Passengers and the 3-run rule

[MurrayPeterson]

At national level events, the reason for the 3 run limit is because the number of contestants (250-300) only allows for 3 runs each (total of 800-900 runs per day).  So, when you come to such an event, you sign up for one heat where you run (and get 3 runs), and one heat where you work.  The selection is effectively random -- you may work first thing in the morning and run last thing in the evening.  Or vice versa.

To answer your question, yes, you always have to work a heat for every heat that you run.

[Reijo]

At national level events, the reason for the 3 run limit is because the number of contestants (250-300) only allows for 3 runs each (total of 800-900 runs per day).  So, when you come to such an event, you sign up for one heat where you run (and get 3 runs), and one heat where you work.  The selection is effectively random -- you may work first thing in the morning and run last thing in the evening.  Or vice versa.

To answer your question, yes, you always have to work.

I'll add a bit more to this:   Normally at SCCA National level events your runs and work heats are two heats apart (so you have time to get your car out of grid back to the pits, get cleaned up ... maybe work on the car etc. and so that you have time to get to your work assignment - remember at SCCA Nationals, the site is more than 1 mile from north to south ... could be a long walk to get back to work!).  And then if you have women running in your car they have to figured in and often run in the heat before or after you run (you can have up to 4 people running your car - e.g. 2 women and 2 men since you run in separate heats).  In some rare cases there may even be people running a car in different classes!  E.g. Tom Berry in BSP and they sometimes run the Evo in SM as well since the car is eligible for both classes as prepared.

So it can get complicated.

Another case that sometimes happens is someone comes to run only in the morning and they have somewhere else to be in the afternoon (wedding perhaps ... or as Tom M. comes and gives us extra help setting up or other tasks so he can get home early from Calgary to Lethbridge to take care of his elderly parents).  So we are somewhat flexible and there are some valid reasons for some people leaving early.  And, they do either extra work or their appropriate work heats.

Hope that clears up a bit more.  All is not always like it appears.  It's a good thing to ask questions before letting accusations fly.   

[Burninator]

I did not get out to a great amount of events last year but I do remember the ride alongs were super valuable to me at least and the number of timed runs was irrelevant as I am more concerned with total runs and seat time.

This is a perspective of where I am as a driver and what I want out of the club at this point though and I think we need to include everyone, but as long as we keep the ride alongs I am happy with whatever scoring or run format is decided on!

[Dr Dave]

Just to muddy the waters further haha,.....right now the club typically has 2 races of 5 runs each in a day. A way to keep everyone happy (sort of), is we could have 3 races of 3 runs only, with fun runs after the end of the 3rd race. Total number of runs would be 10 or more depending on how many fun runs people want to do and how much time there is. Only the first 3 runs would count in each race (as there is only 3 runs), and we'd get 9 counting runs in per day. Doing 3 races, it would take longer to get 9 total runs in then the current format. And finally just to give Murray more of challenge, the race day could potentially be decided on everyone's best 2 races of the 3.

[94boosted]

Just to muddy the waters further haha,.....right now the club typically has 2 races of 5 runs each in a day. A way to keep everyone happy (sort of), is we could have 3 races of 3 runs only, with fun runs after the end of the 3rd race. Total number of runs would be 10 or more depending on how many fun runs people want to do and how much time there is. Only the first 3 runs would count in each race (as there is only 3 runs), and we'd get 9 counting runs in per day. Doing 3 races, it would take longer to get 9 total runs in then the current format. And finally just to give Murray more of challenge, the race day could potentially be decided on everyone's best 2 races of the 3.

The time for changeovers absolutely kills us, if we did 3 changeovers I doubt we'd get anywhere near the 8-10runs/day we're currently getting without the days going until 5pm.

[MurrayPeterson]

I agree with Tom -- changeovers would be a big time drain.

Also, having fun runs at the end of the day doesn't work all that well.  A large majority of people just pack up and leave, which results in insufficient workers to chase cones.  Worse, people that might want to leave (timing people, site managers, etc.) are forced to stay and work, even when they have no interest in sticking around.

We are one of the few clubs I know of that splits our day into 2 sections for purposes of scoring.  This is mostly an attempt to even out temperature differences that affect cars+tires differently, especially in our northern climate.  One club (Vancouver) uses it for a special 2 day event (Summer Blitz), where you get scored on your best run over 4 courses and 2 days.  That was how they ran the Canadian Nationals last year.  This year, I am hoping that YYC allows us to reverse a course between morning and afternoon, and your score is the best time from each course.

[Dr Dave]

Good points. I couldn't remember how long the change overs took. Personally I would prefer  2 x 5 runs vs 3 x 3 runs.

[94boosted]

Thanks everyone for your input and Stephen for bringing this up, we will rescind the 3 run rule, the format for this years' championship will be the same as previous years'.