Summer Pennington courses

[jrj512]

I might be designing some Pennington courses for this summer, so I wanted to get a quick poll. While I will have a loop at the beginning of the SCCA course to be used in June, what about the courses for the ER events later this summer when it gets really hot? Would you rather have a shorter course without a loop that will enable a quicker flow in order to decrease the time you spend working under the sweltering sun, or would you rather live with more time working in order to gain 10-15 seconds in course length?

There really are three choices:

1. No loops with two cars on the course.
2. A loop only at the beginning, so you can still get a second car on course, but not very efficiently.
3. Extra long criss-cross-crash course that will only support one car on the course.

Any preferences?

[Titus]

I might be designing some Pennington courses for this summer, so I wanted to get a quick poll. While I will have a loop at the beginning of the SCCA course to be used in June, what about the courses for the ER events later this summer when it gets really hot? Would you rather have a shorter course without a loop that will enable a quicker flow in order to decrease the time you spend working under the sweltering sun, or would you rather live with more time working in order to gain 10-15 seconds in course length?

There really are three choices:

1. No loops with two cars on the course.
2. A loop only at the beginning, so you can still get a second car on course, but not very efficiently.
3. Extra long criss-cross-crash course that will only support one car on the course.

Any preferences?

How about Option 4) Extra long criss-cross-crash course with two or more cars on the course. Then you can charge admission.

[CosmosMpower]

No loop

[POS Racing]

Can't they find someone better to design the courses??

[POS Racing]

How about this :

[Titus]

How about this :

Sweet!

[Robert]

Number 2, Loop at the start with about 20 to 30 sec to cross over. We try to start the next car about 20 sec apart.

[onething]

How can you have a poll without buttons? Do I have to type my answer?

2

[sammm]

Any preferences?

To not AX at PMS.

[jrj512]

Looks like criss-cross-crash is out.

[ratt_finkel]

I like the option where we don't run at Pennington anymore.

No honestly, I don't care what the course is like. As long as work time is reduced. I.E., enough workers to cover 3 heats. Not 2.5 or 2ish.

[Darron65]

I like to have my cake and eat it too. Option 2 is my vote.

[Rotgirl]

Loop at the beginning to make a longer course.

Give us our money's worth Jarrett!

[jrj512]

It looks like we have pretty overwhelimg support for a loop at the beginning, so that is where I will go.

Do you all know how hard it is to create something new for Pennington where you have a loop at the front? I will do my best. Sometimes I worry that I will eventually create the exact same course again by accident.

[ratt_finkel]

Jarret, you may also look at having the start in a different location. I'd like to see another course that started in the NorthEast corner of the lot. Phil O had designed one like that in the begining of 2005 that was the best course I've ever seen at PMS.

[jrj512]

Jarret, you may also look at having the start in a different location. I'd like to see another course that started in the NorthEast corner of the lot. Phil O had designed one like that in the begining of 2005 that was the best course I've ever seen at PMS.

I think that we are not supposed to block that entrance any longer because it is an actual street, so that might be why we are not using that side as a starting point.

[Ted the Red]

I like option 2.. not that I know much about it.

[MadMonkey]

Can you design an all-straight course to match my skill level?

[nealb]

Absolutely must allow for more than one car on course at a time.

If a loop, then early -- get it over with and start a 2nd car.

[Solo RX-7]

The loop at the beginning really doesn't have much of an impact on time spent working course. Neither does course length. The loop can have an indirect impact on heat length if it's confusing and causes lots of re-runs or hit cones, but that's really the only influence a loop can have.

Assuming all heats are equally balanced with number of competitors, the single biggest impact on heat length is overlap interval. It doesn't matter if the course is 40 seconds, 80 seconds or 120 seconds. If you can have a 25-30 second interval you'll get done in the same amount of time. In the lean mfg world it's called takt time - the drum beat. If a car is coming off course every 25 seconds that's the pace of your heat, not the overall length.

Pennington works better with a loop, but design it so a decent interval can be maintained. Don't forget to consider the passing points of cars too, not just the length of the loop. Potential collision points will screw up an interval in a hurry...

With our TLink system you've got some flexibility with course design that wasn't available with the wired JA Circuits timers. The trailer no longer has to be in between the start/finish to facilitate cable placement. Pennington isn't big enough to be too concerned about seeing car numbers at the start or finish either - you can easily read the car numbers even when they're on the other side of lot. This opens up some options for start/finish points.

Loop it, and figure out a way to get a ramp to ramp jump in there too.