I have an idea for what could be a sensible change for prestage. We now line
up cars one after the other so someone always has to sit with their outfit to
move it as the line creeps along.
How about we park side by side with a "take a number" system. That way we
could operate on a sequential number system whose status could be regularly
communicated electronically to the meet. There's plenty of real estate at
Bonneville to accommodate that arrangement. (likely not at El Mirage; but I
may be wrong.) Ideally the prestage steward would have a small economical
vehicle to move easily up and down the line to manage the number assignment
and calling system. The steward at the entry of the starting line would
screen numbers as they arrived from prestage so no one would enter before his
turn.
There's no reason why people who missed their call couldn't go within a
reasonable time later.
There's probable several good ways to manage the situation of not even leaving
your car at prestage once you got your number so you could work on it at your
pit, get fuel or in the case of the bikes that ride in the tow vehicle allow
the humans to get away from prestage for whatever reason.
I honestly think we could make this one work. While it wouldn't necessarily
make the meet go any faster it would certainly make the waiting experience
more tolerable for many of us.
Ed Weldon
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