David Hawkins wrote:
>As someone who runs a silver car with white numbers, I'd have to
>question this post.
Lemme tell you about my experience just this last Sunday. I was
working in the timing trailer, and the staging point was about
40-50 feet to my left. A silver Miata with white numbers (of
larger-than minimum legal size, too) pulled up to the line, and
the numbers were absolutely impossible to read - they were buried
in the sun's glare off the car. The angle of the sun makes all
the difference. If your car is highly reflective (silver is at
the top of the scale here), your numbers need to be relatively
absorptive, or there just won't be enough contrast under some
conditions.
> Is the intent to really have numbers that can be
>seen on the other side of the course?
No, just numbers that can be read by the T&S workers from a
reasonable distance - maybe up to 80-100 ft. - and by corner
workers who have to read them on the fly.
> I've helped in timing and scoring
>at 4 national level events (tours and pros) and one divisional,
and the
>only time they HAD to be seen by the folks in the booth was when
the
>car was coming up to start and taking off on course so they
could
>properly annotate it.
See above. You might be surprised at how difficult white on
silver is to read under high-glare conditions. Even when the car
is sitting still.
>I guess I take exception most to the 'get a clue' aspect of the
post.
>I've never had a complaint about my numbers,
I didn't go to the offending driver when this happened. I was too
busy at the time, and I forgot about it later. That doesn't mean
I could read his numbers, however.
Check it out in bright sunlight with the sun low at your back,
and tell me if you can easily read your numbers under those
conditions.
Jay
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