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Re: grid procedures

To: Richard Urschel <osp13@mybluelight.com>
Subject: Re: grid procedures
From: "John J. Stimson-III" <john@harlie.idsfa.net>
Date: Sun, 5 Oct 2003 14:39:25 -0700
> I'd had good success with this running order:
> 
> 1st drivers
> single drivers
> 2nd drivers
> karts

Assuming that there are not enough single driver cars to split them
into two lines, that is how I think it should be done.  Ordinarily,
there will be one 2-driver line and more than one single-driver line,
and there may not be any karts.  An efficient run order in that case
is:

1st drivers
single driver line A
2nd drivers
single driver line B
(karts)

If there are enough karts that the first kart can line back up before
the last kart is off the course, you can give the karts back to back
runs.  That would reduce the total time spent waiting for cars to
leave the course before starting the karts and vice versa.

One other very important point: it is much less stressful on the
drivers and easy on the grid chief if only one line is active at a
time.  Pick a line, run through all the cars in that line, and then
move to the next line.  That way, all the drivers who aren't in the
active line have time to adjust their settings, change numbers, water
their tires, and visit the porta-potties.  If you alternate lines, or
worst of all, pick one car from the front of each line in turn, every
driver on the grid has to be there ready to move their car 10 feet
forward every minute or two.  It makes for a very hectic and
disorganized grid, and it takes longer to drivers to get ready for
their next runs.

Since Rich referred to Supplemental Rule #32, here it is:

Multi-Entrant Run Sequence: All entrants will take their Nth run
before any entrant takes his/her Nth+1 run. All cars shall return to
their same line between runs, unless the grid marshal directs them to
do otherwise. 

This means that both drivers of a 2-driver car have to have finished
their 1st runs before the single driver cars can take their 2nd runs.
It also means that it's tecnically not allowed for the first driver to
take 3 runs and then the second driver take 3 runs.  It does allow a
driver of a 2-driver car to take two runs in a row if they do it in
the proper order:

Driver A takes first run
Driver B takes first run
rest of drivers take first runs
Driver B takes second run
Driver A takes second run
rest of drivers take second runs
Driver A takes third run
Driver B takes third run
rest of drivers take third runs

This requires fewer driver switches than alternating every run, and is
legal according to the rules.  If you have a car in which it's a pain
to switch drivers (adjust the seat, adjust the harnesses, climb in and
out Cirque-du-Soleil style) then I recommend following the above run
order.  It only requires three driver changes instead of five.

-- 

john@idsfa.net                                              John Stimson
http://www.idsfa.net/~john/                              HMC Physics '94





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