TeamB&B

iTrader: (5)

I acted as a race director for the first time yesterday. The hardest task was getting the racers to come back out and marshal the next race. Out of 7 to 10 racers per class, all we needed was 4 marshals to man the track. Without getting in the personality part of the equation, I would like to come up with a mandatory selection process. This way everyone would know in advance who will be the marshal. The current process of a volunteer force does not seem to be very efficient. Racers tend to look around and hope someone else will volunteer first.

The ROAR rulebook mentions the marshal's responsibilities, but not the selection process.

My thoughts on solving this problem are:

Idea 1:
Have the race computer randomly pick the 4 marshals and rotate them throughout the day. Racers from another group can be picked to fill the minimum vacancies if needed. (This requires software upgrades)

- Racers picked to marshal have the responsibility to find someone very quickly to substitute for them.

Ideal 2:
The four racers at the top in race order will automatically have to marshal next.

- Therefore, the top finishers (fastest) even after a reshuffle will probably end up marshalling all day. Is this a penalty of being fast?

Idea 3:
The four racers at the bottom in racer order will automatically have to marshal next.

- Newbies and slower guys end up marshalling all day. Fast guys get even more advantage by spending more time on their cars.

Idea 4:
The race director will predetermine the marshals ahead of time and highlight the names ahead on the posted schedule.


What are your thoughts and why? Please be objective. Please keep track and racer’s names out of your discussion.

dave

Everyone should marshal after their heat/race, no exceptions unless physically handicapped.

Dave

TeamB&B

iTrader: (5)

I know. But, when 7 to 10 guys finish a racer and you only need 4 to marshall. Which 4 should man the stations. Or should all 7 to 10 racers proceed to the track?

If the latter, guys will be walking very slowly and tend to drop back if they see the first 4 already arrive. This is a good way of ducking out of the marshalling duties.

We have to keep human nature out of this. It is not a racer's thing.

ooliganRC

in your situation i would do this.

run heats with 8 drivers where poss.after there run 1-4 marshall.
round 2 5-8 marshall
riound 3 1-4 marshall

etc etc

Base it on race number not finishing position

anyone does not marshall then they lose FTD, thats normally enuff, they miss twice ask them to go home

stiltskin

iTrader: (103)

At our track, they dock you a lap if you don't show up to marshall. Doesn't do you much good to qualify strong and then get docked a lap for each failure to turn marshall. TQ pace.... C-main qualified.

gurumods

iTrader: (13)

1st race = top 4 finishers
next race = bottom 4
next race = top 4
next race = bottom 4


Next scenario
1st race = top 4
next race = bottom 4
next race = top 2 & bottom 2
next race = uhhhhhh,running out of options.hhhhhhhhmmmmmmm flip a coin

Nova F1 Racer

iTrader: (3)

Can use qual/race results....
Example:

Qual 1 Finish 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
1,2,3,4 marshall 5,6,7,8 don't

Qual 2 Finish: 2,4,5,6,8,7,3,1
2,4,5,6 marshall 8,6,3,2 don't

Tally so far: Marshall: 2,4 twice 1,3,5,6 once 7,8 none

Qual 3 Finish:3,8,1,2,4,7,6,5
3,8,1,2 marshall 4,7,6,5 don't

Tally: 2 had 3 times, 1,3,4 twice, 5,6,7 once and 8 none

Maybe by racer ID would be better....

cyrrus

iTrader: (5)

is your track tha small that you only need 4 marshall's. i would as a racer see all 8 racer from the previous heat out there. that way you have a better coverage of the track. and less wait for the drivers that might accidently, got hit or .... That way there no confusion to who has to marshall. every one does. We also have a tech table. beside the race announcer. When the driver comes off the track He places his car on the table and procced out to marshall.

Impulse_racer

iTrader: (4)

Have ALL the drivers at the end of the heat drop their cars off at the tech table and then directly go man the marshalling positions. If anyone refuses then dock a lap.

TeamB&B

iTrader: (5)

This works out for events or heats with small numbers, but when a heat has more racers than marshals needed, there lies the problems. There is not enough room on most indoor tracks to accommodate more marshals than needed.

I also noticed at some tracks this works flawless if the tech table is located on the opposite side of the pit area. The driver has to go past the track to get to his pit area.

Plus most recent club events, there is no tech inspection. So once the driver goes back to their pit area to put their cars down, it is very difficult to get them back out again.

The summary of the last posts are:

1. Choose the minimum marshals needed based on racer id. Rotate the job around.

2. Located the tech table or after race staging area away from the pit area. Keep the drivers returning from a race to stay near the track for marshalling duties unless they are relieved.

TeamB&B

iTrader: (5)

TeamB&B

iTrader: (5)

I think you are onto something here. Are you talking about the unique id that every racer gets? For example, if 60 racers register, then there are 60 unique id numbers.

Or.
Each race group has it's own unique race numbers. For example the 4th racer in stock-foam may have id 7. The 8th racer in stock-1/12 may also have id number 7.

mrrcguy

iTrader: (25)

I require all drivers from the previous round to be on the track to marshal the race after thier own. Even if only 7 are needed (or in your case 4), this eliminates question, doubt, hesitation, or any other reason to not marshal.

You say you don't have room for more than 4. Thats fine still require them to be there. Even if they are standing in a corner or dead area, or where ever, who cares, at least they all know they must be there or get docked. This way when someone pops a ball cup or something there is someone there to get the car going for the driver without leaving that spot unattended.

I'm of the belief that marshalling is as important to a race as the racing its self. For this reason I don't mess with just docking. I Disqualify. Sounds rough sure but hear me out. What would happen if a driver were cought cheating. DQ right? Well in my book, not marshalling is as disrespectfull to others as cheating would be. Since I started this no exceptions no tollerence policy I have only had to DQ one person. Other than that marshalling has been smooth.

billjacobs

iTrader: (65)

A few points:
1) I like marshalling close competitive heats. Marshalling gives you a great view of the action.
2) I don't like marshalling heats with 2 cars where nothing happens the entire race, but I marshall regardless.

A) It is easier to get racers to marshall if the heats start on time. The worst thing when marshalling is to have a heat start 5 or 10 minutes late and you are in the middle of doing something else and need to go marshall. If you have 5 heats, start each heat 2-3 minutes after the last one, no exceptions. If a racer isn't ready, they don't run that heat. That way, racers don't have a chance to start doing something else.

B) Since the heat that just finished marshalls the next heat, don't let racers bring their cars back to their pits. Have a table for all cars and radios after a heat. Racers can get their cars after they marshall. (This also eliminates having to call out which racers need to marshall.)

C) If a racer misses marshalling a heat, (they went to get lunch, had to use the restroom, etc,) it is not the end of the world, but they have to marshall the next heat regardless of how many marshalls that heat already has.

D) If you only need 4 marshalls per heat, use the grid order for the cars to get the marshalls, 1-4, 5-8, 1-4, etc.

jiml

iTrader: (3)

This is one of those things that comes under what I call "Director's Discretion." Every track is different, and every race day is different. Every racers knows he must take a turn at marshalling. It's up to the Race Director to make sure each heat has enough marshalls. If one guy has been helping you out all day you can let him slide once, but if the guy who just set TQ is in his pit all the time make it a point to call his name and get his butt out to marshall. Just the threat of a penalty is usually enough to people in gear.