Racing methods

[yngwie_70]

Hi guys. Our club has been racing using 3 minute heats, power cuts off at the end of the 3 minutes. Our tracks are divided into tenths so where the car stopped is added to Race Coordinator and the next heat begins. The only problem is the recording of partial laps takes time. I see where some clubs race using lap limits rather than time limits. Just wondering how those of you using this method score the race? By time taken?

Cheers

John

[cgingras]

We do sprint races. 10 laps, crash'n'burn. 1st place gets 4 points, 2nd place gets 3 points, etc. An off means zero on the scorecard. We always do IROC racing, 8 classes per night. Sprint races are fun because we have a lot of close racing and if you don't like a particular class, it's over in 15-20 minutes.

[Florida_Slotter]

yngwie_70,

We run 3 minute heats at our club much like your club does.

At the end of the 3 minutes, then the car is transferred to the next assigned lane at the same location on the track.

Since you use "sections" as a tenth of the track, all you need to do is move a car from the lane it just ran on to the lane it is going to run on in close to the same location as it stopped on the previous lane.

Using this method, you do not have to enter anything into the computer. Makes life much easier for the race director.

Give it a try, I think you will start using it.

[yngwie_70]

Thanks Christian and FS. FS, the only thing is we like the starts with cars altogether at the start line.

[RichD]

If you want to run each heat like it was a separate race you probably should record the stopping positions in tenths of a section. At the end of a heat you might see 23.53 laps instead of just 23.5 laps. Those fractions of a section can make a difference. When we do lane rotations if a person rotates out when he has not finished all of his heats we park the car where it stopped or mark the spot if there is not enough space to do that.

[Dangermouse]

We run 20 lap races, winner is the racer with the best time over 80/100 laps

Works fine I have also raced using your style, only problem I have wit lap races is some guys get a few laps behind and then they are left driving by themselves for a few laps

Cheers
David

[DAVE]

Not sure what type of timing system you use, but most systems don't require recording section
locations between heats when running timed heats. The only time you should need to record
sections is after the last heat, and only if there is a tie. Of course, this is not the way real races
are run. They run a specific number of laps and the first car over the finish line wins. But they
don't run lane rotations, so they don't have the same problem slot racers have. I guess I would
start the cars at the start line each heat, and record the laps plus the number of sections, plus
the inches past the section line. Either the timing system will have to be set up to cut the power
when the first car completes the prescribed number of laps, or a race director will have to do
the same. The cars are rotated to the next lane and returned to the start line. The process
repeats until all the lanes have been run, then you do the math;

Assuming 10 lap heats, 10 sections, and 12 inch section lengths

Finish position for: Car 1 Car 2 Car 3 Car 4

Heat number 1 10 laps 9 laps, 8 sections, 3 inches 9 laps, 6 sections, 6 inches 8 laps, 8 sections, 4 inches

Heat number 2 9 laps, 7 sections, 3 inches 9 laps, 6 sections, 10 inches 10 laps 9 laps, 4 sections, 5 inches

Heat number 3 9 laps, 10 sections, 1 inch 10 laps 9 laps, 4 sections, 11 inches 9 laps, 7 sections, 3 inches

Heat number 4 10 laps 8 laps, 9 sections, 4 inches 9 laps, 8 sections, 6 inches 10 laps

Total laps 39 laps, 7 sections, 4 inches 38 laps, 4 sections, 5 inches 38 laps, 9 sections, 11 inches 38 laps

Finish position First Third Second Fourth

This is complicated, since the only way to get 40 laps, which should be the lap total for first place, would be to win every heat. But the
win does go to the guy with the most laps. Kinda emphasizes why slot racers run timed heats, rather than lap limits.