Relay Rally Rules - Hot Off the Press!!!!!

[bhoss]

The club is very excited about our upcoming Relay Rally. To properly prepare all participants, I am publishing the rules ahead of time so that we can all become familiar with them prior to the event. This should prevent an overly long drivers meeting with a lot of off-topic questions.

The objective of this event is to have fun!!! Anyone not planning on having a great time should not participate. We have written the rules with this "fun factor" in mind - please read them and participate in this event with that in mind.

If you have not already registered for Sat - July 2nd, there are still a few spots open - the Relay Rally is free for those who are registered and paid for Sat.

These rules are a work-in-progress. If you have any questions or suggestions - flame away, I have my fire-suit on (well at least until bedtime).

Relay Rally – Rules & Regulations

Brief history of a relay rally:
In the 80s and early 90s COMSCC added a little variety by adding "a taste of racing" to their normal Time Trial events by initiating Silver Shootouts and Relay Rallys. Four team leaders were selected and they chose team members out of a crowd formed at the end of the Time Trials. The four teams lined up in pit lane and waited a long time for timing and scoring to take their paper-based time trial results and manually add up the total times run by the team members.

This total time was used as a handicap to start the faster team later than the slower team with the hope that at the end of all laps all teams would cross the finish line at the same time. There were sometimes 13 or more members of each team.

Preparing for the Relay rally took a long time and at one event after daylight saving time was over, the race ran past dark! This was quite challenging for cars including Spec Racer Renault with no lights. Imagine someone following you with no lights who is looking for a point-by (but we did not have point-bys in those days).

For COM’s first relay rally in 20 years we are going to use the following rules:

This Relay Rally will be free to all members signed up for that day’s event.

Time Schedule

• Time Cards for all participants must be received by 10:00 at the Tech Shed
• Teams will be posted in Tech Shed at 11:30
• Group meeting at Tech Shed 12:15
• Team Meetings at designated garages at 12:20 (Team Captain, Team Name, Team Run Order to be decided)
• Captains deliver run order to Timing & Scoring no later than 2:00
• Drivers Meeting at Tech Shed at 5:10
• All cars lined up in order on grid by 5:20 – team photo’s to be taken
• Relay Rally starts at 5:30 – till conclusion at 7:00 to 7:15

Rules
All decisions of Timing & Scoring are final and cannot be contested – we are always right.

All cars must visibly display the car number that COM has assigned to it – this is especially important for dual driver cars. Cars that do not have the right number on them will at a minimum be assigned a one lap penalty – maybe more depending on my mood.

Only licensed and signed-off drivers will be eligible for this event – if you are not sure of your status, check with your instructor or the head instructor prior to 10:00 the day of the event. All time cards must be presented no later than 10:00 the day of the event – no exceptions. The time card should have the time that you plan to run during the Rally. I would suggest that you make an effort to put down an appropriate time for your driving ability – we will be watching you and the time that you put down – sandbagging (putting in a much slower time than you will actually run) will be met with swift and drastic punishment. Your actual Time Trial results (if you have them) are a good place to start.

If, during your laps on the track you are more than 5 seconds quicker than the time listed on your card, your team may receive a 20 second penalty – actually 20 seconds for each 5 seconds faster – that’s 20 seconds for each lap you are 5 or more seconds under your stated time.

Four to six teams will be created using the time on the cards to create teams that have a similar elapsed time. Once the teams have been announced, each team will have a team meeting at 12:15 to decide on a captain, a name and the order that they want to go out in. Only the captain of each team will be allowed to speak with T&S. All others will be rudely ignored. The captain is responsible to get the running order to T&S by 2:00. The captain of a team cannot be a Board Member or an instructor.

Before the rally, all teams are to line up on pit road in the order that they have determined. The rally will not start until all cars are lined up. Failure of a car to appear on the grid in a timely manner will completely screw up all of our planning – please make sure that this does not happen. Each car of each team will be color-coded - numbered as to the order that it will be going out (we will provide those numbers). We have a plan for those dual driver cars – stay tuned. If at the last minute a driver cannot make the lineup and participate – Timing & Scoring will select another car from that team with an equal or slower time to run again.

The first car of each team will initially be released from pit lane based on the delta of its combined time when compared to other teams so that theoretically all teams will finish at the exact same time if everyone runs the times that they put down on their time cards.

You are on the clock the second that you leave pit road – all track entry procedures will apply – you must stay inside the blend line and you must not hit any blend line cones. The penalty for hitting a blend line cone is a 30 second penalty (each cone) for the next member of your team.

Passing is allowed, even encouraged, during the relay rally provided that you follow all of COMS point by rules. Failure of a driver to point by a competitor after a “catch” in two consecutive passing zones will result in a stop and go penalty on that driver – the black flag will be displayed at turn 6. Improper passing - passing without a point by, a late pass or a pass in a non-passing zone will also receive a stop & go penalty. Passing zones will be covered at pre-race meeting.

The corner workers are Timing & Scorings best friends, they will be reporting on everyone’s driving during the event. The corner workers love to comment on everyone’s driving and are not shy in sharing their opinions. We in T&S like the corner workers and will support the corner workers when they suggest driving penalties.

Before the event you will be informed on the number of laps that each competitor will run. The driver (or a member of his team) will be responsible for counting those laps – there will be no green flag at the start or checkered flag at completion – at the end of your appointed laps you will continue to proceed at speed all the way to the regular pit entrance (the one that we always use during school days) where you will display the pit in signal (fist out the window) and then enter pit lane at a reasonable and safe speed. Speeding on pit road (in the opinion of the pit marshal) will result in the loss of dinner privileges and a possible one lap penalty. If you are a dual driver car you should proceed down pit road and get your car back in line. If you are not a dual driver car you can exit pit road back into the paddock.


The second that you enter the first stripe on pit road, the next competitor on your team will be released onto the track so there is no need to enter the pits quickly. Again let me reiterate – a quick entry onto pit road will result in a quick exit of that driver from competition.

If you come in one lap too early the next car in line for your team will be held one additional lap. If you come in one lap too late, well you just lost your team one lap.
If you do not feel confident that you can count up to 5 laps then I suggest that you enlist your fellow team members to count laps for you and then have them display a pit board informing you that your time is up.

The first team to cross the start/finish line after completing all of their laps will be declared the winner. At that point the other teams in the competition will all officially be declared losers and we will let them decide among themselves the final finishing order.

Flags
The Flags for this event are a little different than a Time Trial - pay attention here!

Green Flag – we have no green flag – you are on the clock the second you are released from pit lane

Standing Yellow Flag – be cautious but the rally proceeds as planned. No passing until next flag corner with no yellow.

What if there is a spin? What if a car fails? No problem if the car gets going without a catch. Car must not re-enter without signal from corner worker. If a catch due to spin or off-course, the catching car may pass a car that is dead stopped and off course (stationary yellow flag). If there is a catch and the lead car is still moving (yellow flag waving), the catching car must not pass until the caught car resumes on track, standing yellow, and gives a passing signal which he MUST give at the first passing zone. If a car is dead in an unsafe position then Black Flag All, retrieve the car and restart the relay rally with the drivers that were on course, 5 seconds apart. The team that caused the Black Flag shall start one lap behind.

Waving Yellow Flag - be very cautious but the rally proceeds as planned. No passing until next flag corner with no yellow.

Black Flag All – indicates that there is a problem on the track and that this session is over. Proceed at a cautious speed back to the pits and await further instructions. If you break down on track and are the cause the event to be black flagged, you will then be rudely and roughly towed back to pit lane where you will be ridiculed and your team assessed a one lap penalty.

Black flag- One (furled and pointed) - that car must come into pit lane and see Contol.

Checkered Flag – will only be used once at the conclusion of the event to indicate the winner of the event.

The winning team will receive 100% of the entry fee and our eternal thanks. The trophy and hospitality committee may, depending upon how busy they are cooking everyone dinner, have additional awards (get ready for more Mobil One hats folks).

Remember that New Hampshire requires that any one on the hot pit road must be wearing a helmet (racing or bicycle) – please be aware of this rule and comply at all times.

[breakaway500]

100% of the Entry fee? Is that like 0 plus 0=0

Can you clairify this part for me?:

"If there is a catch and the lead car is still moving (yellow flag waving), the catching car must not pass until the caught car resumes on track, standing yellow, and gives a passing signal which he MUST give at the first passing zone"

So,If someone spins right in front of you,possibly off the track surface, and is still moving..,are we to slow down and wait for them to resume foreward on track travel and signal before passing?

[joncowen]

^ just what i was wondering.

I'm imagining a small train of cars going over the tree house (no passing) then the lead car spins, but stays somewhat on track, and stays moving (but very slow). Does this mean the whole train needs to nearly stop and cause a pile up?

[savage217]

Sweet. I want in!

[bhoss]

Breakaway 500 you got the math right - we need to make sure that we have everyone's address on file for the 1099's!

What we are asking is that you use a little common sense behind the wheel during this event (in fact all events). If someone goes off in front of you, sometimes the safest thing to do is to give them a little room to gather things back up and get going - really no different than what you would do during a run group on a practice day. I do not suggest stopping on the track but you can certainly slow down enough so that you have 100% control of your car and can make a clean and safe pass - that's what the corner workers will be looking for.

Our plan is to use the black flag to penalize those that do not give obvious point-byes in passing zones and for those that impede others by going off and on the track.

We are not going to penalize you for a judgment call but we want everyone to bring themselves and their car back in one piece.

[paultg]

This sounds like alot of fun, unfortunately I can't make the event. Good luck though, sounds like you are on your way to a very successful event with this new competition feature.

[SEISAN]

As the mayor of Boston would say... The Weeway Wally wooks wike a wotta fun...

The COM board and Bill and his crew at T&S have put a lot of work into making sure that this will be a success. In order for that to happen we as members need to do a couple of things. Read the posting a couple of times so we all know what is going on. Follow the instructions for all the times and make sure you are ready when it it time to go.

If they have to chase anybody for not putting in time cards on time, not staging on time on time, not being ready when we need to be, then it will cause delays. Also, make sure you have enough gas.

Lets have some fun....

Also, if you have not signed up for the COM BBQ , you have till the 27th so I can order enough food. The plan is for the Steamed Dogs with the fixins from 4 to 5 and the full BBQ immediately after the Rally starting around 7. See the social event tab on registration for sign up. Note: ( The cafeteria will not be open ).

Shake N Bake

[WillM]

Fair question, Mark & Jon.

It is difficult/impossible to write a concise rule that covers all possible situations - there are just too many to count.

I think the idea of the rule is to remind the participants that this is intended to be a fun event, and that we all need to watch out for one-another out there. The rules are practically the same as any other COM day.

Examples:

1. If the car in front of you dips 2 wheels and gets a bit sideways, but keeps going, you can't pass him there. Back off a bit and give him room. He must point you by at the next passing zone.
2. If the car in front of you spins, back off and give him room. You'll likely need to find a safe path around them. Don't stop unless you absolutely have to (in order to avoid the car or another obstacle).
3. If the car in front of you puts four off and is headed off-track, back off and get around them safely.

Likewise:
1. If you dip 2 wheels and think you can keep going, keep going. Realize there are cars around you and that you must point them by at the next opportunity. You are also coming in (2 wheels off = visit the grid).
2. If you spin, both feet in. Be aware of traffic around you and until the track is clear before you continue. Watch for help from a corner worker, if you are near one.
3. If you put four off and are headed off-track, good luck. We hope your ability to stop on grass is better than your ability to deal with red mist.

All that said, this is still a time trial, with more laps and passing! Should get the heart beating a bit faster and make for some fun on-track and in the paddock too!

[Chrispy]

Hi Will & Bill,

Just a couple of quick questions.

For students to participate that didn't run on the Friday what are they going to need from their instructor? An actual sign-off or an acknowledgement that there is a 99% chance that he plans to sign you off for solo by the end of the day (i.e. you've run here before and been solo'd and the instructor seems to think that you have some idea about what you're doing)?

As far as lap counting goes I'm presuming that out laps and in laps are being counted, but not timed? From the sound of it precise timing during the event doesn't really matter (sanity check to stop sandbaggers) as it will be first across the line that did their required laps that will win?

[WillM]

Hi Will & Bill,

Just a couple of quick questions.

For students to participate that didn't run on the Friday what are they going to need from their instructor? An actual sign-off or an acknowledgement that there is a 99% chance that he plans to sign you off for solo by the end of the day (i.e. you've run here before and been solo'd and the instructor seems to think that you have some idea about what you're doing)?

As far as lap counting goes I'm presuming that out laps and in laps are being counted, but not timed? From the sound of it precise timing during the event doesn't really matter (sanity check to stop sandbaggers) as it will be first across the line that did their required laps that will win?

Hi Chris,

Students attending day 2, if they would like to participate in the rally, need to notify their instructors. Instructors will submit the student's time card to the chief instructor. Students that have solo'ed with us in the past shouldn't be a problem, but that doesn't mean that first-timers are automatically rejected. We'll do whatever we think is right for the student and the club. Chief instructor has last say on whether or not that student can participate.