New form of racing

[mw02veg]

plz take a look and give your opinion. This debate has come up due to one of the tracks in our region race this style at their club events.


http://www.lapsracing.co.uk/

[Barry Williams]

This seems very much like the Reedy Race system that used to be used for one off big events. i remember going to Aire valley to watch one where every race position counted towards your end qualifying position. I think they are a good idea but doubt they would catch on as the way we race now at Nationals & Regionals is second to none.
Would be good for a one off event though (but dont know where it would fit in during the busy summer months)

Barry

[bigred5765]

thanks but no thanks, its bias towards lucky runs, cant see it taking off at all, if something anit broke dont try to fix it,

[MK999]

Yourself is probably both the best matched and most exciting, for close racing, opponent you'll ever get, improving your own lap times I always found one of the best things about racing.

[TRF_Tastic]

As I have voiced on other forums, I do not like this format. The format that we have is as Barry says works very well and is without equal.

I cannot see this format working for large meetings. And also in this format your track time is cut as it is typical to race 6 3 min races and not 6 5 min races.

[Rob Fitzgerald]

Leigh

I don't think this type of racing was ever intended for very large meetings.

Also where do you get 6 x 5 minutes races in offroad ?

[bigred5765]

but rob look at this scenario
Matty my son has 5 lucky races and wins em all and ends up with the likes of Neil cragg bradders etc top f1 drivers, he will get lapped and bounced all over and ruin his day, instead of racing against drivers of his own skill level which the traditional system does this way of racing promotes lucky wins, and false results, sorry i cant see it ever being popular

[PaulRotheram]

nice site.. but i dont suppose you asked jimmy for use of his pictures, and you've not credited him either.. and you posted the site on his forum.. hmmm..

[TRF_Tastic]

Typicaly Coastal is 6 x 5 min races and before you say "but they race to the same format" they dont. It is run to the Reedy format which is different, it just happens to be over 10 laps or 5 mins which ever happens sooner.

Even regionals are 5 x 5 mins, still more track time, than the laps format.

[bigred5765]

Originally Posted by Rob Fitzgerald

Leigh

I don't think this type of racing was ever intended for very large meetings.

Also where do you get 6 x 5 minutes races in offroad ?

hmm
2 rounds of practise 4 qualifing and a final thats 7 5min runs
2 practise 4 qualifing runs a 3 amains thats 9 5min runs
every week
every meeting

[mikey1988]

In my opinion there is nothing wrong with the current format.
Why change something that has work so well previously!!!!!

[Rob Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by PaulRotheram

nice site.. but i dont suppose you asked jimmy for use of his pictures, and you've not credited him either.. and you posted the site on his forum.. hmmm..

Actually I did ask Jimmy for his permission - I would never be so rude as not to ask

Thanks for the attack though - needed that

AND it wasn't me who posted the link either - it was posted unknown to me.

[PaulRotheram]

for that particular site..... i'm aware of the other site.
did you see me mention your name.. anywhere?

[Rob Fitzgerald]

I would hope that Jimmy will talk to me about it if he feels I have acted incorrectly.

[DCM]

I think a club got to run what it's members want. My local club, on a club day, you race, thats it, you race your heat. Champs days, it is strict format of qualifying and finals.

[jcb]

Having raced both formats I can see the advantages and disadvantages of both types of racing / qualifying. Laps racing does work well at club level and is easy to follow for spectators too. Though mixing the abilities up in the heats is not my idea of fun

Personally I think the best compromise is what is run by a Kellers Model Car Club in Norwich. Everyone is in graded heats as per the current 5 minute system, and they still race over 5 minutes. The difference is that each qualifying run is done on a staggered grid, with everyone going on the tone. In the first round car 1 starts on pole, car 2 second and so on. For the following rounds the grid is based on where you finished in the previous race / qualifying heat. This saves the bundle start into the first bend, but I can see that this would cause problems with mixing the heats up as there would be no easy way to decide who starts on pole.
The finals are then worked out in the same way as the current 5 minute system. The advantage of this system is that the newcomers can have a proper race everytime they hit the track, while the better guys / gals can either have a race or treat it more as a normal qualifying run and wait for the finals to have there on track battle.

The arguement from how I see it is more based on whether the heats should be mixed up and qualifying scrapped

In my view it doesn't matter whether you race over laps or a set time as the person that completes it first will still win

[TRF_Tastic]

Jon the problem comes when I get 5 relatively easy draws and you get 5 harder draws or have some bad luck, that magic run that you do will count for nothing (would on the old system of FTQ put you on pole for the A final) as I will have had 5 better runs than you, thus beating you on the points system, great for me, "look I beat an F1", not so great for you "how the hell did he beat me!!"

The current system is fair and lets you race the guys that you are closest too, this lap system is pants. If I was you I wouldnt like my runs spoiled by begineers or lower paced drivers who have tunnel vision and crash into you when you try and pass or hold you up!!!

[bigred5765]

great post totally agree
i think i would rather my son race against people of his own ability's,and be able to judge his racing on them and his true position,not some luck of the draw,number generator

[LBC]

Hi all.

I've never suggested we should throw out the existing 5 minute format, only that there is an alternative.
If any club wishes to adopt this system then there is no reason why they shouldn't run to 5 minutes a race, as indeed they do at Coastal.
There is no hard and fast rule to say it has to be 6 laps (3 and a half mins.approx). It would be for each club to decide how they want to do it.
All the arguments regarding, cooking cells, not having enough time, etc., as has been put forward elsewhere, is irrelevant- it works, otherwise we wouldn't be doing it!
From having read the responses so far, it seems most are in favour of knowing the outcome before the meeting starts!

[LBC]

Originally Posted by bigred5765

but rob look at this scenario
Matty my son has 5 lucky races and wins em all and ends up with the likes of Neil cragg bradders etc top f1 drivers, he will get lapped and bounced all over and ruin his day, instead of racing against drivers of his own skill level which the traditional system does this way of racing promotes lucky wins, and false results, sorry i cant see it ever being popular

Hi Barry.
If your son Matty wins all his heats I don't think you could call that luck!

As Jonathan has rightly said, no matter what format you race to, by and large, the best will prevail.
I do, however, believe that the Laps system gives a better chance to the less abled driver; and, as I've said elsewhere, predictability breeds boredom and drivers become disheartened and pack-up!