Autocross Improvement Idea Thread

[nitroc5]

saabstory said:

#2 would be handled by following the solo rule book which specifies the correct size of numbers and letters. #1 would first require an announcer! I have a very hard time getting folks to agree to be announcers - we may need to add it to the volunteer thread, but then you don't know what group they will run in.

I think the announcer would be a great gig...I would like to see someone with a personality though that had a good sense of humor kinda cracking some funny comments (this would obviously leave me out...but hey Mom always said I have the face for Radio) ;D

[nitroc5]

crash477 said:

I too agree on the number and lettering size, which is clearly laid out by the SCCA rule book. I cant tell you how many times I have had to ask someone what class and number someones car is when I run timming.. There are these 2 guys in Corvettes that use round magnetics, i believe they are SS 78 and.... I cant remember, but it looks like their letters are about 2" tall. lol

Those Damn Corvette guys screwing up stuff again hugh?! BTW: If you can get a "Magnetic" numbers to stick to the side of a Fiberglass car....well I gotta see that ;D

[lagunamiata]

I know that some other clubs have a stack of numbers made up on paper. Those that don't have numbers get them, use painters tape and put them on the car.

What about doing that for the ones that haven't bought numbers?

On a similar note, that would be great for some vendor... Have a magnetic panel. Have vinyl numbers and letters already made. Someone that needs numbers can buy them at the event, the vendor can stick the number and class letters on the magnetic panels and done... Or use static-cling numbers that would work on the panel or just on the car... for those plastic cars.

[crash477]

lagunamiata said:

I know that some other clubs have a stack of numbers made up on paper. Those that don't have numbers get them, use painters tape and put them on the car.

What about doing that for the ones that haven't bought numbers?

On a similar note, that would be great for some vendor... Have a magnetic panel. Have vinyl numbers and letters already made. Someone that needs numbers can buy them at the event, the vendor can stick the number and class letters on the magnetic panels and done... Or use static-cling numbers that would work on the panel or just on the car... for those plastic cars.

Great idea Rich!

[autoxdad]

nitroc5 said:

crash477 said:

I too agree on the number and lettering size, which is clearly laid out by the SCCA rule book. I cant tell you how many times I have had to ask someone what class and number someones car is when I run timming.. There are these 2 guys in Corvettes that use round magnetics, i believe they are SS 78 and.... I cant remember, but it looks like their letters are about 2" tall. lol

Those Damn Corvette guys screwing up stuff again hugh?! BTW: If you can get a "Magnetic" numbers to stick to the side of a Fiberglass car....well I gotta see that ;D

Maybe we can issue them permanent numbers and have Rich paint them on

[lagunamiata]

autoxxdad said:

nitroc5 said:

Those Damn Corvette guys screwing up stuff again hugh?! BTW: If you can get a "Magnetic" numbers to stick to the side of a Fiberglass car....well I gotta see that ;D

Maybe we can issue them permanent numbers and have Rich paint them on

I've got several cans of spray paint in the garage... We can try out graffiti numbers on the 'Vettes!!

[fluid1]

lagunamiata said:

autoxxdad said:

Maybe we can issue them permanent numbers and have Rich paint them on

I've got several cans of spray paint in the garage... We can try out graffiti numbers on the 'Vettes!!

Got any 'construction worker orange' ?? ;D

[lagunamiata]

fluid1 said:

lagunamiata said:

I've got several cans of spray paint in the garage... We can try out graffiti numbers on the 'Vettes!!

Got any 'construction worker orange' ?? ;D

Don't think so... but the wife has some pink spray paint...

[jmiklas]

nitroc5 said:

crash477 said:

I too agree on the number and lettering size, which is clearly laid out by the SCCA rule book. I cant tell you how many times I have had to ask someone what class and number someones car is when I run timming.. There are these 2 guys in Corvettes that use round magnetics, i believe they are SS 78 and.... I cant remember, but it looks like their letters are about 2" tall. lol

Those Damn Corvette guys screwing up stuff again hugh?! BTW: If you can get a "Magnetic" numbers to stick to the side of a Fiberglass car....well I gotta see that ;D

Yeah those guys are pains.

Watch the language...

[prancingdawg]

Aw, I think the corvette drivers are a great bunch, especially when they're in a group. And individually, they are very friendly folk as well, in my experience.

[prancingdawg]

I just realized that last post does nothing to dispel the notion that they're dicks-


I did hear somewhere that the male corvette drivers have real leetle ones though...






*Ducks and runs*

[prancingdawg]

we seem to have strayed a bit from the topic. Whoda thunk it?

[nitroc5]

prancingdawg said:

I just realized that last post does nothing to dispel the notion that they're dicks-

I did hear somewhere that the male corvette drivers have real leetle ones though...

*Ducks and runs*

I agree they are all jerks...with little packages that have to compensate...

I mean their cars are loud, get bad gas mileage...another crappy American product... they can't drive...I mean they are always spinning there tires at the start and when they accerelate...definately elitist SNOBS and they seem to take trophies at the smaller SCCA venues....Don't they know that these courses are not designed for them...I with they would all just move on now!!

NOTE: the above is called SARCASM ;D

[dono540i]

sorry, but I took my circular number and recycled it because I thought it was difficult to read as well. I simply cut out my compliant size numbers then spraypainted over that static material with white paint. Instant static numbers that work.

[prancingdawg]

nitroc you slay me!

[whitebr40]

I have a suggestion for future auto cross events concerning timing issues. At Knights Stadium the 1st group had all kinds of timing issues resulting in re-runs and delays that required reduced runs for the remaining groups. To test the lights they sent a car around the track. The only issue with that is if the timing was wrong then that person now gets a re-run and another look at the track. In stead why not just radio to the people closest to the lights and ask them to trip the start line then the finish line. If it’s the standard you are looking for based off other cars then wait that period of time to trip the finish line. Of course this only works if it’s an issue with the time being incorrect from start to finish and not the association of the time to the car in the computer. It may not speed the resolution up but would be more fair to the drivers across the grid.

Thanks

[damnyankee]

whitebr40 said:

I have a suggestion for future auto cross events concerning timing issues. At Knights Stadium the 1st group had all kinds of timing issues resulting in re-runs and delays that required reduced runs for the remaining groups. To test the lights they sent a car around the track. The only issue with that is if the timing was wrong then that person now gets a re-run and another look at the track. In stead why not just radio to the people closest to the lights and ask them to trip the start line then the finish line. If it’s the standard you are looking for based off other cars then wait that period of time to trip the finish line. Of course this only works if it’s an issue with the time being incorrect from start to finish and not the association of the time to the car in the computer. It may not speed the resolution up but would be more fair to the drivers across the grid.

Thanks

Good point, and I agree.

[jbyrd]

whitebr40 said:

I have a suggestion for future auto cross events concerning timing issues. At Knights Stadium the 1st group had all kinds of timing issues resulting in re-runs and delays that required reduced runs for the remaining groups. To test the lights they sent a car around the track. The only issue with that is if the timing was wrong then that person now gets a re-run and another look at the track. In stead why not just radio to the people closest to the lights and ask them to trip the start line then the finish line. If it’s the standard you are looking for based off other cars then wait that period of time to trip the finish line. Of course this only works if it’s an issue with the time being incorrect from start to finish and not the association of the time to the car in the computer. It may not speed the resolution up but would be more fair to the drivers across the grid.

Thanks

FYI - that is the way it was done, and the way it has always been done. When real cars were sent on runs to test....the system was failing.

[damnyankee]

Looks like I picked the right event to miss!! ;D

I heard that 2 cars also took out the timing boxes!! YIKES!!!
(maybe they should have done the drive through)

[soloracer]

First, let me say this is not my original idea. If and when the timing system does not work, we should step back and rely on "old" technology. Stopwatches worked for years. Maybe we should put into effect a system for this. Two stopwatches run by "uninvolved" parties. average the times.
make rules to govern this as official.
Then all times could be accepted as official.
Just a thought.

[soloracer]

Oh, and to keep this on topic, Corvette drivers are O.K. with me. Was that the original thread ? I forget. (especially Hippie chick 'Vette drivers.)

[W. Dean Furr]

From this Sunday's event:

- Do we have a backup plan for timing? The folks in the van kept their heads, found the problem, and fixed it. But what if the problem had NOT been fixable? What's our backup? Do we still have the old timer? If we had to use stopwatches, do we have the forms and know-how to time and score? (When the computer crashes, it's a little too late to print an entry list.) At Divisional level and above, the organizers are required to have a backup system. We're drawing more entrants now than Divisionals did a few years ago.

- Post an entry list early in the day. We didn't even know how many drivers were in our class until all the runs were over.

- Thanks for posting the results between groups 2 and 3. The time display does a great job of providing immediate feedback on our runs. But it's hard to keep track of times for the other drivers in class.

Overall, it was a very good event, even with the timer problem.

[autoxdad]

wdfurr said:

From this Sunday's event:

- Do we have a backup plan for timing? The folks in the van kept their heads, found the problem, and fixed it. But what if the problem had NOT been fixable? What's our backup? Do we still have the old timer? If we had to use stopwatches, do we have the forms and know-how to time and score? (When the computer crashes, it's a little too late to print an entry list.) At Divisional level and above, the organizers are required to have a backup system. We're drawing more entrants now than Divisionals did a few years ago.

- Post an entry list early in the day. We didn't even know how many drivers were in our class until all the runs were over.

- Thanks for posting the results between groups 2 and 3. The time display does a great job of providing immediate feedback on our runs. But it's hard to keep track of times for the other drivers in class.

Overall, it was a very good event, even with the timer problem.

Very good ideas! I will see about back up timing and will get a list of classes printed before the events starts. Thanks Dave

[pistonwheels]

We used to have backup timing lights. Of course, they would now be >8 years old. Don't know about backup timing system, but as archaic as it may seem, as Stopwatch will suffice.

Regarding the class and numbers on the car. It's really simple to fix this. A car does not pass Tech if it does not have suitable numbers. Tech approval should NOT be presumed to be automatic.

Note also that Timing has the right to not allow a car to run if its numbers do not meet the requirements.

If these two groups enforced rules, the problem would get resolved. There may be some annoyed entrants, but that's what you have to go through.

If a car that has an annual tech has bad numbers, rescind the Annual Tech sticker.

Regards,
Martin B.
CCR R.E.

[almtrdb2]

Maybe for another improvement we could turn up the volume on the speakers or get more speakers. If you were not directly in front of a speaker or on the driver's side of the van, you could barely hear what was being said. I think the only time the commentator was heard clearly (for me atleast) was during the first group of the test and tune.

[lagunamiata]

pistonwheels said:

Regarding the class and numbers on the car. It's really simple to fix this. A car does not pass Tech if it does not have suitable numbers. Tech approval should NOT be presumed to be automatic.

Note also that Timing has the right to not allow a car to run if its numbers do not meet the requirements.

If these two groups enforced rules, the problem would get resolved. There may be some annoyed entrants, but that's what you have to go through.

If a car that has an annual tech has bad numbers, rescind the Annual Tech sticker.

Regards,
Martin B.
CCR R.E.

Many people don't bring their numbers to tech with their cars. Why? Beats me... I personally don't want to have to send someone back to get the numbers when I have 20 cars in line and only one other person working tech.

We should look at having paper numbers rather than using window markers.

I didn't give annual techs to anyone that didn't have real numbers. I can't speak for the other tech guys, but that's the way its supposed to be.

[mattwrx]

Oh... if we start using an air horn to signal worker changes... shouldn't we have a short pause in the running cars. It would make the signal stand out more effectively and well... I'd hate to be the one on course having my concentration broken by the horn. ;D

[pistonwheels]

lagunamiata said:

Many people don't bring their numbers to tech with their cars. Why? Beats me... I personally don't want to have to send someone back to get the numbers when I have 20 cars in line and only one other person working tech.

We should look at having paper numbers rather than using window markers.

You should send people back to get their numbers on their cars - and send them to back of the line.

Whether people want to use paper numbers or shoe polish is up to the entrant. But if they're not Solo correct, they don't run.

A car that is brought to Tech should be (must be) ready to compete. That includes class and number identification.

Annual tech saves them some of that aggravation.

It's the same as when someone brings their car to tech and hasn't changed the wheels/tires, they are still in the back of the car....

Tech has to enforce standards. If that means long lines in Tech then maybe more people will volunteer to work it.

If people have to work Tech and do a course worker session as well, so be it.

I will be promoting and requiring stricter standards....

Martin B.
CCR R.E.

[VpointVick]

It was said last year, and I said it in my other thread, A thermal printer like SCR uses would alleviate a ton of confusion.

[volksman]

Martin nailed it on the numbers, they should already be on the car in tech and the tech guys need to make sure they are legible. At my first event the tech guy wouldn't give me the blue dot until it was numbered properly. Let's do that again.

If we sold numbers at registration, that might help. I'll volunteer to buy some and cut them out before the next event if that would help.

Would it help if the stations had air horns for stopping the course? Sometimes drivers get tunnel vision out there and don't see the flag. Last years second NTI meet had a close call when someone didn't see the flags and almost went into the guy who had spun farther down course. Anyone remember that one?

Lastly, has there ever been any interest in making it best 7 out of 9 or something like that as far as events and points go? Not everyone can make it to all events and it would be a shame for someone to loose a championship because of a family situation or other unforseen complication. Other regions (SCR, others) run it like that. I don't think it would hurt our number of drivers at events.

Is there any chance that we could get the clubs scales at one of our events? Some classes have a weight specified, some people might just be curious about balance. We are part of the club, right?
I by no means want to do it to enforce weight, as most people have no access to scales before the event and wouldn't have any way to confirm legality. I'd never protest on that. Personally, I think my car is under, unless it's weighed with me in it. Thoughts?

BTW, 'vettes are alright. I mean, most childrens toys are made of plastic, right? ;D