Charlie, others:
Some comments.
Sacramento Chapter, with a much smaller worker pool, runs four groups.
Morning two are run/work or work/run, afternoon likewise, so there is nobody
except organizers who must be there all day. EVERY group either works right
before they run or right after. They just know that they have to walk back
in, grid their car, and then have it tech'd. The inter-group delay would
probably make it too long a system to use at SFR.
Avoiding small work groups seems like the main problem that was being
addressed. How to do that? Other than the best-guess sorting of groups in
the schedule, the next step would be to review the group sizes prior to the
morning group, and prior to the afternoon group. Can the new system give
you a total per class? The event chair has always had the authority to move
a group, etc., as long as any change is given at least thirty minutes'
notice, IIRC. This decision would have to be made before that half of the
day was begun.
James, sure it's possible for an experienced hand to manage a flag station
solo. But:
-if it's at a popular conekill spot, you'll be pretty busy. It's an art
to call in a cone while running for it, while speaking clearly, remaining
safe, and keeping the mic oriented to avoid the wind, while not dropping the
flag and keeping up with a 25 second spacing!
-for those not in very good shape this would prove problematic. "Two
cones....puff...red Toyota thingie...wheeze... think it was number 48...".
Meanwhile walking over transmissions from other flag stations.
-hot, very windy, or rainy weather much increases stress issues.
I'd agree that three at a quiet station is plenty/too many. More than three
is almost a hindrance as if they're not busy the conversations tend to get
more involved.
> > Two long delays happened with mechanical failures and getting two
very
> > nice cars off the site without doing any more damage to them. What,
about a
> > half-hour each? That's an hour, which, if they hadn't happened, would
have
> > had the event finishing at 6 instead of 7.
Pat, my fervent hope is that we would try to avoid more damage to ANY car,
not just the GT3's. ;-)
> > I don't know if the new T&S program slowed us down very much, I've
heard
> > "hold that car" just about as frequently at previous events where we
used
> > the cards. Those problems, either with paper of electronic, have to do
> > with
> > the inability to know what number & class the car about to run was going
> > to
> > use. Either way, it drives T&S folks nuts.
I thought that I heard "hold the start" more than I ever have, even given
the size of the run group. And the delays often seemed much longer than the
typical "where's the card for the Corolla?...OK, here it is, go ahead." At
least during run group 4. I couldn't hear anything from 5 as I was working
the gate with no radio.
> > So why did an event with about 265 last at least an hour and a half
> > longer (discounting the two broken cars) than the one with 341?
> > Hey Buehler, got an answer? :)
> > We should look at the cause of that, please. There are so many
> > analytical type folks on this list, I'm sure we'll get a thoughtful
answer.
> > --Pat Kelly
Did the event start late? I know that when I arrived at ~10:45, I was in
line for more than 30 minutes, during about fifteen of which the line moved
/not at all/. This doesn't affect things overall, unless it causes folks to
be Late On Grid. I know the practice event started WAY late due to reg
problems.
Paul T
|