Looking for a kinder, gentler, fairer scheduling format
Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2005 10:17 pm
My pack uses the Sterns method with Derbymaster software and The Judge timer. About 60 cars race 6 heats on a 3-lane track after being randomly grouped together by the software. The winners are picked based on points and there are usually 4 or 5 cars that are undefeated and race times are used to break the tie. First, second, and third place pack trophies are awarded, as well as first and second place den (even though members of the individual dens may never actually race against each other. Curiously, the way this format is defined, the pack trophy winners never race against each other either because if the did, only one of them would be undefeated.)
Do a lot of packs use formats like this?
I volunteered to run the computer next year and am looking for a kinder, gentle, more fair format. I’m sure I’m preaching to the choir but here goes: I claim this format is not fair to the fast cars because of the random nature of the Sterns match ups. The undefeated cars are not necessarily the fastest cars, just the cars lucky enough to be matched up against only slower cars. Last year, the fastest car based on race times lost one race and didn’t get a pack trophy. This year, the second fastest car in the pack based on time lost one race and didn’t get a pack trophy. (This part of the problem could be fixed by switching to race times instead of points.)
This format is not kind to the slower cars. This year we had many reports of younger kids crying during or after the race in the parking lot because of poor performing cars. (Recall that this is supposed to be fun.) I still remember my son’s first derby as a Tiger. All I wanted was for him to win one race and I would call the day a success. Just one race. This year, we had 24 cars that did not win a single race. We had seven cars that came in last every race but one and had two kids that came in last every single race. If the race format could pit these slower cars against each other, instead of repeatedly placing them with the fast cars mentioned above, more kids would be winning more races.
I proposed that we changed the format and the pack agreed to listen to possible changes provided that eliminations are not used. We want to have all kids race the same number of races with the possible exception of the short run-off at the end if necessary. Is there some kind of format (and software) out there that adapts to the results of a heat when scheduling the next heat? For example, pitting cars together with the same number of losses? This would wind up with the fast cars racing other fast cars and slow cars racing other slow cars. Pitting slow cars against other slow cars would assure that they will win more races. Pitting fast cars against other fast cars will assure that the fastest cars in the pack actually get the pack trophies.
Thanks in advance,
-Scott
Do a lot of packs use formats like this?
I volunteered to run the computer next year and am looking for a kinder, gentle, more fair format. I’m sure I’m preaching to the choir but here goes: I claim this format is not fair to the fast cars because of the random nature of the Sterns match ups. The undefeated cars are not necessarily the fastest cars, just the cars lucky enough to be matched up against only slower cars. Last year, the fastest car based on race times lost one race and didn’t get a pack trophy. This year, the second fastest car in the pack based on time lost one race and didn’t get a pack trophy. (This part of the problem could be fixed by switching to race times instead of points.)
This format is not kind to the slower cars. This year we had many reports of younger kids crying during or after the race in the parking lot because of poor performing cars. (Recall that this is supposed to be fun.) I still remember my son’s first derby as a Tiger. All I wanted was for him to win one race and I would call the day a success. Just one race. This year, we had 24 cars that did not win a single race. We had seven cars that came in last every race but one and had two kids that came in last every single race. If the race format could pit these slower cars against each other, instead of repeatedly placing them with the fast cars mentioned above, more kids would be winning more races.
I proposed that we changed the format and the pack agreed to listen to possible changes provided that eliminations are not used. We want to have all kids race the same number of races with the possible exception of the short run-off at the end if necessary. Is there some kind of format (and software) out there that adapts to the results of a heat when scheduling the next heat? For example, pitting cars together with the same number of losses? This would wind up with the fast cars racing other fast cars and slow cars racing other slow cars. Pitting slow cars against other slow cars would assure that they will win more races. Pitting fast cars against other fast cars will assure that the fastest cars in the pack actually get the pack trophies.
Thanks in advance,
-Scott