The Extra Lap with Less Traffic

[rallymaddaz]

I dont know about everyone else but I found the heats on Friday very Frantic with 8-10 people in a heat and only a small entry meant your time to charge and change settings etc was limited. On the positive side the 7 / 8 cars per final was much better & encouraged better racing. What does everyone think that if we have 45 or less then we should have a max of 7 in each heat?

[Jlc57]

Unfortunately changing the numbers in the finals can have an impact for people in the championships as happened for a couple of people on Friday.

[rallymaddaz]

Not sure what you mean - surely it made it better?

[Robby]

Originally Posted by rallymaddaz

I dont know about everyone else but I found the heats on Friday very Frantic with 8-10 people in a heat and only a small entry meant your time to charge and change settings etc was limited. On the positive side the 7 / 8 cars per final was much better & encouraged better racing. What does everyone think that if we have 45 or less then we should have a max of 7 in each heat?

Originally Posted by rallymaddaz

Not sure what you mean - surely it made it better?

The problem you have with going there is that the next "suggestion" will be 6 or even 5, and you're going to start pissing people off - and then when you decrease the numbers per heat you increase the number of heats which makes for a longer race day.

[rallymaddaz]

Originally Posted by Robby

The problem you have with going there is that the next "suggestion" will be 6 or even 5, and you're going to start pissing people off - and then when you decrease the numbers per heat you increase the number of heats which makes for a longer race day.

Why surely it's some basic maths to calculate numbers in each race based on entries and time available?

[Robby]

Originally Posted by rallymaddaz

Why surely it's some basic maths to calculate numbers in each race based on entries and time available?

Why surely it's a matter of "what's not broken doesn't need fixing."

[funkygrump81]

Originally Posted by Jlc57

Unfortunately changing the numbers in the finals can have an impact for people in the championships as happened for a couple of people on Friday.

Wat is ment is reducing numbers in final means only limited points can be scored on a normal week young callam would of been in the A final so could of improved on his final points tally but because or the reduced numbers in finals ment he was pole in the B final and therefore limited too his final points score which means he has no chance of improving his points for tht round it needs too be kept consistant 9 or 10 cars for finals throughout the championship too make it fair

On another note why didnt we run 5 mins with such few numbers like we normally do ??

[Lee1972]

Originally Posted by rallymaddaz

Not sure what you mean - surely it made it better?

Gary,
I think what Janice is trying to say is that by reducing the number of drivers per final you limit the maximum number of the points that drivers can collect take for example the current situation I can do thirteen laps and qualify for the B final another driver may do fourteen and qualify for the A; if in the final I do fourteen laps and the driver in the A only manages 12 they would still accumulate more points than me so by reducing the number of drivers per final you're reducing the amount of points they can win. I proposed at the AGM for a separate 2wd A final as I think this will make the 2wd championship fairer however it was dismissed by the majority; ironically who were Mardave and 4wd drivers.

[Lee1972]

Originally Posted by funkygrump81

Wat is ment is reducing numbers in final means only limited points can be scored on a normal week young callam would of been in the A final so could of improved on his final points tally but because or the reduced numbers in finals ment he was pole in the B final and therefore limited too his final points score which means he has no chance of improving his points for tht round it needs too be kept consistant 9 or 10 cars for finals throughout the championship too make it fair

On another note why didnt we run 5 mins with such few numbers like we normally do ??

Good point Wayne about the 5 minute heats / final, seemed strange being home so early, had to speak to her indoors for a while

[rallymaddaz]

Not sure still what impact the running less cars had other than a positive one - yes Callum couldn't do any better than win the b final but that's the same for anyone In the b final regardless of car numbers, and with there being fewer cars in the A Final I still think Callum will have maximum point as top 2wd?

As to what's not broke doesn't need fixing comment - fine if that's what you want - I personally found it much better on a small track (which is what ribble has) to have fewer cars in each race (just an observation)

Five mins would have been great!

[MattK]

I think the important thing is consistency, if u have 9 in each heat this should be the same for the finals. The whole point of qualifying in the way we do is to get the best final position u can. There is always someone who just misses the a final, that's the way it is. The track was very busy and difficult with so many cars but it's the same for everyone.
I was surprised we didnt have an extra heat, but I guess the computer is probably setup for the busier week's.
It would be nice to have an extra roll of carpet for a bigger track but I dont know the situation with finances, storage availability, the additional track markers etc...
Still loving racing there, brilliant club (although not enough yokomo cars in my opinion )

[singin pete]

Just a few points from Friday night.

I should have made 4 heats of buggies which would of given us 4 finals, the computer can do whatever we ask it to do. This was a mistake on my part.
If I had kept to 3 finals no one would have lost points, but once again I tried to please everyone.

Learning point for me is just run as many heats as we can fit in.

5 mins is also possible.

If most of the racers want to I can ask Eric to not count the points from Friday and have it as a fun night.

Not sure what you mean about finishing early. We were still in the hall packing away 15 mins after we should have been out. A big thank you to all the lads that stayed behind to help.

Peter

[rallymaddaz]

Originally Posted by singin pete

Just a few points from Friday night.

I should have made 4 heats of buggies which would of given us 4 finals, the computer can do whatever we ask it to do. This was a mistake on my part.
If I had kept to 3 finals no one would have lost points, but once again I tried to please everyone.

Learning point for me is just run as many heats as we can fit in.

5 mins is also possible.

If most of the racers want to I can ask Eric to not count the points from Friday and have it as a fun night.

Not sure what you mean about finishing early. We were still in the hall packing away 15 mins after we should have been out. A big thank you to all the lads that stayed behind to help.

Peter

Thanks Pete

I think the critism was and still is unjustified you, Eric and the team do an excellent job. I've learnt you just can't please everyone and, I for one think you did the right thing on Friday and anyone who asks for it to be classified just a fun night needs to take a step back and realise after all these are just toy cars. If they want to behave in that ultra competitive environment which is highly pressured then please do give me a shout ( they can be my runner at Oulton Park in November) and fully understand pressure and competitive natures where it matters.

[MattK]

I meant no criticism of the club or anyone who runs it.
Great club well ran.
Great environment.
Although heats should be consistent with finals in my opinion, but am always happy to go with the majority aslong as we are racing.

[singin pete]

Lads you should never stop giving criticism or comments as this is the only way we as a club can evolve. As long as you have the best interest of the club to heart, which I think you have.

Working late next week so things will get back to normality with Eric and Janice.

Peter

[Staxman]

Good evening everyone

I have only just picked up on the thread
I don't think there should be any criticism aimed at anyone
It was a quiet night last Friday and as a result there were only 3 heats for the buggies
This meant that there were some of us that were placed in what would normally be classed as incorrect heat. As a by product some of us were held up and slowed up by, how do I say this tactfully, less experienced drivers.
It was my suggestion to run the extra final as I thought that everyone would enjoy having a bit more space in the final and if im honest I think it ran well.
I think in future if we have a low turnout again (which I am guessing is likely as it is the summer now) if we only run 3 heats again, we should run 4 rounds instead of 3 and a final.
My aim is just to give drivers more track time.
Ideally I think we should be running a minimum of 4 heats. But this is just my opinion.
I don't want to step on anyone's toes and all we can do is voice our ideas
Pete...I think you did a good job last Friday (as always)...and I think we should just chalk it off to experience and learn from it.

Chris.....

[singin pete]

Cheers Chris

By the time we put the track up, have 5 mins pratice each class and a briefing the first race is 7.30 at best but closer to 7.45.

We pay for the hall until 10.30 and get away with locking up at 11PM.

This gives us at best 180 mins.

You have to build in 90 secs between each heat and closer to 5 mins between each final.

10 mins to sort the finals out, and a bit for any unforeseen problems

We have tried 4, 5, and 6 mins heats/finals. 2 and 3 rounds plus one final.

Remember it all depends on numbers through the door, split in Mardave/Buggy and how quick the track is put down.

Please have a look at the figures and see if we have missed something.

Peter

[rallymaddaz]

Peter,

I think your bang on with that - it might be an idea to do a few calcs which will help at the beginning of the night to see if you can limit numbers in heats and finals or run five mins or run a extra round - these calcs could then be adopted with the next track layout for the next championship together with the authority to make changes to a track layout on safety grounds, and to implement penalties for not helping with setting up, packing up, un sportsman like behaviour, eating / dreaming whilst marshalling. That prerogative should sit with you and or Eric and it should be noted that your decisions are final and made with the best of intensions of everyone - after all you and Eric and the team are volunteers without which persons like us would have nowhere to race.

Darren.

[Andy-j.smith6]

Mis-post

[ericd2477]

Just to back up what Peter has said, we have looked at numbers and time till we are blue in the face. I even have a little excel file with the various options depending on numbers on the night. If anyone wants to have a look at the different options we have by all means come up to race control and I will let you have a look. I would also like to say that when we do run late most people shoot out of the hall and leave the usual few to pack away the track. The hardest thing to do when putting the track away is unfortunately the last one - rolling the carpet up and lifting it onto the truck.