June AX Stuff

[gocart]

Kudos to Mark for taking the bull by the horns on the feedback. Overall I thought the autocross was well organized and great fun with challenging course.

Mark you calendars for July second.

[Don Middleton]

Mark, it sounds like Saturday's track was a great one. Sorry we missed it?

But, I'm surprised you didn't make a bigger issue out of the Timing SNAFUs and Track break-up issues. They typically take up a large part of the day. I guess you have to plan for them. It's reality, right? Perhaps that wasn't one your issues this past Saturday?

Bill Behun and I would plan to finish by 4PM to give us that 1 hour cushion. Still, if you start on time, the parade lap and a 5-4-4 lap configuration will get you done by 4PM at a typical showing of cars. Each practice lap for 6 run groups is about a half hour of time. I'm sure you've done the math. If you can't get started on time, just cut one lap from the initial runs.

All that said, I think you guys are doing a great job trying to give everyone the most track time possible. I applaud the effort - it was our top priority, as well. I hope you can keep that focus while still getting the track shut down by 5PM.

[Mmagus]

I Ideally though we would continue to have folks come help AND get a person(s) who wants to step into AX Co-Chair for next year to start being trained now. That’s what I did and its my understanding that it’s the traditional way. As of yet no one has volunteered, though we have approached several folks.

I agree. Knowledge, traditions and culture transfers are very important.

Also, I believe in the past most chair positions were 2 year positions, which the second year included cross-training to the new coming chair in his first year.

Thanks for the background Martin. That is also the case here. Jerry is in his second year and I am in my first, so in theory he will rotate out at the end of this year and I will become lead Ax Co-chair. What we need is the person(s) who will work with me next year to start their training now.


Don: Good catch! They are regualar items though even the best planing can't guarantee a good outcome with them. We had timing isues in one run group and needed to re-run 5 or so cars. But, thats not really a fixable thing, it just happens sometimes. With the track we were able to combine extinsive planning with a smattering of good luck. A gent in the club came out and marked every bad spot with a GPS marker, then using google earth to note them I adapted the track to miss nearly all of them. Our luck held in that there were no surprize track surface blow-ups during the event.

[JERRY B]

Gordon Carter Has steped up to become a AX chair
'71 911 #56

[Mmagus]

Gordon Carter Has steped up to become a AX chair
'71 911 #56

[Don Middleton]

Gordon Carter Has steped up to become a AX chair

GOOD for PCA SDR. And, big time thanks to Gordon for stepping up.

I understand Gordon got the transe-fixing "ooga-booga" look from Jackie Corwin and that was it. New AX chair. It happened to me, too, Gordon. My wife tells me I still mutter in my sleep "Yes, Mistress...", but I'm a better man for it.

[pecivil]

it was another great PCASDR autoX event. The track was challenging, and almost completely missed all the bad asphalt, which is a feat unto itself.

hail to the Chief's. Jerry and Mark ROCK!

[Kim Crosser]

But, I'm surprised you didn't make a bigger issue out of the Timing SNAFUs and Track break-up issues.

??? What timing SNAFUs? I only know of one rerun due to a timing issue. And - there were NO track realignments needed at any point in the day.
The late finish was due to a late start, plus trying to run 15 laps per car (5+Parade, 5, 4), and the usual pauses to reset cones that had been shredded.
If we had encountered track realignments and any serious timing problems, we might still be out there.

Hey - it was a good track and everyone had lots of fun.

[Mmagus]

But, I'm surprised you didn't make a bigger issue out of the Timing SNAFUs and Track break-up issues.

??? What timing SNAFUs? I only know of one rerun due to a timing issue. And - there were NO track realignments needed at any point in the day.
The late finish was due to a late start, plus trying to run 15 laps per car (5+Parade, 5, 4), and the usual pauses to reset cones that had been shredded.
If we had encountered track realignments and any serious timing problems, we might still be out there.

Hey - it was a good track and everyone had lots of fun.

Hi Kim,

In one run group's timed runs there were 4 or five cars in a fow that came in asking for re-runs saying that they were happy to keep the 59second time but thought it might be unfair. When I contacted the trailer I asked if there had been a pile up on the 15FWY I was unaware of and why the re-runs? Tom said that timing had been off/(incorrect) and they did indeed need to happen.

I was quick and relitivly painless, and taken easily in stride as that group was flowing well, but it did occure.

It was WONDERFUL to just be able to leve the course as is from begining to end. WHEW!

Mark

[Don Middleton]

??? What timing SNAFUs? I only know of one rerun due to a timing issue. And - there were NO track realignments needed at any point in the day. The late finish was due to a late start, plus trying to run 15 laps per car (5+Parade, 5, 4), and the usual pauses to reset cones that had been shredded.
If we had encountered track realignments and any serious timing problems, we might still be out there.

Well, nice to hear. Congrats! And, no track realignments either. Great! Just trying to make the point that "stuff happens". Still, if you start on time, even the PL-5-5-4 should still get you done by 5PM. Either way, I applaud Jerry and Mark for trying to give the attendees maximum track time.

[JERRY B]

No one person is responsible for this event running late, It's a team effort. We have never had a problem running that many laps with that number of cars.
Even I was having a problem spacing all the different cars apart at the start.
All we can do is strive to run on time for the next event.

[M-tinker]

I thoroughly enjoyed the AX. Thanks for setting up such a fun course. Just this morning I was still mentally driving the course trying to find where I lost the .5s from practice!

Overall I thought the AX was very well run (me being new to PCA AX). Beside what was mentioned, I observe a few things that may improve our efficiency.
- I notice some people were late for the parade laps, they should not be allowed to do parade lap if the group has already departed
- perhaps we can skip the parade laps for experienced driver groups. There are plenty of laps for practice already (I think the run groups are based on experience/time already so it should be doable)
- there were some cars who spun out and sat for a long time waiting. The corner workers can instruct them to get back on the track quicker
- when a run group is called, latecomers will lose a lap if they don't line up behind the lead car

For the folks who show up late for tech inspection, they may be penalized a practice lap or two, so we can save time without penalizing everyone.

Thanks,

-Fred Yip

[gocart]

GOOD for PCA SDR. And, big time thanks to Gordon for stepping up.

I'm glad to help out. OK, who told Jackie I retired?

Even I was having a problem spacing all the different cars apart at the start.

I thought the spacing was very good Saturday. Especially in the timed runs. In some past AXs at times there where cars so close together that it caused problems for corner workers. Before one car going past you got to the next corner worker the car behind was right in front of you. This was a safety issue. Saturday was much better.

One other issue I noticed was with student instructor parings. I was in the orange run group and my student was in yellow. He missed the parade lap since the yellow group was on pre-grid while I was on my last practice lap with him in my car.

[pecivil]

One other issue I noticed was with student instructor parings. I was in the orange run group and my student was in yellow. He missed the parade lap since the yellow group was on pre-grid while I was on my last practice lap with him in my car.

that happened to my student too.

[Mmagus]

One other issue I noticed was with student instructor parings. I was in the orange run group and my student was in yellow. He missed the parade lap since the yellow group was on pre-grid while I was on my last practice lap with him in my car.

I was also paired with a student who was in the run group right after me. But I view this as a great advantage and in fact I prefer it be set up this way because we are able to go directly from him seeing what I am doing, to applying it to his runs. The transfer solution for us was that I let him out of my car a lap before the end of the session so he could get his car ready, then I finished my lap, parked and jumped in his.