8 replies to this topic

[Brian Ghidinelli]

This question is for San Francisco Region racers or those who have raced with us in the past two seasons.

Last year we experimented with a two-day double event where we hold one practice, one qual and two races in a two-day format. This year we are trying it a couple of additional times. The upsides are less overall time at the track which translates to lower costs in track rental and support costs. It also means one fewer day away from work and one fewer night in a hotel for the racers. The downside is reduced track time but the cost is adjusted to try and balance it out.

When we have two races and a single qualifying session, we have a few options for how to set the grid for the second race. Please choose the one that you prefer.

Pros/cons to each:

* Using the grid from the single qual means everything rides on that session. If you have a bad run, get stuck in the kitty litter, or the session is red flagged, that's where you start for both races. You might luck out and be on pole or you might be DFL.

* Using the finishing order from the first race means if you do well, you are stoked! If you spin and lose a bunch of spots, you are less stoked. Does it encourage more or less aggressive behavior in the closing laps knowing that your finishing position will set you on the grid for the next race? Finishing position is not all about outright speed though, it can be won or lost with racecraft. Not finishing the race would put you at the back.

* Using the fast lap from the first race is more like "qualifying" in that it judges outright speed. If you complete even a single lap, you have a time on the books that counts towards your starting position in the next race. It can be skewed by drafting where the P2 car is faster than the P1 car which doesn't mirror their outright speed, but it should be close. Trying to set the fastest possible lap in the race is not always in line with good race strategy, and if you were in an epic battle for the whole race, you might not have a good hot lap relative to other cars.

Oh, decisions! Vote away! Suggest alternatives if I have left something out.

[Charlie Hayes]

I voted for first race's fast lap sets grid for race 2. All the ways are fine by me but I like that the most.

[pat slattery]

My vote would be neither. Lets qualify for each race.

[Nick Buchanan]

I vote to use the fast lap from the first race. Rarely do you go an entire race without getting at least one pretty good lap and if you have an incident (spin, contact, mechanical, etc) in the first race you still get a second race with a starting position close to where you should be. If we did it based on finish position of first race, anything that happens in the first race will put a front runner in the back pack; not my first choice.
I'm fine with any of the three, but like the fast lap of first race as qualifying the most.

[Juan Pineda]

Brian, Thanks to you and the board for acting on our suggestions!

I prefer 3 -- fast lap from first race. This gives some possibility to recover a reasonable starting position for the second race in case of adversity in the single qual or first race. Looks like this is the popular choice so far: 13 to 2.

-Juan

[Kyle Burkhardt]

Brian, Thanks to you and the board for acting on our suggestions!

I prefer 3 -- fast lap from first race. This gives some possibility to recover a reasonable starting position for the second race in case of adversity in the single qual or first race. Looks like this is the popular choice so far: 13 to 2.

-Juan

We've always used fast lap and it works well.

[Ron Alan]

I see on the schedule for the upcoming 2 day weekend at TH, that unlike Laguna there will be qualifying for both races...I assume this is because of no group 3. Guys running 5 & 7 are going to have to hope for none or very short impounds as time will be tight!!

3rd option seems to be the most equitable given things that can happen as already mentioned

[dp35]

Where's the option of qualifying as usual, but then having the grid randomnly shuffled as we leave the pre-grid? (Sorry Brian, couldn't resist)

[Brian Ghidinelli]

Where's the option of qualifying as usual, but then having the grid randomnly shuffled as we leave the pre-grid? (Sorry Brian, couldn't resist)

I believe that method is more popular in the midwest.

When I ran a little bit of BMW CCA club racing, we used to run Australian pursuit races where you take the qualifying or first race times, and then perform a calculation to send out the last car first and fastest car last at intervals such that all cars should cross the finish line at the exact same time (if they all ran that same lap time perfectly each lap). It was a lot of fun, but don't know if that's something folks would want to try around here in a bonus race!