Short Course Nationals Race Format

[Dudders]

Stop being an old woman! We'll see you o. The 13rh April

[bomber]

QUOTE Frecklychimp
It's already clear that the top heat qualifiers were not running fairly?!

Enlighten me why was they not running fairly

[Frecklychimp]

read above!

we were not gridded in finishing order, but the order from first round positions!

[bomber]

I thought i read that but thought I had read it wrong, thanks for clearing that up.

How many of you are planning to come down south for round 2?

[Frecklychimp]

Not 100% but 5 or 6 of us for definite, can't speak for everyone as there are a lot of SCT's in our area, will know more after this weekend

[bomber]

Great, looking forward to it

[Robbiejuk]

Originally Posted by Frecklychimp

read above!

we were not gridded in finishing order, but the order from first round positions!

Thats not strictly true. I think we were actually gridded up by the overall positions through qualifying , and not by the previous race results.

I have done some quick sums and this is definatly what was happening. Only reason I noticed it was that if it had been done as Chris said it should have been done then Mr Brook would have been on the front row in round 4 and I would have been on row 2, because in round three he came first, Andy came second and my car cut out on the final lap and I came third.

If I remember correctly, Rc-timing always used to sort out the following round grid by where you are in the overall qualifying standings, I am not sure you can actually change it in it either. In BBK you can choose how it sorts the grid for each round from ftd to previous heat position.

I think this might have been a software error rather than us making up our own grid positions.

Anyways it's water under bridge, hopefully it will be rectified by the round 2

[Dudders]

Yes, in BBK you can choose the grid for Fastest Overall, last heat result etc etc, whatever you want

[Checa]

Can't really see the point of 6 minutes
I think qualifying is qualifying and should be against the clock
It felt like we had 1 qualifier and 5 finals
I would prefer to start on time have 4 qualis and 3 finals and finish at reasonable time cos some of us are not local to any of this years tracks

This was my 1st National for SC and loved it people were friendly definitely going to do some more
Just a shame rain spoiled play at the end of the day

[graveltrap]

All of the qualifiers that i was in had a clean start, I do not remember any contact from the top four anyway!

Once the first corner was out of the way things settled down fairly quickly and that was that, it had no impact on me as far as I can tell, and I improved in every round.

The final start on the other hand was a complete mess I didn't even make the first corner before being hit and put on my lid!

6 minutes of racing is good, we have adopted it at club level since the beginning of the year. Anything that gives me more track time during the day is a good thing!

I do agree that I felt rushed all day, just grabbing a bite to eat from the club house was difficult to time, yet alone rebuilding a car if it had been broken. But with scheduled 7 races in each day for everyone something has to give. If numbers increase there is very little time to play with in the day...

Yes we did pretty much loose an hour due to that heavy shower on Sunday and the meeting's etc, it was right to ask the drivers what they wanted to do.

[1rcdad]

The start system is not fair for rounds 2,3,4,as if not on pole positio you have a handicap as the clock is not staggered ,it was racing not qualifying !!!

[1rcdad]

Even the pole man in rounds 2,3,4,was handicapped. As the clock started they still had to get round to the timing loop, so nobody had a full 6 minute qualifier after round 1.

[ironmangav]

I raced both classes,so if you think you were rushed of your feet with 7 races try 14.
My decision to do this anyway as the more i race the better i get.
Happy with the format and mass starts,makes the heats more interesting plus you have to mass start in the finals so its good practise in the heats to mass start.
Thats the point of the heats isnt it, to iron out any issues with car,starts ect so that when the final comes you are prepared.
Happy with the 6mins and the new format.

[Dudders]

7 heats equates to around 30+ minutes down time when you take out your own race and marshall, which imho is ample time to charge and prep without a break between rounds.

[Frecklychimp]

Quick calcs... 7 heats is 37 mins between races without time getting from pits to track and back...

we had 5 heats on Sunday which gives 21 minutes between races without time between track and pits.

It really doesn't seem that long when you've checked results then need to change something on car, grab some food or go for a pee etc!

I'm glad it wasn't just me that felt we were rushing about all day... and you lot didn't have to negotiate with Brooky Snr grabbing your brand new kourse Kings and threatening to throw them in the field behind us cos i got last pair from shop!

Gav, hat's off to you running 2 cars, especially if doing it without a helper

I don't think the grid start format qualifying will work at slightly narrower more technical 1/10th tracks unless there is plenty of room between grid and timing loop to get settled into positions before your clock starts. it may look fun but its not much fun if you get taken out by the pack or tangled on a crash in front of you when you are racing the clock and not each other in qualifying.

when starting together gridded on a straight even from standing you are not getting 1.5 seconds between trucks you would get with staggered starts.

You get 3 finals gridded for the photo shoots and first corner carnage, staggered starts work and are fair.

[JezT]

Originally Posted by Dudders

7 heats equates to around 30+ minutes down time when you take out your own race and marshall, which imho is ample time to charge and prep without a break between rounds.

I agree. Also I really appreciated the practice at gridded quallies - you normally only get practice at gridded starts 1 or 3 times at a race meeting (ie per week) - I was more calm and feel I learnt how to avoid (or cause) carnage at the start, by the final.

Everything good - bring on the 13th.

[graveltrap]

Question, how would the gridded starts have worked on the dirt track at Coventry were the loop is at the other end of the straight and is not crossed for nearly on a full lap?

Would that first lap have been counted?

[Hpi_guy]

I personally like this format, on another not is anyone else getting the forum full of the poll signs or is it just my phone?

[Robbiejuk]

Originally Posted by graveltrap

Question, how would the gridded starts have worked on the dirt track at Coventry were the loop is at the other end of the straight and is not crossed for nearly on a full lap?

Would that first lap have been counted?

Yes that would have been the first lap. The reason it didn't count us on Sunday would have been because we would have crossed it under the minimum lap time and so it would have been not counted. :-)

[spyro]

Originally Posted by graveltrap

Question, how would the gridded starts have worked on the dirt track at Coventry were the loop is at the other end of the straight and is not crossed for nearly on a full lap?

Would that first lap have been counted?

The laptop is set to either "first lap ignore" if the cars are gridded behind the loop or "first lap count" if the cars are gridded in front of the loop.

If the setting is set incorrectly then as Rob says the cars will hit the loop under the minimum lap time so the lap will not count anyway.

So in the case of the dirt track the first lap would count.