scoring is done by a transponder a little red box that emits a signal there is a wire (loop) buried in the ground that picks up the signal sending it to the computer. The reason for different times and laps is because in RC racing we score qualifiers by time. You try and get as many laps in as you can usually a 5 or 7 minute run. lets say it's a 5 minute qualifier, when the loop goes live you have 5 minutes to get as many laps as you can and at the best time you can. Your 5 minute clock doesn't start until you cross the loop so if the loop goes live and you cross the loop 30 seconds after that you still have 5 minutes so that means when the computer reaches 5 minutes (master clock) keep driving cause you have an 30 second delay. This helps the racers because you are not racing the car in front of you you are racing the clock. So you could start in last place 20 seconds behind the first car that crossed the loop and you would be in first place. That's why announcers always say "spread out give each other room you are racing the clock not each other". Also since you have 5 minutes and if the average lap time was say 40 seconds you would cross the loop on your 7th lap at 4min40sec so your 5 minutes would expire while you are on your 8th lap giving you 8 laps at 5min20sec. For the mains we race heads up so you are racing the car in front of you. But we still race on a time limit so if first car laps the field twice and breaks in the last 30 seconds he will still win since he would have one more laps then the other cars. Also if he cross's the loop 10 seconds before time expires then he will get xx number seconds over the time limit. Hope this helps bud