run groups overlap a bit.

We do avoid overlapping groups due to the dramatic difference in speeds from the finishing group vs. the new group. People want open runs and it is difficult to manage when there are overlapping cars.

Andrew Raines