> The solution to that problem is simple - more cars in the Challenge.
Either
> start off with a bigger field (64-128 cars) or split the Challenges into
> mini-challenges (Stock class challenge, SP class challenge, etc) Either
way
> works just as well.
Oh great! Lets get rid of 70% of the competitors in the Challenge by having
a Stock/SP/MOD/Prep mini challenge.
So the 7 Prepared cars that show up only have to beat 1 stock car to win...
IMHO this is Flawed.
Why not take the top 4 in every class in a mini challenge and have each
class send one car to the Final Challenge.
-Rick Cone
----- Original Message -----
From: <dg50@daimlerchrysler.com>
To: <TeamZ3@aol.com>
Cc: <autox@autox.team.net>; <evolution-discussions@egroups.com>
Sent: Monday, January 22, 2001 1:50 PM
Subject: Re: Pro Timing discussion at SEDiv meeting (long)
> > First, let me make clear that Dennis Grant was not there or involved in
> any
> > way! :-)
>
> Thanks Mark. :)
>
> > First, we went looking for a new timing system. The old system was a
> one-off
> > design that didn't mirror any other drag type tree system.
>
> It should be pointed out that one of the design decisions in the old
timing
> system built into the launch proceedure a frustrating difference between
> ProSolo and Drag Racing - and I mean a "weeping and gnashing of teeth"
> level of frustrating. Having the start lights work exactly like drag race
> trees all over the world is an ENORMOUS win.
>
> I think people will find, once they actually drive the tree and get
numbers
> back, that their start line technique will improve many many times over.
In
> the past, you could suck on the tree and never know it. Now you'll know
it.
> :)
>
> Which in turn means you can DO something about it.
>
> > If all goes well Phase 2 in possibly 2002
> > will actually display time differentials, side winner, etc. during
> Challenge
> > runs.
>
> Note that successful implementation of Phase 2 is going to make for much
> more exciting and spectator-friendly challenges:
>
> - 2 cars pull up to the line. The displays show class dial-in times (for
> EACH car) and the head start the slower car will be getting
> - The cars run, and hit the finish. The first car back is doing better.
The
> displays show the run times for EACH car (so you can see how close they
ran
> to their dials, or if they broke out) as well as the newly computed dialin
> (which is a measure of how well they did against each other)
> - Back to the line, launch. Display shows RT and (maybe) 60', so you get
an
> idea of how well they're doing
> - First guy back wins. A big honkin' WIN light lights up on the side that
> wins (useful for close races, and the nonobservant)
>
> Not only is that about a thousand times easier to follow (and thus more
> exciting) it's also so highly streamlined that the amount of time it takes
> to run a Challenge should drop considerably. Which in turn means that
> running very large Challenges (64 cars, or 128 cars) becomes feasible.
> Which means that more people per class qualify for the Challenge, which in
> turn both raises the Challenge profile and includes more people.
>
> So then maybe we won't have this bass-ackwards situation right now where
> people care more about their qualifying results than they do the Main
> Event.
>
> > The premise for this is that even though rt doesn't count for the class
> > competition you need to practice it for the Challenge and will do so
> during
> > class runs.
>
> You'd better - because the people who ARE treating the light as if it
> counted, now that they are getting the data to tune their light to the
> track conditions, will eat your lunch come Challenge time.
>
> That's what I don't think people have fully twigged to yet - having
> reaction times (and to a lesser extent, 60' times) means that those who
> know how (all the bracket racers, raise your hands!) will get better and
> better lights all through qualifying (oops, I mean "class competition")
and
> should be well into the low 0.5s by the time the Challenge rolls around.
If
> you're cutting 0.8s, and you're both capable of running your class
dialins,
> then you're giving away 6 tenths.
>
> > A decison has been made that rt is of no concern for class competitions.
> I
> > disagree, but that's my opinion. I can see how it could possibly
attract
> and
> > open up class competition because cutting a light will not be critical
to
> > winning your class..
>
> The really funny thing here is that even though RT "counted" with the old
> system, there was no way of telling if a given driver was making use of it
> or not. So even though cutting a good light helped win, you had really no
> idea if you were slow on the tree or getting beat on the course.
>
> So for all intents and purposes, nothing changes.
>
> > Unfortunately, as previously
> > discussed, the days of class competition being supreme and the Challenge
> > being just a bonus round seem to be long gone. All the focus has
shifted
> to
> > the Challenge
>
> I don't think that class competition was EVER intended to be the focus of
> ProSolo, that's just how it turned out - partially because the rules for
> the Challenge were so hard to follow, and partially because autocrossers
> are used to 10 million classes with 10 million winners.
>
> If you look at how ProSolo is structured, with the dialins, and breakouts,
> and the structure of the Challenges, ProSolo is all about taking wildly
> diverse vehicle types and preparation levels and placing them in a venue
> where they can compete against each other in a manner that is both fair
and
> difficult to manipulate (sandbag) It has accomplished this to a level that
> is so rigourous, and yet reasonably simple enough to follow (when data is
> presented correctly) that it's astonishing. ProSolo works, and works
really
> really well. It's one downside is that there are SO many classes, that
it's
> hard for Challenge qualification to reach more than 2 or three cars deep
in
> a given class - and if your class gets _creamed_ (Hi Bob!) it's entirely
> possible that only the top guy qualifies.
>
> The solution to that problem is simple - more cars in the Challenge.
Either
> start off with a bigger field (64-128 cars) or split the Challenges into
> mini-challenges (Stock class challenge, SP class challenge, etc) Either
way
> works just as well.
>
> But in my oh-so-humble opinion, increased focus on the Challenges is not
> "new" or an "abberation" - it's a return of ProSolo back to its true
roots.
> A "correction". And a highly welcome one at that.
>
> DG
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