gangstacoupe

iTrader: (25)

At least with heads up it takes a little longer before I get to lap traffic. Also another thing I can't stand is lining the starting grid up nose to tail. I would prefer it be staggered.

Wild Cherry

cross

10% ?


WoW....

Just hoping I gave a better understanding why most tracks use IFMAR & heads ups starts at our racing events...

Teufel Racing

iTrader: (30)

Qualifying? What is it and what is it for? Is it a shorter version of a "race" that will happen later? Is there a difference between Heads up racing and heads up starting? Rolling starts vs. standing srats?


You don't like running against a clock? Funny to me that you say that. Any type of competition that is timed, involves running against a clock. Maybe not solely, but I can assure you it always involves a clock. Otherwise why would anyone care or keep track of times. In racing it's not about who's the slowest, it's always about who's the fastest. That means time, clocks. Doesn't matter if you're run a MX main that's set at 30 minutes plus 2 or 500 laps on an Oval. The end result is to finish in the fastest time that you can and hopefully faster than all the other racers on the track in the process.

Yeilding to faster racers will always happen at some point no matter the qualing , racing, or starting. If they are that much faster than you are, at some point yeilding to them will happen. Either because you already know you're not on their pace or because you're told or flagged to do so. It's part of racing, of any type.

Getting a new racer to learn how to race hard and clean doesn't just come from one place or one thing in racing. Time, lots of time spent learning how to do that. Some will catch on quickly and some won't. In full scale it's not normal for a total new racer to start off in the highest level or class of racing. Most don't have the skill set to do so, the mental and physical conditioning, the bankroll to have the best of the best equip with the fastest motor they can get their hands on, or be alowed to do so by the governing body that oversees that form of racing. Full scale has a fairly set way of getting to the highest levels of racing.

RC racing is different in that, if you wish to go out and get the best equip. you can get. Show up to the track and decide to jump in with the Pro classes or the fastest classes being run that day, there's not much stopping a total new racer from doing so. Some will try to suggest not doing that, but ther's no real stopping a new racer from doing so. That is unless they are trying to show up at a major race event such as the Worlds and just jump in. So the learning curve is pretty steep for the new racer. Can they learn? Sure. Will it always be easy? Probably not. Yet just as in full scale, some will pick it up quickly and some won't. There's always something to learn in racing. Sometimes it's what to do, and other times it's what not to do.

That is why I said that both starting system types have a place and should be used. There's a vlaue to them, just not always easy to see it.

Chocula

iTrader: (5)

What about a hybrid of IFMAR and heads up where those who want to race heads up go on the tone , the rest are staggered out IFMAR style? The computer is already setup for IFMAR so your clock starts when you cross the line and should not care if you are "out of order".

You would not even need to decide how you wanted to go more than a few seconds before the start. Have those wanting to go on the tone grid up and have the rest hang back a few feet. Once any first turn pileups are cleared, call off the remaining drivers one at a time. No restarts because of a pileup as this was each drivers choice . If nobody goes on the tone or just one, you end up with a regular IFMAR start.

This seems like the best of both worlds to me. Are there any drawbacks that I am missing? Has this been tried anywhere, and if so, what were the results?

-Chocula

dominick i.

iTrader: (123)

heads up starts are great practice for something called a main.

If we want some new faces to be interested in rc racing, heads up racing is great for spectators and race announcers. every heat is a race, the way it should be. And I still feel that the race day goes quicker with that system.

ifmar starts are for "larger" events.