> -----Original Message-----
> From: TeamZ06@aol.com [mailto:TeamZ06@aol.com]
> I also want to apologize for announcing errors during FM. The
> announcer and
> assistant do not receive much info, particularly with regard to protests,
> etc. All we know is that a car goes out with a number and class
> on it, which
> we look on a T&S sheet to see who it is. If there's a different
> person in
> the car than what is listed on our sheet we have no way of knowing unless
> somebody walks up and tells us otherwise.
Oh, please don't apologize Mark! Allow me to ventilate instead. :-)
As a Timing Captain for the days that FM ran, I can say that much T&S
consternation was caused by the extent to which drivers in that class
switched numbers between the time they registered and the time they ran.
Each of the two days, we were handed several changes to make just prior to
the heat in which FM ran. Unfortunately, this is not as easy as just
jumping into the software and changing a single number since multiple
databases have to be synchronized. As a result, we had to translate these
on the fly. That means that corner worker stations and inside
timing/penalty sheets were in conflict with the computer entries. This
plays havoc with the auditing process and requires yet another step
(exception processing) to deal with. We even had one situation where
co-drivers decided to simply swap numbers. That was a real mess.
And then there were all of the car swaps done because of mechanicals.
Surely, no one can predict these and its nice that folks can find a ride.
But the resulting T&S burden is significant and error-prone. Especially
when Grid fails to notify T&S that this has happened.
And don't even get me started on car numbers. Once again we had two-driver
cars failing to have the correct "1" or empty place. Not to mention the
non-matching colors of said "ones" (is the piece of tape the "1" or is it a
piece of tape covering up the "1"??) This is a problem not just for T&S
itself, but also for the corner workers who don't know which car is which.
Ok, there...now I feel better. ;-) Anybody still reading this far?
BTW, a run taken in an FM car that had previously been DSQ'd from the event.
That is contrary to the rules and was noticed in T&S but its not our place
to police it. Since the competitors did not complain nothing happened.
--Andy
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