An extraneous chalk line might be a good idea. You could use those drywall
strips to chalk off a little "DO NOT ENTER" zone that is at least the width
of the timing light box, and extends all the way up to the edge of the
course itself. Hopefully this would prevent any course worker from tripping
the lights. It would only take a couple more minutes and a few more inches
of drywall to setup.
In addition to that, a good visual clue that runs across the course might be
a dotted chalk line parallel to the light beam. And, of course, it's dotted
so that it doesn't get confused with a course edge. This would also aid the
course worker in knowing where the timing lights are located, but would also
help the driver know when he can get off the throttle. I've noticed many
rookies staying on the throttle well past the timing lights. I know a
couple people were nervous when a couple cars were sliding sideways and
backwards toward the grid.
Oh yeah, I just wanna mention that I really enjoyed the course design at
Oakland. That long, fast, left-hand sweeper was great, especially the kink.
It took some courage to bomb through that kink without using the brakes
much, but it took lots of time off. The next two turns, left then right,
were all about patience, and keeping the car on the clean stuff. The finish
S's were especially difficult, but very rewarding when you set up for them
correctly.
Corey Smith
'00 Blue Audi S4 #25
-----Original Message-----
From: Carl Merritt [mailto:cmerritt@ati.com]
Sent: Monday, March 13, 2000 3:31 PM
Cc: ba-autox@autox.team.net
Subject: RE: Course design and surface
> Maybe we could tape a crepe paper streamer along the cones that mark
> the light beams? It'd stand out in a scrambling worker's mind a lot
> more than just the cones.
It's those cones that were most often getting whacked, and the resetting of
those cones that caused the most timing trips. I would think paper would
just complicate things. A chalk line however would be nice, as several
times I had to move to one end of the beam to see which side of the beam a
downed cone was before going to pick it up. Would an extraneous chalk line
like that confuse drivers too much?
At the beginning of group 6, when I was working the finish S, I started out
with more than 10 spare cones (I went and collected a big pile from the
timing slip guy). By the end of the run group, I had just one left!
Charlie's point is well taken, with the need to slow the cars down before
the finish because there just isn't proper shutdown room at Oakland. But
something about that finishing S was just brutally difficult for many
people, and I would say it was probably more difficult than necessary to
slow people down (In my humble back-seat-driver
never-designed-a-course-before opinion).
-Carl
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