FTD or round by round

[ian h]

Is ftd qualifying the norm for indoor racing on carpet. Our club runs round by round. Should this really be used only to compensate for changing conditions outdoor?

[Dave Treacy]

yep, FTD is usually used when the conditions are stable...so ideal for indoors

[dale]

FTD is normal for stable conditions, I've never been to a RBR meeting on carpet.

I guess if the grip came up such that only the last round of qualifying was competitive then RBR would be useful, but most carpet tracks seem to be fairly stable from round 2 onwards.

[RogerM]

I've known a few indoor tracks change radically with temperature etc through the day, especially if big doors are opened a lot.

This year at the BWOC there was a load of shock oil dropped on the track which certainly made a significant change in lap times!

[c0sie]

I prefer RBR now for indoor offroad as it keeps qualifying exciting.

When I used to race TC's it got to a stage where a single crash would mean that I wouldnt improve and therefore qualifying became a little kamakazi..

Since we've introduced RBR to the Micro Nats qualifying has become so much more tidy and gentlemanly with everyone aware that consistancy is key.

Just my 2c.

[markwilliamson2001]

Also remember that "every round counts" in RBR...as Cris says, people seem aware of this, and drive better, since they can jump up places with a clean drive. Also if the track changes/temp/shock oil, the round still counts for 'something'.

Definitely the way forward IMO.

HTH
Mark

[dale]

I think at national/regional level RBR certainly has some merits, and does encourage consistent driving. And in mixed weather conditions it's a no-brainer.

But I like to use club level to test car setup changes, experiment with gearing and so on. RBR discourages any kind of experimentation as you know every round counts, so you have to stick to a known good setup. As someone who enjoys the car setup as much as the racing, RBR makes things a little boring for regular club racing.

[Dudders]

RBR also makes it a bit more agressive as you are actually racing cars, where as FTD you only do this (in reality) in the finals.