2 wave aborted start question

[Greg Gilstrap]

I dont understand all these stupid letters the kids on the internet are using these days.

Chris, these are great sites for that stuff -

http://www.acronymfinder.com/
http://www.urbandictionary.com/

[Chris Fields]

In the event of an aborted start the best thing to do is to not turn off the lights. In a start with a flag you wouldnt abort the race by waving the flag. Lights going off is the same as waving the flag.

After I see the 2 board all I see is the light. Nothing else. That light goes off I am gonna go. Same with the flag. Once I see that 2 board all I am watching is that flag.

Those were precisely my thoughts at the MSRH riders meeting when it was explained how the lights were going to work. Made no sense at all for the lights to be turned off if the race start was to be aborted (dropped board or not), especially when the lights going out was the signal for the race to start.



I stood there in the riders meeting thinking the best way to handle an aborted start when using these lights would be for the starter to leave the lights on and simply lower the board and raise a red flag to signal that the start has been aborted.

[Joe Rodriguez]

at MSRH ,Walter explained it one way friday, and on saturday he explained the way its done now IIRC.

surely someone has vid of this "confusion"...
if i ever jump the start(unlikely since i can barely leave) i aint stopping till i see the spaghetti and meatball flag :D

[Dean Dufrene]

I appreciate everyone's input into this thread. The reason is because it was defintely a mess. I know the officials in the CMRA are very qualified to do their jobs. It is one of (if not THE) best racing org in the country. This just needs serious consideration.

Some points I would like to add:
1) in the above scenerio, the lights went out and came back on. I seen it with my own two eyes. The entire day the 1 board went sideways and the lights were almost instantaneously turned off. Once the one board goes sideways and the lights go off there is not aborted start. It is a start and a race to the finish. If the start is to be aborted, should it not be before the one board goes sideways? Or at least before the light goes off? I believe the other rider in the first row rolled and stopped. Take into consideration the two riders come from dirt and drag racing, both known for being good starters. They did not jump.

2) I am not sure who the starter was waving at but the two riders who left when the lights went out stopped because of this. If it was me, I would do what Danny said. or would I? I mean the why else would he be waving? And there was a short pause, the riders threw their hands up as if saying, "The lights went off"



Maybe there is not perfect answer. I just ask the CMRA to look into the current starting procedure as it is somewhat of a cluster right now. How can an official really know if anyone jumps? They can't watch the lights and the grid. Is some sort of audible tone in the works? Would it not be best to go back to the flags until this is implemented?

As Jimmy said, this cost riders money and points. I wish we could protest for a redo at the next TWS round. I think that would be fair.

[David Baumgarten]

1) I do not believe Pit Lane (AT TWS ONLY), where we start ONLY, is considered a "hot track" area.

2) I'm curious if the hand held red-light switch in the starters hand is a momentary switch. Meaning, he has to push it in to engage the lights and if he lifts his finger, they turn off. If so, it may be a good idea to rewire this switch.

[Ryan Rutkowski]

ALL PIT LANES ARE CONSIDERED A HOT TRACK. The only exceptions (and I hate calling them exceptions) are COLD pit lane at TWS and ECR. (behind the secondary concrete walls.)

[Greg Gilstrap]

This seems pretty simple to dispute whether the lights were on or off, or went off and came back on....
With as many people that run GoPro and other cameras, who's got the footage?!?

[Nick Chapman]

IMO, with an aborted start, the starter should bring the 2 min board back up, and (if needed), step down from the ladder, with the lights still on. I believe most, if not all, would realize something has gone wrong when the 2 min board is brought back up.

[Frank Roberts]

Which 'hypothetical' race was this?

I raced my first race in #7 (superstock A) and it was my first time at TWS. I saw a couple riders stopped but didn't know why, as I was near the back of the grid and went around them......I was just focused on getting out of the grid and racing. I didn't know if they were stalled or what...

I really wasn't looking at what they were doing if they were not taking off.

[Dean Dufrene]

I don't want everyone to miss the main point, which is the current starting procedure and contingencies need to be thoroughly reviewed.