VITAL information on Saturdays AX. PLEASE READ

[John Straub]

Mark,

I'm not going to be running the event...but would be happy to come down to instruct. However, no "X" cars please for me, only members with porsches. I'm kinda' an "old school" type.

Looks like a good start to the year!

John

[Jackie C]

Thanks to all who participated in the prereg. process for the first AX. We had old and new board members as well as AX chairs so everyone got a better picture of how this goes down. I'd personally like to thank all the "last resort instructors" as well as non driver instructors for stepping up and taking students this weekend. The dynamics continue to change but we are still the same people doing the best job we can for betterment of our club. Preregistration clears up most people's issues and thanks to the 117 who did!

[Mmagus]

Mark,

I'm not going to be running the event...but would be happy to come down to instruct. However, no "X" cars please for me, only members with porsches. I'm kinda' an "old school" type.

Looks like a good start to the year!

John

Thanks John and everyone else who are so graciously pitching in. With all of us working together good things happen.

[SDGT3]

WOW... It never surprises me how much complaining goes on. Last year the club was begging for X cars because they were losing money on AX. Now some would exclude X cars because THEY as individuals, didn't sign up in time.... forget about the fact that EVERYONE had the same opportunity to sign up online for weeks... now they make a suggestion to exclude those very cars that can make or break the event on a financial basis.

In 2009 I recall numbers in excess of 127 cars for AX at the Q. Last year was different. You took a chance by not pre-registering for the event and that you could do a walk up as you've been able to in 2010.

Also don't forget that time waits for no one IT WILL GET DARK BY 5:00 p.m and if every car isn't timed and off the track by sundown, the entire event goes to a non points day and no one wants that. You can only run so many cars during winter months, coupled with the fact that this is the 1st event of the year, it raises the probability that there will be some glitches or delays somewhere along the line.

Thankfully the numbers have exceeded expectations, at least for the 1st event of the year, and it's a good problem to have.

Put yourself in the shoes of the AX Chairs. It's one of the most difficult and time consuming jobs within PCASDR. Jerry B. is the old workhorse and the rookie Mark has come in with a very enthusiastic attitude which goes a long way. Hopefully that will stay in place despite the whining of a few.... moving on.....

[LUCKY DAVE]

I second what Peter said.
And Mark, "Whipping boy" is close to the bullseye. By the time you're done with your stint as AX chair you're going to feel like Wylie Coyote's stunt double.....
Am I the only one who remembers that two years ago Jerry was 6'8" with rippling muscles?

[ttweed]

In the past we successfully ran 140+ cars through an AX and finished at 5pm (with 12 laps each).

122 shouldn't be a problem if we keep things moving. 4 laps in the first session (NO parade lap), 4 laps in the middle session, and 4 laps in the final session = 1464 laps. Previously we had parade + 5, 5, 4 laps with 90 cars = 1350 laps and we were ending early. We can't do 8% more laps in the extra hour or so?

Worst case, if we are running late by late morning, drop to 3 laps in the middle session for a total of 1342 laps, which is less than what we have been running.

Where is the problem???

Turning away people at the trailer, especially without prior warning, is not a way to encourage future participation.

I have to agree with Kim, here. This level of registration is a good thing, and harks back to the days of old--nothing to panic about. It does mean fewer laps per car than we enjoyed last year, but 10-12 laps (and sometimes a parade lap) was the norm for many years. I don't think it is a good idea to exclude people who don't register online either. Beyond the "customer service" implications, there actually are some people who don't live on their computers and smart-phones out there, believe it or not. Plus we get a premium entry fee from the "late reg" at the trailer. We're shooting ourselves in the foot on this deal, I think. It's a good thing to encourage pre-reg, but a bad thing to require it, IMHO.

If everyone pitches in, we stick to the schedule, get started at 9:00am, keep the track hot as much as possible, and adjust the number of laps, we can handle 140 cars and be done by 5:00pm.

TT

[Gary Burch]

We had a number of big number ax's when I was co ax chair. You've got to start at EXACTLY 9am, the cornerworkers need to be out at 9 and ready to go, and the key to getting a full run schedule is the time between cars. You can't mess around, you have to get those babies out.

[ChuckS]

Agree with Gary!
When I was ax co chair, we were able to handle up to around 130-135 without issues as long as the timing equipment functioned and cars were started promptly.
Above that number we usuually cut down the number of runs or ran a little late.

[JERRY B]

It's looks great on paper, But can anyone give me better than a 50/50 chance that we wont have a timing problem.
The most cars that we have ran at a Jan. Event is 112

[Mmagus]

Jerry I have some tricks up my sleeve. We gonna DO this thang!

Chuck and Gary thanks for the tips...I'm taking notes and will be kickin butts! Wooohoooo!

[Kim Crosser]

It's looks great on paper, But can anyone give me better than a 50/50 chance that we wont have a timing problem.

We could always have a timing glitch or two, but the equipment has been running very well for months. The biggest headaches (and delays) occur when cars don't have numbers, have the wrong numbers, and/or are in the wrong classes/driver and try to get us in timing to "fix" everything during timed runs.

I would like to *strongly* suggest that starting with this AX, if a car does not have a number - it DOESN"T RUN - even in the practice run groups. (I might make an exception for the first two run groups of the day, as they might not have time to get ready, but certainly by the third group there is NO excuse for not having a visible number.)

So - some announcements that we should enforce to make this go smoother:
"No VISIBLE Number - No Drive." (by third run group in the FIRST practice session - we just kick 'em out to fix it if the numbers are missing or not readable)
"Check your number/class/driver on the board - if you show up for timed runs and it isn't right, we will send you out of line to fix it AND you will NOT get additional laps to finish your run session. When the other cars are done, you will be done too, even if you missed some runs." Emphasize that it doesn't matter what you THINK you registered on Motorsports Reg - if there is a discrepancy and you wait to timed runs, it is you that may pay the penalty.
"No changes to classes/numbers will be made after the start of timed runs. If you are in the wrong class and would have an advantage, you will be disqualified - no points."
"If you are in a two-driver car and have the wrong number for the first driver, you will have each other's times. Pay attention and be ready."

Signed, The Timing Gestapo.

[rshon]

We had a number of big number ax's when I was co ax chair. You've got to start at EXACTLY 9am, the cornerworkers need to be out at 9 and ready to go, and the key to getting a full run schedule is the time between cars. You can't mess around, you have to get those babies out.

Over the years, the most common cause of AX's running out of time is not starting the 1st run group at 9 sharp, usually caused by the track walk starting late and/or the driver's meeting and 1st corner working group happening too close to 9. We had some great "schedule nazis" back in the day. My favorite would start "growling" at the CDI before 8:00 a.m...

[Tim Comeau]

Well, let me weigh in here.......
Speaking from more than 25 years of club experience.....We have NEVER turned away club members from an AX, i.e., we have not closed registration. We accomodate the larger crowd with less runs and more efficiency.
To say that people should have registered earlier would only mean that the event would have been capped off a week earlier? I can't support that. I know that Ward Komers drives down from Murietta to drive with us.
I'll come down and work all day in any capacity to ensure that all club members get to play. I was AX chair for 2 years (94-95) and I know we can do this. I'll run start-finish all day under one of the current chairs.
One great way to save time is to have multiple lanes directly before the start line. I would have 2 or 3 lanes when I was chair. If the 3 cars lined up in front of me were a 930, a 911SC, and a 914....I would chose to launch the 930, then the SC on his bumper, then the 914 on his bumper. PACK "EM IN !
What would you do if you were expecting 8 family members and 12 showed up? You'd welcome them and accomodate them wouldn't you? Family.
See you bright and early. Please reopen registration at the trailer.

[spec guy]

I don't think the club should turn away drivers, at any level,at a club event. In the past, if for some reason ,we had to cut down on laps ,that is what happened. We have the lot until 5:00 pm. I have not picked up cones after 5pm in the last year and i do stay for the clean up at every event that i attend. I think we should not change the rules of auto-x registration without any notice. There are some people competing for points that this change will effect. How can we reopen reg. before the event. Lets try to pull togather and work as a group. If drastic changes must be made,they must be well thought out. I say , PLEASE RECONSIDER

[stevemckay]

A LINE FROM A FAMOUS MOVIE AS SAID BY JACK NICOLSEN WHY CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG!!!!!!!