Can you weigh a car and clear it in 20-25 seconds? Or even a minute if you
divided the field into thirds?
My car comes off the course hot and wants to go right back to its grid slot
and cool. It may not start easily -- or at all -- when still hot after being
weighed. And on a P car with no generator/alternator, each additional start
sucks more juice from the battery and leaves me more vulnerable to a
non-start late in the game. I can see that procedure of weighing when we
come off the course as increasing my starts threefold. And doing as many as
two of them per run on a hot car reluctant to start that cranks and cranks
just pulls the battery down all the more.
During my heat, I want to be concentrating on the course, on my drive, on
analyzing what I just did out there to improve it for the next run. I do NOT
want to be distracted by some administrative procedure that could as easily
be accomplished when my runs are done.
I may have some mechanical work to be done. It can be as simple as checking
plugs or tire temps, but I want to do them as soon as I come off course. I
do not want to be using part of that precious time waiting for my turn at
the scales.
Impound parade is kinda part of the nationals experience, but certainly not
a vital one. I really did not miss it. OTOH, one benefit is that it clears
the grid so the cars coming in for the next heat there can get placed. If I
am in Heat 4, I tend to go get ready as soon as Heat 2 is done. Without the
parade to clear the grid, I am likely to show up at my spot and find some
laggard from Heat 2 still there and in my way (saw it happen several times
this year, fortunately not to me).
Gathering us all in Impound also enables that half-hour to scrutinize each
other's cars. It also becomes a very enjoyable period to socialize with our
fellows in the same class (we do this some in grid too, but we are focused
on the competition then). This was notably absent this year (For good
reason! But not good as SOP).
I have always believed, the officials and structure of the event are there
for the benefit of the drivers; the drivers are not there for the benefit of
the officials. While obviously well-intended, IMHO the idea of weighing as
we come off course is not a good one.
That said, I thought one really advantageous idea this year was sending an
impound worker to the grid to do the sticker checks for contingencies, etc.
You had all the cars in order and so easier to check off, and we never knew
it was happening. That, perhaps, should continue. It was not intrusive, and
removes one factor from the business of impound.
Rocky (I missed not gridding behind Grady this year, but at least I led my
class for 40 seconds!)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gill, Doug" <dgill@stcc.cc.tn.us>
To: <jwalter@ptra.com>
Cc: "Team. Net (E-mail)" <autox@autox.team.net>
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2001 11:35 AM
Subject: RE: Nationals (something I liked)
> >-----Original Message-----
> >Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2001 16:44:27 -0500
> >From: James Rogerson <jwalter@ptra.com>
> >Subject: Nationals (something I liked)
> >
> >Impound in grid, right there, right then.
> >
> >Possible problems - weighing all of us P and M cars.
> >Making sure nobody sneaks in gas while they are waiting to weigh, etc.
> >
> >But on the whole, I thought that process was pretty darn good. You
didn't
> >have to pack up, move off somewhere, unpack and then wait for results to
be
>
> >hustled over from a distant timing trailer, etc. Now the stock guys that
> >protest ashtrays and things may think differently. But it just seems
like
> >a good change that came out of the 400 car day.
>
> Thanks.
>
> I didn't know if competitors would miss the "parade" to impound (you know,
> part of the Nationals experience).
>
> We're working on weighing P, M, and SM (don't leave them out - they have
> weight concerns, too) <g> in the grid area. The idea is to weigh as you
exit
> the course before you go back to your grid spot. You should be at race
> weight, you don't have you grid stuff packed in the car, if you weigh with
> driver you don't have to get out (maybe), etc.
>
> Now, I'm really not trying to get a discussion going on the '.net about
> this, but some of our concerns are we'd need scales at each course, plenty
> of room for some of the larger classes with larger cars (yes, I'm talking
> about how much room would be required for CP!) <g>, location in grid to
> weigh safely, etc.
>
> I think Grady has even planted the seed with (at least one that I know of)
> the traditional course designers to work on the room required to do it
> safely with the least amount of concerns.
>
> Doug
> Chief of Impound, Meridian, Ft. Worth, and Peru 2001 National Tours
> Asst. Chief of Impound, 2001 Solo 2 Nationals (Grady's SLDO)
>
> /// autox@autox.team.net mailing list
> ///
> /// To unsubscribe send a plain text message to majordomo@autox.team.net
> /// with nothing in it but
> ///
> /// unsubscribe autox
> ///
> /// or try http://www.team.net/cgi-bin/majorcool
> ///
/// autox@autox.team.net mailing list
///
/// To unsubscribe send a plain text message to majordomo@autox.team.net
/// with nothing in it but
///
/// unsubscribe autox
///
/// or try http://www.team.net/cgi-bin/majorcool
///
|