BRCA Mid South 2wd regional at DMS this Sunday (May 20th)

[Darren Boyle]

BRCA Mid South 2wd Regional - round 2
DMS Model Car Club - Watford - Sunday 20th May

Venue
Our venue for this coming sunday is our usual place - Parmiters Sports Centre, Thomas Parmiter School, High Elms Lane, Watford, Herts, WD25 0JU

Please be aware that the postcode is for the school, the entrance for the Sports Centre is approx 50 yards before this further down the lane.

Times
The Sports Centre will open at 8am (please dont arrive earlier since you will NOT get in and you will only upset the local residents), and since there are no tents/ez ups/gazebos to erect, a nice lay in bed for you all!!! We are "hoping" to run some open practice in slots of 4 minute sessions (then 10 people off, 10 more on etc) followed by 1 round of timed practice in heats also, the schedule on the day will determine this though.

Cost and Booking In
The cost to race for those who are pre-booked is £10, limited booking in on the day may be available at the cost of £15. The open classes (2wd buggies, Trucks/SC's and Micros - if enough interest) are all £5 to race pre-booked - £10 on the day. All booking in is on the DMS Results website here - www.dmsresults.co.uk there is still a few days left this week to get booked in.

Facilities and Track
The track is an indoor track consisting of 80% carpet and 20% slippery floor, various man made jumps, bumps and obstacles included

Pitting space will be tighter than previous years due to the higher numbers (please bring your own table and chair) but we have run indoor meetings in that hall for 150 racers before with over 100 pitting in the hall, it "can" be done but poeple HAVE to be sensible when setting up their tables etc, please do NOT be offended if I or any of our team come up and ask you to move up or closer to others in the morning if you are taking up more space than is really required, we will be looking to direct people when you arrive in the morning. Limited 240V power outlets (please bring your own extension leads) Any 12 volt batteries, in a leak proof contianer please..

This year we have arranged with "Chubbys" (the caterer at the Stotfold national and Area 51 meetings) to come all the way down and provide us all with hot and cold food and drinks, they will be on site and ready to go from 8am, please support them well to justify the long journey they are making to come and support this meeting. As a result, we will not be allowing any "hot" food purchased from elsewhere to be consumed within the hall, if you choose to go to MacD's or similiar (not sure why you would) then please eat it while you are there also.

Most popular tires are Schumacher Yellow Minipins front and rear, although Mini Spikes can work and Staggers are used by several 2wd's on the front. No restriction on tyres except for no foams or additive.

Our full DMS trackside spares shop will be present for all your needs, if there is anything you need in particular, then please call or email by close of busines friday and we will bring it along for you.

As per BRCA rules, all LIPO batteries being charged MUST be inside a recognised LIPO sack (or similiar), anyone found not using one will be asked to leave (you have been warned)...

PT's must be used (no handout transponders will be available on the day)

Trophies will be awarded for overall TQ and first place in all 2wd finals (BRCA regional class) - there are no trophies for the open classes

Limited spaces still available to pre-book for those who not yet entered.........

Booking In and Club Website - www.dmsresults.co.uk

[mikeyscott]

Cool. Looking forward to it

Just need to rebuild 2wd car from last regional!

[hazeandfizz]

Could we not run the 2 rounds of practice as per nationals and 1st regional?

James.

[RudeTony]

Originally Posted by hazeandfizz

Could we not run the 2 rounds of practice as per nationals and 1st regional?

James.

James, you must still be on the champagne.
One practice is open 4 minutes and one is timed mate....

Well done to you guys at the weekend - hope no serious injuries after that freak fire

[chuckie stella]

Originally Posted by RudeTony

James, you must still be on the champagne.
One practice is open 4 minutes and one is timed mate....

Well done to you guys at the weekend - hope no serious injuries after that freak fire

I know what he's saying Tone as some come off the rostrum and join the queue again! It's a bit random for me in a very tight schedule already?

[freddie]

I think in heat order is fair for everyone like matt said !!

[hazeandfizz]

Tony,

The way it reads is not heat order for both practice session, just think it makes sense to have them both in heat order rather than all queuing to get a spot on the rostrum.

Sober now but only just! One of the lads still in hospital with burns, all others home safe and sound.

James.

[Darren Boyle]

The very simple reason it is as it is because we will still be booking in people and creating the heats during the first half of practice and I will not have an accurate heat list ready for practice, so ratehr then people standing around I came up with the idea to give "controlled" sessions of open untimed practise, as soon as the heat list is then done for the day, it will be posted on the wall and then the one round of "timed" practice will begin.

Unlike a national, some people will still be booking in on the day (and also at regionals you get FAR more no shows than you do at a nationla) and therefore it is much harder to prodcue the heat list ready for practise heat one (as most clubs will testify).

The only reason we are limiting the first stint of practice at all is to stop people running for around 15 mintues on one LIPO, it will be a case of 10 (maybe 11) people on at a time, 4 minutes on track (timed) then off/next 10 or 11 on and so on. If they wish to get straight on the back of the queue that is fine, but every one will rotate that way and not be forced to wait for ages and ages to get a spot whilst some run for an eterntity at a time with open practice.

In my opinion it was a better solution than to simply have "open practise", it will result in more track time for most (with 11 at a time and quicker turnaround) plus we will still get the benefit of an "organised" round of timed heat practise too to boot, best of both worlds (I hope).......

That is the plan, lets see if it works out that way..........

[Darren Boyle]

Originally Posted by hazeandfizz

Could we not run the 2 rounds of practice as per nationals and 1st regional?

James.

Reason I chose not to do that was that some people commented that the start time at TORCH was getting a little bit late, this method will save a little on that without the timing (split laps etc) and change over of drivers/marshals etc on the first stint

At Stotfold 4wd, we only got the one practice round, and some said that was not enough, so for me, this solution is a happy medium between the two......

If it dont work then we know for next time I guess.........

[Darren Boyle]

Originally Posted by chuckie stella

I know what he's saying Tone as some come off the rostrum and join the queue again! It's a bit random for me in a very tight schedule already?

They will, but they will be at the back and the ones who would have been waiting for their LIPO to finish will get up and have a go much sooner.

Schedule wont be "too" tight I dont think..... 10 maybe 11 heats at the moment, a start time similair to the nationals, with one or two less heats (5 to 10 less races in the day to get through - thats between 35 mins to 1hr 10mins we will save over a national).

It will take less time to give everyone a go in "untimed" practise than it will in the timed session....

But we will see come the morning based on numbers etc.

[Dudders]

The track being 'open' while booking in is perfect for this kind of meeting.

Booking in and creating heats with such a big entry including no shows, turn ups and extra classes is no mean feat, maybe even worse when under pressure with time constraints.

All you need is the PC running and automatically chucking people off after x amount of laps or a committee member of the host club manually timing groups of 10 from the rostrum, this is the route we'll be going at Surrey and Hants.

Then when booking in is done, the heat list can go up and within a few minutes, the heat order practice can begin.

If you did'nt do that, you'd have drivers stood around for maybe an hour or so, so it's a great way of using time.

Hope all goes well

[chuckie stella]

Originally Posted by Darren Boyle

The very simple reason it is as it is because we will still be booking in people and creating the heats during the first half of practice and I will not have an accurate heat list ready for practice, so ratehr then people standing around I came up with the idea to give "controlled" sessions of open untimed practise, as soon as the heat list is then done for the day, it will be posted on the wall and then the one round of "timed" practice will begin.

Unlike a national, some people will still be booking in on the day (and also at regionals you get FAR more no shows than you do at a nationla) and therefore it is much harder to prodcue the heat list ready for practise heat one (as most clubs will testify).

The only reason we are limiting the first stint of practice at all is to stop people running for around 15 mintues on one LIPO, it will be a case of 10 (maybe 11) people on at a time, 4 minutes on track (timed) then off/next 10 or 11 on and so on. If they wish to get straight on the back of the queue that is fine, but every one will rotate that way and not be forced to wait for ages and ages to get a spot whilst some run for an eterntity at a time with open practice.

In my opinion it was a better solution than to simply have "open practise", it will result in more track time for most (with 11 at a time and quicker turnaround) plus we will still get the benefit of an "organised" round of timed heat practise too to boot, best of both worlds (I hope).......

That is the plan, lets see if it works out that way..........

Fair point made. Just close booking now and get prepared properly

[RudeTony]

Now I don't often disagree with Darren but I don't think its fair for someone to be able to hook up for a 2nd or even 3rd practice in your open round 1 practice session.
May I suggest that whoever from the club is timing the first open practice session also simply ticks off names of the list you have, whether they are in heat order or not.
Simples!!!
Catch yah all Sunday...

[DaSloth]

Personally i think it will be fine as Darren described. I don't see there being a problem getting more practice than others really, we all have the choice go back and queue for more, but the main thing is the time being limited i think.

[Darren Boyle]

Matt - wish we could close it off now, but it is open until Friday night, on the day is still an option for some too and also the dreaded "cant be bothered to let you know in advance no-show" to contend with also

Tony - the whole idea of doing that way IS so people can have more pracitse if they want. The indoor carpet surface is the most "different" we will run on this summer and to give as much set up and practise time as we can possibly give to all. Some will run 2 maybe 3 times, others will be more than happy to run just the once.

Ian -spot on mate, just did not want the "15+ mintue LIPO runs" and thought this was a good way to combat it by limiting the runs to 4 minutes....

[RudeTony]

Sorry Gents.
I am sure Matt and I assumed you didn't want to have drivers going up for a 2nd practice and hence my comment.
If that is the case I will que over and over and over and over and over and over ............only messing around....see yah then subject to my car being on the road after blowing up - LOL

[Darren Boyle]

Originally Posted by RudeTony

Sorry Gents.
I am sure Matt and I assumed you didn't want to have drivers going up for a 2nd practice and hence my comment.
If that is the case I will que over and over and over and over and over and over ............only messing around....see yah then subject to my car being on the road after blowing up - LOL

As long as we experience no queue jumping/saving spots in the queue for mates etc etc, then I am all cool with it, if we DO see this sort of thing happening, I will just personally move them to the back of the queue myself (along with the person who saved them the spot as well ).

At a guess i would imagine there will always be 10/20 racers ready to go up, so even getting on the back of the queue each time you will only get on every 2nd or 3rd slot etc, IF people really want to do that that is fine with me, but bare in mind if you ALL do it, then the queue will be a long one..... LOL

As I have said, lets give it a go and see if it works (I am sure it will) if so then great, if not, well then we wont be doing that again.... simples

Just to add if we end up with 10 heats, timed practice will be 5 mins, if we have 11 heats it will be 4 minutes and if we have 12 heats then it will be 3 mins to fit in the schedule.

[Swiss]

As we decided to run 'timed' practice for the first time, at the Mid South regional meeting this year. I think we all new this was going to be a bit a trial and error season. I think its good that we have all tried slightly differant formats, and hopefully the more favoured option will be settled upon for next season.

Paul

[Darren Boyle]

Just to add to our little idea for the "open" practice session at the start of sunday.

We are going to issue each driver with a raffle ticket when you book in (please book in BEFORE you go up to practice), then when you go up for your first open practice session, just hand the ticket in to the club member who is running the practice session at that time as you go up onto the rostrom, preferance in the queue WILL be given to those with a ticket still in their hand (to ensure everyone gets up and has a go and that the front of the queue is not full of people who have already been on the track).

To clarify, anyone with a ticket in the queue as a new session goes up will go up first, those without a ticket (ie they have used it already on their first go) will give way to those only going up for the first time, once all the tickets have been used up (ie everyone has had one go) then it will just be in the order of the queue for the rest of the session.

Booking in will open as soon as we arrive and first practice will begin within 15 minutes of us being in the hall.

I hope that step will prevent those from being greedy denying anyone a chance to have a go at all, that way everyone will get their fair share of free track practice in the allotted space/time we have before the round of controlled practice begins for all....

[jlucas]

Hi

Will anyone have lmr wings for sale on sunday?

Cheers

James