Derby Talk

I know that I'll be sad to see you go. You were very instrumental in me getting my race software business going. I hope that you are able to find a suitable buyer. Your timers and tracks have helped countless groups put on successful races and your customer support has been top notch.

I notice that Best Track now has their own remote start gate, operated via a servo. Looks interesting. Hopefully, it is strong enough to open up an 8 lane start gate loaded up with cars.

https://www.besttrack.com/servo_remote_start.htm

There currently isn't a way to move a racer once racing has started. It is something that I intend to investigate in the off season, to see just how complex that would be. If scoring by times, it may be doable. However, scoring by points is based on who the racer is going head-to-head against, so m...

Not sure how much of that was legitimate visitors, especially this time of year. I do get a great deal of spam membership requests that I have to filter through each week.

Currently, their rules do seem to discourage highly competitive racers from participating. When I chat with someone about the Times Square race, almost invariably, the first thing they mention is regarding the rules. If this is to be the premier race in the nation, shouldn't it be looking to attract...

I discovered a cool gadget that allows me to wirelessly connect my laptop to a projector or TV. At my last race of the season, I pulled out my long HDMI cord to connect up to that church's big TV but was showed how I could do so wirelessly from my Windows laptop. I thought that was pretty slick and ...

If you cannot find that foam rubber friction material, you can purchase strips of it from either Best Track or Micro Wizard. I prefer that stuff to the sandpaper type of non-skid tape.

Wow, that is brutal of a stop section. I would certainly build a new stop section, the type like Darin mentioned. Being of sufficient length is important for the fastest cars and since the rubber friction material can get worn over time, losing its stopping power. http://www.waynesthisandthat.com/im...

They had the dream of making this the biggest race in the country, attracting people from all over the US and getting national media coverage. If they want to keep pursuing that dream, they will need to look at ways to encourage people to participate, not discourage them. I think that starts with a ...

I'm not sure how open to rules changes they will be. At the council level, generally those in charge can be pretty resistant to rules changes, but we'll see. It would certainly make the race more appealing if the rules were improved, which would boost attendance. I hope that weather is good as well,...

I'll be at that race this year. I do intend to have a discussion with them regarding their rules. No filling and redrilling wheel bores. How do you inspect for that? Who does that anyway? Seems more likely that you will drill a tad off center, only hurting your chances. On minimum axle diameter, are...

I made a post to our GrandPrix Software Central Facebook page that shows some photos of Day 1, including the results of the Big Rig classes and a video clip of one of the heats. Bill's truck wasn't too hard to repair, but I am sure that the jolt that caused the wheels to break off of it, didn't help...

There currently isn't a way to move a racer once racing has started. It is something that I intend to investigate in the off season, to see just how complex that would be. If scoring by times, it may be doable. However, scoring by points is based on who the racer is going head-to-head against, so mo...

Randy,

I'm sorry to hear that you are selling the business. I do appreciate working with you all of these years and being able to visit with you and your family whenever we stopped through the Phoenix area. You have been a great asset for Pinewood Derby style racing and will be missed.

If you are having problems getting your USB to Serial Adapter to be recognized by GrandPrix Race Manager and you are running macOS High Sierra or above, then this note applies to you: NOTE: Mac OS High Sierra 10.13 introduces a new feature that requires user approval before loading new third-party k...