PCA SDR

Was thinking about this a while ago and forgot to post. It was a fun idea at the last AX to have $1 "bonus" laps at the end of the event. Even though it was for a third party charity, maybe the club could implement on a normal basis if time permits. The extra bucks could just be kicked back to SDR for ???, etc. Next time, leave up the hot laps at least. (for self bragging rights and so on) Talk amongst yourselves.

Sign me up for that!

As long as we can send the cattle thru the gate at a good pace (and barring technical or track difficulties), we can get all our runs in at a reasonable hour. I think a few extra bucks for extra laps could be put to good use.

I hate to be the wet blanket

But.....

Who corner works? How do you divide it up for new corner workers so the current corner workers can come drive?
How do you stop people from just leaving and not sticking around to help pick up the track?

All problems we had. Sad but true, but this sounds better than it is.

Ideally and now especially since we are into daylight savings time we should be ending our timing between 4:30 and 5:00 which should leave more track time available. We have rented the Q and everything is in place and we should optimize our use of it as seat time is a precious resource

Again ideally the track walk and drivers meeting should be done and the corner workers out to their stations so that the green flag and first run group could start at 9AM

Since the Padres left the Q and we have more dates we have not been as efficient in out track time utilization.

And yes it is easy to comment from the sidelines

Greg

PS we can wait until 5PM to start the beer

The AX chairs did a great job of maximizing the laps on Sunday. Over the last 3 years I don't recall another AX where we got 15 laps. All of the problems Tom mentions makes it hard to tack on extra laps at the end and it is difficult to add on laps too early because there are usually various problems that crop up during the day that have to be dealt with and cause delays-- and this is just a guess-- but I suspect there might be some comments if some laps had to be cut half way through the second practice session and some run groups didn't get the same amount of track time
Sundays AX may have caused a bit of a false impression. There was a relatively low turnout. The AX chairs started an hour earlier than has been the case in the past. Bill Behun went out earlier in the week and checked his track layout, avoiding problem areas and expediting the layout on Sunday. The generator started. There were ropers, lots of tech volunteers, the corner working talk didn't go on and on , etc. etc. It was the smoothest running AX in a while due to some hard work and good luck (no disparagement of past efforts intended).

But I do like the idea of some extra laps!

I have to strongly agree with Tom Brown on this subject. Once the last timed lap is done, who does the corner working? What if the last group of corner workers want to pay and drive laps? We ask everyone to hang around and help pick up the track after timed runs - do we expect everyone to hang around to help until some number of people go out and do all their fun runs? Do we expect all the timing and equipment crew to hang out until this is done to start packing up? The guy waiting to haul the trailer and return the rental truck? Are the corner workers expected to hustle to reset all the cones knocked down during the fun runs?

Selling additional runs for charity isn't a bad idea, but I suggest allowing people to buy additional runs during the middle two sets of run group sessions instead of after timed runs (that is, during the 3rd and 4th corner working sessions) - and ONLY when we are running well ahead of time. That way, everyone has an equal opportunity to buy a few more runs (limit of 2? 3?) without expecting everyone to hang around at the end.

Also - $1 isn't enough... The prorated cost for a regular run is almost $4 - each additional run should probably be around that price (IMO).

While selling laps for charity has a purpose, in general I'm not wild on that idea. People paid for their event already.

I think the real solution is to watch the time and adjust the lap count to target being done between 4:30 and 4:45. If we are behind schedule, we cut out the practice lap in the timed run session. On 3/7 we were way ahead of schedule and added one, making it two practice laps. We probably could have added three that day, things went so smoothly. Of course there is always a danger, something goes wrong and you either run late or you have to short the later run groups their practice laps.

I wouldn't want to...

1. cut out the practice run on the timed session - it's a quick reminder of the track and tire warm up.
2. have more than 1 practice run before the timed session - tires get TOO hot and may increase the best time possible.

Sounds good to add extra runs to the middle session if time permits.

Oh yeah, and off this topic and go ahead and roast, but I don't agree with having timing running all day - IF THIS MEANS any ADDITIONAL people monitoring it get out of their corner working time. Sorry to hijack - deleted additional comments

I like to see my laptimes too. But, in my opinion a Hotlap or some sort of data aquisition system should be part of the basic racing equipment investment just like a helmet, gloves, shoes, seat belts etc. and everybody would have one.

There are always some used or new hotlap displays with IR receivers on eBay.

The fact is even if someone is monitoring the timing system during practice, all it takes is a corner-worker walking thru the lights and the laptimes will be wrong until the person monitoring the timing system realizes it and there are no re-run on practice laps.

As for two practice laps before the timed laps, I'd rather have no practice or warmup laps during the times runs at an AutoX event.

While I am at it, I'd rather have the standard 4/4/4 laps format no 5 lap sessions. The reason for this is with consistent lap sessions you can learn the behavior of the tires/car on each lap as the tires get hotter. So you can plan and adjust the tire pressures for the times runs.

The AX team is doing an excellent job and I know it was ment well to give us more seat time. But, having 2 warmup/practice laps screwed up my timed runs at the last event. I wanted to pull out of the line, but it was too late I was already at the start when I learned about it.

I'm also resistant to change. Why change it if it isn't broken.

I've just got to respond to these complaints about too many laps.



Seriously? Four laps is the sweet spot, but five laps throws you off your game? Nobody said it was a requirement to run all your practice laps - bail out after four laps. I was concerned about tire wear, so my first practice run on the timed sessions was a Sunday drive around the cones, not a proper practice lap. I used the second lap to heat up my tires, then on to timed runs.

If you like 4/4/4, run it that way. But don't penalize us backmarkers still learning the ropes by taking away an opportunity for a little more seat time when we can run 5/5/5. We need all the practice we can get!

Andy,

I understand and I have no problem with more track time, as long as we know the schedule ahead of time.
In fact I only took 4 practice runs and pulled out back in to the pits to adjust the tire pressure.

Maybe I wasn't listening during the drivers meeting , but I was surprised to get 2 warmup laps during the timed runs.

It's no big deal, just the German blood in me likes even numbers

You don't want to run two warm up laps, fine, sit one out. (the number of laps should be announced on the pa..)
Are you really that worried about your championship points?.......c'mon, it's a parking lot.......
I'm with Andy. Why reduce our precious seat time for any reason when we don't have to?

edit: Martin, you type faster than I do!

martinreinhardt wrote:Andy,

I understand and I have no problem with more track time, as long as we know the schedule ahead of time.
In fact I only took 4 practice runs and pulled out back in to the pits to adjust the tire pressure.

Maybe I wasn't listening during the drivers meeting , but I was surprised to get 2 warmup laps during the timed runs.

It's no big deal, just the German blood in me likes even numbers

It was announced on the PA that there would be 5 laps (2 practice 3 timed) for timed runs prior to starting timed runs. There was nothing said in the drivers meeting since no one knew we'd be so far ahead of schedule. I guess we need to pay more attention to the announcements.