Pit lane pushing and hairpin shoveling, How do clubs cope with the transgressors Options

[JL-F1]

If the racers get tired of stopping for track calls MAYBE they will stop crashing so much

So your pit lane entrance takes them into the pits auto and if they push a button they don't go in the pits? I'm not following how they get a lane change signaled without the led being read due to drift

[Mr Modifier]

With Scalextric SSD the lane changers do not flip back - they stay wherever they were positioned by the last car to pass over. If you drive over it without your lane changer button pressed the lane changer resets to straight ahead. BUT if the last car to pass entered the pits and the next car slides and misses the sensor on so not resetting the lane changer - it enters the pits.

I guess it works this way to save wear and tear on the flipper mechanism.

[injectorman]

Thanks everybody for your input so far.

Hi Minardi, we use marshals, we haven't explored track calls - manual or auto - mainly because there would probably be way too many pauses to the race.

However I am now wondering whether track call would be worth doing. Do people get over the frustration of frequent pauses? Does it teach them to drive within their limits? I guess an instant track call would preserve the scene of the crime!

Nope never get over the frustration. No I don't think it leads to better driving. Like with beginners the more you Marshall them the more they crash. The reward has to be there for better driving.

[injectorman]

double posting.

[JL-F1]

With Scalextric SSD the lane changers do not flip back - they stay wherever they were positioned by the last car to pass over. If you drive over it without your lane changer button pressed the lane changer resets to straight ahead. BUT if the last car to pass entered the pits and the next car slides and misses the sensor on so not resetting the lane changer - it enters the pits.

I guess it works this way to save wear and tear on the flipper mechanism.

Gotcha I had tested cars nose to tail, no issues with front car only changing, but never tested without the rear car led.


So maybe the cars that go in the pits have the led too far back in the car and maybe should move it forward

[Mr Modifier]

Not the case sadly. This happens with standard super resistant Ferraris. I made the mistake of only putting a half straight before the pit entry because of space issues. A full straight would have been better. We are running magnets but the half straight is preceded by a 180 curve followed by an opposite 180 curve so the cars are unsettled on the ragged edge.

[MrFlippant]

Rick, what kind of racing do you guys do? Full active marshaling? Is it your stance that newbies will learn not to crash, even though they are put immediately back on, simply because those who stay on are usually the winners? I'm not arguing against that, just wondering.

[injectorman]

No because everyone is different and theres more than one factor.
I am saying however if track call is used the better drivers have there advantage reduced significantly thus making it less attractive to want to stay on.
With marshalling it depends on numbers
4 guys, 3 racing, one marshalling
5 guys, 3 racing, two marshalling
6 guys, 4 racing two marshalling
7 guys 4 racing, three marshalling
8 guys 5 racing 3 marshalling
9 guys, 5 racing, four marshalling
12 guys, 6 racing 6 marshalling.

Rick

[MrFlippant]

What if there is a significant delay for the track call? E.g., a track call does not stop the other cars until 2 or more seconds after the initiation (auto or manual), so that the cars that stay on make good progress around the track.

[injectorman]

I considered that. But then the cars would crash into the deslotted car or have to wait, because there are no fulltime marshalls. Would be better than nothing I guess.

Rick

[injectorman]

Yet another double posting. Perhaps IP Board could put a fix on this problem?

[Minardi]

Not the case sadly. This happens with standard super resistant Ferraris. I made the mistake of only putting a half straight before the pit entry because of space issues. A full straight would have been better. We are running magnets but the half straight is preceded by a 180 curve followed by an opposite 180 curve so the cars are unsettled on the ragged edge.

I think the only way to prevent this is to add extra sensors in the pit lane track. My pitlane is preceded by at least 2 straights, but even than It sometimes happens with fishtailing magless cars. Since a while I have a double pitlane so the problem has become smaller. Can you show us a picture of your pitlane with entrance ?

About marshall/auto track call; One marshall simply wont work on my track, since It is long and not too wide, he would run from end to end
When we use auto track call, we have a delay of 2 seconds. That helps to get over the frustration of stopping a race, because you win 2 secs over the deslotted car. Running in that car happens, but not often (50% chance It is your lane,very small chance It is right in front of you), and that risk is the same for everybody. Indeed, marshalls would be better, but I consider auto track call a very good alternative. I can tell from experience that using It creates less deslots.

[GlovemanP510]

I do more than race at a club.....I race with my friends.... we race digital because we love it.... we race to have fun..... anyone who deliberately crashed cars in order to win or showed such poor etiquette as to push some one out of the pits deliberately wouldnt be invited back, its that simple really...

ultimately the decision has to be if people are going to leave or not come back as a result of "poor etiquette" then who would you rather race against......

sounds like you are in charge so be in charge......

lay down the rules....

1. anyone who enters the pits must wait to leave until the car in front leaves - if they dont they are DQ'd
2. If a car is desloted by another car they are both returned to the track in the order and postion they were in - this call can be requested by either driver involved in the accident.- if it is called by the driver behind is called an accident - if it is called by the driver in front it is considered a deslot.
3. anyone called for deslotting a car more than once, twice or three times (depends on length of race) in a race is a DQ

As with anything if you make the rules clear and transparent before you start people will live by them and respect them, if they dont chaos ensues as most people will do what ever they can to win and then they arent worth racing against for fun in the first place

When I race I rarely win, I dont spent enough money on my cars to do that, but win lose or draw we all have fun, If there is a collision we usually end up laughing about it because they are infrequent and always accidents...

I really hope you solve your problems because it sounds like at the moment you are not enjoying it much and ultimately if you are not, wouldnt you rather change it so you are...... so you dont become the one who ends up leaving....

Cheers Gloveman