Championship - How to score?

[DanB]

I still can't see how anyone would make a decision to not attend an event based entirely on their attendance having no impact on their chance at a class championship.

Whether or not I can make an event depends on a number of factors. Often I only *barely* decide to go or *barely* decide not to. It's not a question of whether people base the decision ENTIRELY on whether it would impact their standing in a championship, it's whether it is a factor at all. For most, I would bet that it is a factor. It is certainly a factor for me!

I see Best of N giving a few people who can't make every event a better chance at contending (and participating/attending more) for a championship.

I'm not seeing too many instances where the "wrong" guy won his class. And in the Nate/Bruce example in FP, I don't have a problem with Nate winning it due to unfortunate circumstances for Bruce. It's part of the game.

Best of N would not discourage anyone from attending, unless they have some serious self-esteem or ego issues. "I'm not going to go to a track day with all my buddies 'cuz I already have the championship in the bag." If I heard someone say something like that then a tar and feathering at the banquet would be in order. I would hope no one within COM has that kind of attitude.

How is that kind of attitude any worse than "I can't attend enough events to compete, therefore I will attend FEWER events"?

If I have a championship in the bag, and I have pressing demands at work/home/elsewhere for the last event or two, I am going to be less likely to make those events. I don't think that's worthy of tarring/feathering!

[brucesallen]

This past year the North Atlantic Road Racing Championship of the SCCA changed from a Best of N method used for many years to Every Race Counts in order to increase entires to races.

[nateh]

Is there any way of determining if the NARRC decision made a difference to entries?

[CP]

I can't race a wrecked car...

[jeffw]

I can't race a wrecked car...

Well, that's easy! Don't wreck!

(Easier said then done in the Spec Pinata class)

[CP]

More like try to stay away from the jackasses. Same for HPDE/TT in my experience. Come play with us next season Jeff

[boltonite]

Getting back to the original thread, I submitted a rules change to propose that the lowest finishing position points from one event be dropped if the TT series has more than six events. In this case, if someone attends 7 or more events, their lowest finishing position points can be dropped. If they miss an event or two, they lose attendance points for the event(s) missed but are not, for all practical purposes, eliminated from the series championship.

FF

[SEISAN]

Some good ideas from a lot of drivers. Just a suggestion but instead of dropping an event maybe the points given could have a larger spread. RE: for 1st Place 15 points, 2nd place 9 points, 3rd place 7 points, 4th place 5 points etc. That way whoever wins actually will pick up an extra 3 points instead of the 2 more than we score now. If the driver wins 3 races he will have an advantage of 12 points over the same second place finisher in 3 races. He could miss a race due to the fact that he picked up extra points finishing first. Just a suggestion and may be easier that dropping a race. What do you think..

On a personal note: This is my first full year and I race for the personal joy of going fast and learning from the you guys in this great club.

S & B

[brucesallen]

On a personal note: This is my first full year and I race for the personal joy of going fast and learning from the you guys in this great club.

S & B

Oh sure. That's what they all say. Pretty soon they say "I can beat that guy. I would have gotten a third place trophy!" Then the spending begins.

It's all about the fast lap.

[blindsidefive0]

On a personal note: This is my first full year and I race for the personal joy of going fast and learning from the you guys in this great club.

S & B

Oh sure. That's what they all say. Pretty soon they say "I can beat that guy. I would have gotten a third place trophy!" Then the spending begins.

It's all about the fast lap.

+1

[boltonite]

Just a suggestion but instead of dropping an event maybe the points given could have a larger spread. <snip> What do you think.
S & B

A larger points spread discourages competition. And it makes dropped events more likely when a points lead becomes mathematically unbeatable. Is that the goal?

-FF

[breakaway500]

"A larger points spread discourages competition. And it makes dropped events more likely when a points lead becomes mathematically unbeatable. Is that the goal?'

I would be in favor of a larger point spread.

For example; this year, in Formula class,out of 8 event dates, Bruce Allen came in FIRST 6 times . He did not run in two time trials. He was FTD 6 times this year as well.

He did not win the Formula class championship for 2010. He came in second...

The formula class "champion" for 2010 NEVER came in first place,even when Bruce missed an event.

SIX first place wins vs. ZERO first place wins and the formula class champion is the driver with ZERO wins?

That can't be right....oh, Yes..it is:

471 Nate Hine Ford Mustang, driversupply Frankenspec, Mazda Miata 9 9 9 11 9 11 9 11 78 80.63 Class Champion

87 Bruce Allen Van Dieman Formula SCCA 13 11 13 11 11 13 72 74.63


Is this the "competition goal" that is currently acceptable for COM?

[boltonite]

I would be in favor of a larger point spread.

For example; this year, in Formula class,out of 8 event dates, Bruce Allen came in FIRST 6 times . He did not run in two time trials. He was FTD 6 times this year as well.
<big snip>
Is this the "competition goal" that is currently acceptable for COM?

FYI the Best of N approach as proposed would reverse the 2010 Formula class standings, fwiw.

[breakaway500]

Why not give first place winners more points,regardless of best of N? They earned it. After all..it's about the fast-est lap...right?

[SEISAN]

I feel the the class winners of 2010 earned there class championship. It is given by total points and not by how many first's you get. Hypethecialy, take any class and if you have a driver who has done only 2 events, finishes first in both and ends up in second place in total points for the year and another driver who has done 5 events finishes no better than 3rd in any event but ends up with the most points for the year should not be champion because he did not have any first. I do not think so. Its the total.

Also, is there a reason that the FP class is brought up for comparison most of the time. Lets try another class for comparison or maybe nobody cares about them as much. mmmm....

The simple solution is to add more classes.... maybe we can get up to 50 classes so that everybody is happy.
Remember were here for a good time.

Ya Bruce, it is also about the fast lap but not in the context you may think. At the last NH event I finished with my best time ever and I finished FOURTH. Where I finished was not my focus. It was having my best lap time and feeling the satisfaction of improvement. You cannot put a value on that and I will take that over a trophy anyday.

S & B