What we need for the off-road track...

[bedsrcmcc]

As you know we are planning on running off-road next year behind the Village Hall in Bromham and to get things started there is a list of things we need. Some will be easy to obtain, others we can borrow for the short term with a view of purchasing once the funds are available.

I've listed below some of the key things we need to consider.

One of the key issues is a rostrum and I think I may have found the solution until a more permanent structure (if that would be possible) can be developed.

http://www.midlandladders.com/products/900_x_600_36in_x_24in_Hop_up-409-95.html

These are very sturdy work platforms which could easily allow 2 persons to stand on them, so if we looked at running 8 car heats we could get 4 of them to use. Standing 600mm off the ground would give you a decent view of a good sized track. There are narrower versions on the market but I thought the larger platform would be more safe. I would be prepared to purchase these for the club to get things going as funds are tight right now...

Here is a list of other things we need to be considering:


Track marking - we just cut a track into the grass, but the grass is cut on a regular basis so we could always use the old track markings that we used for the Bromham Show but we have to find somewhere to store it as will we not have access to the hall on a Sunday
Storage - Russell may have a solution for this with a towable unit, but he currently doesn't have a tow hook on his car
Generator - to provide power for race control. It would appear we have some people who could lend us one until we have enough funds to buy one, again storage will be an issue with this
Extended bridge sensor for wider track - do we use the existing bridge that Paul's made for indoors or do we have another one built so we don't damage the indoor one? We will need to buy approx 2 or 3 more sensors to give us a wider bridge and we also need to look at providing shelter from the sun for the bridge sensors like we had at the show
Bin - seems silly, but we need to ensure we keep the area tidy so a batch of black bin liners would be a good idea to ensure all rubbish is taken away with us.
Computer setup - of course I will bring the laptop, and take the printer with me on a Friday night - do we really need the extra PC screen for outdoors, could we live without that for now?
Display board - somewhere to post race listings and results - does anyone have an old white board that their office is throwing out?


Have I forgotten anything?

[Smartalec]

Hi Scott, 600mm height for the rostrum is nowhere near high enough in my opinion.

The existing bridge is far too narrow as the track should be a minimum of 3metres wide EVERYWHERE. I have no idea what the track markings were for the show so I can't comment as to their suitability but as suggested before, fire hose is the best (but not only) solution. I don't think you can successfully cut a track in the grass and not have any track markings.

Gazebo with a table under it for race control is sufficient and the results can be pinned or stuck to the table.

Can you drive on the grass to pit or do you have to pit in the car park? One of the things to remember is the area is crying out for another off road track so people will be keen to come along and see what it's like.
Most people who race off road have generators, will this cause a problem with neighbours (noise) if 40 people turn up?

Alec

[bedsrcmcc]

Hi Scott, 600mm height for the rostrum is nowhere near high enough in my opinion.

The existing bridge is far too narrow as the track should be a minimum of 3metres wide EVERYWHERE. I have no idea what the track markings were for the show so I can't comment as to their suitability but as suggested before, fire hose is the best (but not only) solution. I don't think you can successfully cut a track in the grass and not have any track markings.

Gazebo with a table under it for race control is sufficient and the results can be pinned or stuck to the table.

Can you drive on the grass to pit or do you have to pit in the car park? One of the things to remember is the area is crying out for another off road track so people will be keen to come along and see what it's like.
Most people who race off road have generators, will this cause a problem with neighbours (noise) if 40 people turn up?

Alec

I appreciate your comments about the rostrum - but we really are starting off with small baby steps. The track we run during the Bromham Show was great fun for those who attended and we were only standing on chairs and could see the track perfectly. These stands are higher than a normal chair and would be perfect until we are able to seek permission for something a little larger.

The club does not have a bottomless pocket of money, nor do the members. This is a small club starting from scratch so we are trying to get as much equipment together through hand-me downs and other means :)

Your previous comments about running a regional are flattering, but we have no intention of doing that in 2011. We are going to take it slowly at first.

Cars will be allowed to drive up to the area next to the track, marshalls will direct drivers to the correct place to ensure we keep the field clear for those participating in other activities.

In terms of generators, we will have to be careful about this both in terms of safety and noise levels as there are houses that back onto the field. We may have to limit the number of generators - but we'll see once we are running.

[bedsrcmcc]

Good news, got a display board so that's another thing we can tick off :thumbsup:

[Smartalec]

How many people do you expect to turn up to race normally Scott?

[mattybucks]

Scott,

I mean no disrespect, however I think that it may be beneficial for the club to visit other off road tracks in the area.

Everyone wants a grass track in the area, you are 12 miles from me, but there are a few basics that you need to get right.

Track markers need to be clear, and raised. Fire hose, piping, wood.

Get a container, they are cheap to hire and make excellent rostrums.