This is my own random poll directed at anyone for comment but especially timely as something depending on feedback that I'd like to push for the SF Region in '13. Currently, we format a double weekend - 5 sessions total- like this:

Practice
Qualify
Race 1
Qualify
Race 2

What if we offered?:

Practice
Qualify
Race 1 (and R2 qualifier)
Race 2 (and R3 qualifier)
Race3

So, the same five sessions in a weekend, three actual sanctioned races, but what makes it cool is ONLY YOUR BEST 2 OF 3 COUNT. You get to toss the weakest result. I've never met a racer who would rather qualify than race, and when I bounced this off some random drivers this last weekend, I only got super positive responses. Comments?

tony

I like it. DC Region Labor Day had qualifier, followed by race which qualified for the "feature" race on the second day. Second day had another qualifier race for the "feature" but it's all on lap times not finishing order. Problem with making a race a "qualifier" for a subsequent race based solely on lap times is that if it rains, it becomes a meaningless race (since nobody's going to improve their lap time in the rain). I'm still new to this stuff, and I'm sure there are plusses and minuses to all methods. Anything that gets more meaningful (racing) track time is better.

Anthony Tabacco wrote:This is my own random poll directed at anyone for comment but especially timely as something depending on feedback that I'd like to push for the SF Region in '13. Currently, we format a double weekend - 5 sessions total- like this:

Practice
Qualify
Race 1
Qualify
Race 2

What if we offered?:

Practice
Qualify
Race 1 (and R2 qualifier)
Race 2 (and R3 qualifier)
Race3

So, the same five sessions in a weekend, three actual sanctioned races, but what makes it cool is ONLY YOUR BEST 2 OF 3 COUNT. You get to toss the weakest result. I've never met a racer who would rather qualify than race, and when I bounced this off some random drivers this last weekend, I only got super positive responses. Comments?

tony

Anthony Tabacco wrote: You get to toss the weakest result.

Perfect for the crazy drivers and those that don't take care of their cars.

(otherwise a good idea).

Dave

We did this format at our final Portland race except no practice. We did have ProDrive test day before the weekend so I thought it was great. But, those that did not do the test day evidently wanted practice time. I would vote yes.

anytime you can get more race time on track, for a driver, I would imagine it's a win for the strong majority of drivers. As Jim mentioned, we have been doing this the past couple years in Portland (with small variation from your proposed schedule since we only get 4 sessions in a "two-day" weekend) with much success. As long as crew, scca workers, ect are on board, I think it's a great idea.

Tony,
Good idea. What we did this weekend was to take the best of your qualifying time or your best race lap to determine the grid for the second race. (For those not there, qualifying was fogged out.) This doesn't totally ruin someones start for the second or third race is they have an accident or mechanical.
Otherwise qualifying for the subsequent races lets you recover from the bad race.

I like the format, so long as the races are full length. I have run a couple of "quad" regionals that consisted of 3 qualifying races followed by a final with the qualifying races being less than half the length of a normal regional. The ratio of grid time to race time was way too high.

Maybe with a little tweak ala GP2: (Fast lap only counts if you finish in the top 10)
We could tweadk to laptimes from the race only count if you finish on the lead lap...otherwise you fill the back of the grid.
Couple years ago, they tried this format for a regional weekend. I got booted early in the first race. Limped back to the pits for a quick repair, went out all on my own and laid down fast lap of the race...a few laps down. Finished last in the race and started the next day on the pole...won.

H.(weasel)B

Tony,
Hal brings up a go point about fast lap times and cars no on the lead lap. But other than that I could live with the format.
Bob

Tony

We've been doing something like that here in Central Florida Region for several years. We call them "Rolling Grid" weekends and start with a qualifier and then 3 races for each group. Grid position for 1st race is from Qualifier, then from finishing position in prior race. We don't do all of our weekends that way, but we do maybe half. Some groups (like wings & things) like a practice to get gear ratios and such worked out - particularly at a track like Daytona. As I driver, I prefer the rolling grid format, but some like to have a practice (hence the roughly "half of our events").

Touch bases with our Race Board Chair (Robin Langlotz) or his assistant (Robin Ragaglia) if you want more details. Their contact info is on the cfr website under "Contact Us - Club Racing" (www.cfrscca.org).

Lee Hill
Asst RE CFR