24 hour recap- What worked, what didn't, comments?

[prancingdawg]

Hit it ya'll...

[inertiaticism]

This was, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the best run events I've been to. Wait times weren't long, the grid system worked well.

The only hitch being the lack of workers for the later shifts, but the period between 4:00am and 6:30 was the most fun I've had in a long time.
One run after another, I didn't even have enough time between them to take my helmet off.
The course was effing awesome, myself (the guy in the open wheeled 240sx) and my freind in GS 325 had a tremendous amount of fun.
The only problems I had were related to my class/number, and that's because I preregistered for GS, and had to change it the morning of at registration to EM.
The only other problem I had was not breaking into the 31's and my tires being really crappy, but that's my problem.

One more thing, my friend said that he wished there had been a novice course walk, but we may have just missed it.

[Sisko99]

Only hitch that I really saw was the helmet thing later Saturday night. I know it's not really a glamourous job...but given the fact that the loner helmets were vanishing into the ether, the lack of a helmet person became a much more glaring deficiency.

On a slightly more personal note: The two guys that didn't show up for their work assignments in the 4-6pm block sorta pissed me off. AutoX can't work if people don't show up for their assignments.

Other than that though I didn't see any issues. I had so much fun and, as I said in another thread, can't wait to do it again.

[smetzger]

Worked well.
Improvements over last years event.
- Timing clock was clearer and thus easy to read.
- Anouncements could be heard everywhere
- nice clean bathrooms and a water fountain with cold water
- hot dogs on site ( I don't think we had anything last year)
- griding was more organized

[silonius]

Great event!

Grid worked incredibly well. People not showing up for work assignments is always a downer but even more so at events like this.

Big thanks to Continental for letting us use their lot and restrooms!

I worked station 3 from 2 am-4 am and I didn't have a radio, so I didn't know of officials runs to call cones in on, which was frustrating but bearable. So I guess radio shortage to sum up.

[prancingdawg]

RAdio shortage always am suck. No communication. Keep the batteries charged too. For twenty four hours there needsta be backups and lots...

[xeric13x]

yea hot dogs on site and hamburgers and a 2 coolers and an knock off ez up and the grill...thanx to all the ppl in my group who contributed to our "party"

everything seemed to run very smooth at this event and thanx for warning us about the guards w/ uzi's

[damnyankee]

radioflieger said:

yea hot dogs on site and hamburgers and a 2 coolers and an knock off ez up and the grill...thanx to all the ppl in my group who contributed to our "party"

everything seemed to run very smooth at this event and thanx for warning us about the guards w/ uzi's

It does not pay to venture in unauthorized zones!!

[xeric13x]

yea totally, i really dont think any1 would have wondered in where they are not supposed to b anyway

[Sisko99]

Did anyone actually see a Uzi-toting guard? You'd have thought that with the number of people walking around...that SOMEONE would have seen one.

Or are these those Bigfoot/Loch Ness/Space Alien style Uzi-Toting guards? You only get a glimpse of them....or a blurry photograph?

[damnyankee]

sisko99 said:

Did anyone actually see a Uzi-toting guard? You'd have thought that with the number of people walking around...that SOMEONE would have seen one.

Or are these those Bigfoot/Loch Ness/Space Alien style Uzi-Toting guards? You only get a glimpse of them....or a blurry photograph?

Stealth and intimidation young jedi......

[prancingdawg]

They were there. You are watched over

[Sisko99]

So...do we all have Continental Tire Security Files now? Or did all that stuff go straight into our FBI files?

[xeric13x]

sisko99 said:

So...do we all have Continental Tire Security Files now? Or did all that stuff go straight into our FBI files?

only the ppl that didnt have continental tires

[prancingdawg]

and those who used the urinal on the left...

[prancingdawg]

GEt back on topic, children...

[damnyankee]

radioflieger said:

sisko99 said:

So...do we all have Continental Tire Security Files now? Or did all that stuff go straight into our FBI files?

only the ppl that didnt have continental tires

Those ppl are on "double secret probation"

[Sisko99]

And here I thought my Dad was the only one who used that particular term.....

[damnyankee]

I'm probbly your dad's age!! (it was a quote from Animal House)


Back to the subject.....

I heard one "late" worker state that he heard the announcement that the next work group should get ready to report. But there was never another announcement to report, until they started calling his name out.

[drbiggly]

Honestly, I think it all worked other thank folks not showing up for work assignments. Big thanks to Colin who sat in at least a few times on Timing: Your help was definitely appreciated and this repeated working did not go unnoticed by any means.

-Turnout seemed a bit lower than I expected.
-Course was an appropriate length without safety issues.
-Crossover times were quick, making for more runs (this got longer later with no radios)
-Radio batteries died and we didn't have the chargers.
-Switching to FRS radios is still a bad idea (I agree with Steven on this); it's just an imperative
to remember to have the chargers on-site for the 24hr and got overlooked. It happens, we dealt with it, and folks still had a great time regardless.

The only two issues were folks not showing up for work assignments and the lack of chargers for the radios. The former being somewhat typical at the 24hr, although it seemed worse this year than I remember in the past by just a little. The latter being one of those things that just didn't get remembered and only made for some inconvenience and was far from disastrous.

9/10, honestly.

I had quite a bit of fun and hope the rest of you folks did as well!

-Biggly

[phillip]

This was my first ever autox, and it was effin' amazing! Massive sunburn and sleep deprevation aside, I had an absolute blast. I thought the event was extremely well organized and executed. The course was impressive; I really liked it. Grid was smooth.

Only a few problems I can think of: on Saturday night there was no one working the loaner helmets station for a good 3-4 hours, which led to a complete absence of loaner helmets. I had to pull my car over to the side out of line and ask every car that drove past "hey, is that your helmet?" ;D I remember myself and another fellow in a blue 350Z having to do this several times. The other was, of course, the lack of workers showing up as the event got closer to ending. I picked up the last shift 10-noon because of Steve Rankin's fierce intimidation

"The 24hr autox is about to become a 22hr and 15 minutes autox if I don't get 3 more workers!"

Other than that, no problems. I'm so glad I finally made it to an autox, and also that I met so many of you fine people! Now I'm addicted, to autox that is...can't wait for NTI. Isn't that what's next?

Edit: I forgot...my trophy says "CCR SCCA 2005" ;D

[justinhomi]

First of all I had a lot of fun... I got soo many runs. However:

I did not like the venue nearly as much as Dixie. At Dixie it is much easier to go hide somewhere and take a nap. It is also superior for spectactors. And lighting... oh my! I couldn't see a thing at Continental! It was as good of a place that you could find in Charlotte though... having indoor bathrooms is nice

The radios were a big problem. I think a lot of people got away with cones and DNF's.

That said, it was a blast... can't wait for next year

[volksman]

This was my first 24 hr event and I was very impresse with how well the grid worked. I thought the lighting was a little low, but I only have sunglasses to wear as my clear ones got sat on

As for not having a radio out at station three during the 2-4am sift, I was in the van with a pile of radios during that shift. they must have died during the three hours I was at the hotel. We did get one out there for the shift after that. I became junior work stewart at 4am when all the bodies showed up to work and didn't know where to go. ;D I just made sure we had someone at every course station, a starter and a scorer. I wrote down the names of those who worked, on the clipboard. Ran out of people after that. Then I made four runs and fell into a heap in my truck for two hours.

I had so much fun! I thought the course was the best one yet, only the lighting was so-so. Helping with worker assignments was fun, I like that. Thanks to all who helped and sacrificed runs to work extra shifts.
Greg

[drum3]

Awesome event,Well run and organized.
My only problem was at the end of the 2-4pm shift.I radioed in to the trailer at 3:50 that we should start calling the next worker shift up and got some mumbled reply about not being time or something.Then it was 4:03 before the call went out.Suzanne was finally replaced at 4:10 I didnt get relieved until 4:20. We had showed up 5 minutes early for our shift so I spent 2 hrs and 25 minutes out there,Thats a long shift.It was really upsetting that whoever was in the trailer just ignored my request to call in new workers,knowing it will usually take them 10-15 minutes to check in.
Other than that and My crappy tires on the MIata it was an awesome event.

[DeVoe41]

I was upset too about the loaner helmets. I worked the first shift for the helmets, me and another guy had the system down. Later on when it got dark, noone was there, noone was even telling you when to enter the caged area. i didn't see to many corner workers there either. This was the 10pm-12am shift. Also when i worked the helmets the few that got out of their cars to get helmets held up the lines but it was alright.

Course was great, I still need to get or auto-x time in and better tires.

Eric and the rest of the group I had a BLAst!

[justinhomi]

drum3 said:

I radioed in to the trailer at 3:50 that we should start calling the next worker shift up and got some mumbled reply about not being time or something.

Yeah, same thing happened to us. The problem was that the guy with the radio had his watch set 8 minutes slow. I'm not sure anyone ever told him.

[ROADBOY]

YES THIS POST IS LONG BUT PLEASE READ

Another problem with the delay of people not being called for work assignments was the fact that in the late hours there was only one person in the van doing timing.

Also, the PA system was about 30 ft away from the van. So, there was no way for the person in the van to make the call for workers.

The only way this would have been done is if someone had volunteered to grab the mic and make the call. The shortage of workers also caused this problem.

People not showing up for there work assignments is TOTALLY UNCALLED FOR!!! For those who didn't show, you made it more difficult for everyone else at the event.

Basically the people who did work, worked for the people who didn't. Those who did not work had no right to enter into the event and should have stayed home!!!

One thing that would help for the future is for the worker steward, the one that gives assignments at the beginning of the event, to MAKE SURE people signing up can and will do their work assignment. If they DON'T work they DON'T run.

We should keep better track of people working. This is the responsibility of the worker steward, its what you signed up for. I am not saying you did bad at this event, people not showing up is not your fault. Simply make sure people know that they must work and why. If they don't work we will shoot them.

By keeping better track of people we can make a list of those that don't work. We'll need their names. At future events we can have this list at registration and if they show to another event, we penalize them. Charge them double or something like that. I say we beat them senseless!!! People will not be allowed to get over on the system that makes autocross work, you will not get over on me or others that do their part to do it right for everyone!!!!!!!!

Yes this is a very opinionated post, but if you don't like it i don't care. I believe most people here will agree with what i have said. And believe it or not I have left out much of what i could have and wanted to say.

Also, THANKS to all the honest hard working volunteers that made this event great, with the shortage of workers.

[drbiggly]

I think this is the first time that I can remember workers not checking in on time and not showing up in general to be a problem, so this is really pretty new territory and we do not have a policy in place as of yet.

I know other clubs have done things such as:
-Hold offending party's results from event in question
-Work double on the next event for the offender before they can even run
-First offense: Work double. Second: Permanent banning.

I read a massive thread on another board about what clubs in other regions did; I'll have to see if I can dig up some more interesting ways of dealing with work offenders.

-Biggly

[justinhomi]

Here's what THSCC does:

"Any participant who does not work will receive a DNW (Did Not Work) instead of times in the results, will not receive THSCC (and, if applicable, NCAC) points for the event, and will be required to work prior to running at the next THSCC event attended. Multiple offense will result in the competitor being banned from future THSCC events. "

I think that's pretty good, plus working double, and some sort of public humiliation . However, missing work at the 24hr event should mean working TRIPLE at the next event, since the work assignments are longer and more grueling.

[sm24tegdad]

Congratulations to CCR, Steven, and all that arranged the event! Catherine and I had a great time, had lots of seat time, and enjoyed meeting so many nice folks. Rob set up an excellent course for this event, flowing, but with spots that rewarded patience, and only moderate length for lots of runs.

The above discussion points (radios, workers, etc) are important in planning for next year, but don't lose sight of the big picture; it was a great event! Will hope to be able to join in next year.

Chuck