How Does Your Club Deal with Offs?

[Shaynus 27]

G'day Everyone

 

We were discussing a few things at the local track that I race at and it was asked if we should consider what to do / how to handle "offs" (de-slots)

Because of the shape of the track we use "call buttons" When a car comes off the driver presses a "call" button (one at each driver's station) and that creates a yellow flag situation where the computer (uses Race Co-ordinator) cuts power to all lanes and the offending car is put back on. Then the computer counts down to a green flag (race restart / resume)

At the moment there are segment lines around the track, so when the car is put back on track it is put back 3 segment lines. We also run a four & out policy where the number of crashes each driver has per heat is recorded. After 4 offs the car is removed from the track and that driver comes 4th and looses some points. This means the marshals need to call out when lane colour it was that came off, and it also needs someone to recorded the tally for that heat

We were wondering what systems other clubs around the place use to manage their offs?

 

Cheers,

Shayne

[dangermouse 95]

We use a system where the driver yells at the marshal who is talking to someone else or on his phone and that is about it. 

No limit on the number of offs we occasionally use track calls if there is a major off in a hard to reach place or if someone takes out most of the field.

We are pretty casual about it all.

 

DM

[SlotsNZ 115]

Our club generally tries to marshal "live" and there is really only one track of our normal rotation of 5, where these are two possible de-slot positions that cannot be reached easily to avoid others crashing into the first de-slot.

I have always felt that the problem with using the track call buttons as a routine procedure, is that ALL the drivers in that heat cop some amount of penalty from the stop and restart - around 2 -3 seconds lost from the stop, to being fully back in the flow of the heat.
That would be fine if you only had those drivers rotating, but in our case we may have up to 15 drivers in the rotation race. So one guy de-sloting, would alter the competitive position of every driver unlucky enough to be in his heat.
So we don't have drivers initiating track-call, it is "space bar" yelled out by the marshal struggling to reach a car

..... well that's the theory anyway.
Reality is about half way between that theory, and what danger mouse wrote above.....

 

[ZeGas 65]

I have thought about this before, personally I do not like call buttons, as per Mark's comment, as it does not give advantage to those that do not deslot.

Also if you are small club or home racing with friends there is generally not enough marshalls so live firing is not an option either.

One thing I have been meaning to look at is if Race Co-ordinator can reduce voltage on track call rather than cut it off.

Almost like a real yellow flag where the voltage is reduced to say 30% and the offender has to put there own car on. Button on button off scenario.

Has anyone tried it or know if it is available, would look myself but everything is in storage atm.

[Shaynus 27]

Thanks for the input guys. What you say about the other drivers also being penalised is why we brought in the "go back 3 lines" ( off the top of my head it probably works out to be around a 900mm set back) rule so the offending car does have added consequences. We have only just recently brought it in and it seems to be working well

[SlotsNZ 115]

25 minutes ago, Shaynus said:

Thanks for the input guys. What you say about the other drivers also being penalised is why we brought in the "go back 3 lines" ( off the top of my head it probably works out to be around a 900mm set back) rule so the offending car does have added consequences. We have only just recently brought it in and it seems to be working well

That doesn't help

It might penalise the driver who deslotted against the other 3 guys/5 guys in his heat, but the problem with any off is that all the OTHER drivers in the same heat as the guy who deslotted, are also penalised by having to stop then start again after a track call.

The innocet drivers are therefore being penalised against all drivers who were not in that heat.

Like I said before

"is that ALL the drivers in that heat cop some amount of penalty from the stop and restart - around 2 -3 seconds lost from the stop, to being fully back in the flow of the heat."" 

[Shaynus 27]

Ah ha, now I'm with you. And I agree, that it can be disruptive to your lap / race rhythm