Re: Race Schedules & Software
Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 2:21 am
Continuing my discussion from my prior post ...
I plugged in generators for a 12 car CPN chart. Not unsurprisingly, the number of heats was 132 (12*11 from the formula that I showed above). At a typical rate of one heat per minute, that would take more than 2 hours! If you had 30 racers, this would be 870 = 30*29 heats (about 15 hours!)
There is another strategy that I suggest. Use a reasonable number of heats as a "screening race" to identify some number of finalists. From other analyses, I've found that a group of finalists numbering twice as many as I have place trophies to award usually assures that the deserving are among the finalists.
Then race the finalists in a PN or CPN chart.
So, if you are awarding trophies for places 1-3, then use a 4 round PPN chart for screening all the racers and then a 6 round chart for the 7 highest scoring racers.
For 30 racers this would be 120 heats for the prelim ... each racer makes 8 runs ... and 42 heats for the finals.
Maybe it is time for your pack to try a wider track! Or (much as I dislike 'em) run the competition based on average elapsed time for 6 or 8 heats. A timer for a 2 lane track is not that expensive!
I plugged in generators for a 12 car CPN chart. Not unsurprisingly, the number of heats was 132 (12*11 from the formula that I showed above). At a typical rate of one heat per minute, that would take more than 2 hours! If you had 30 racers, this would be 870 = 30*29 heats (about 15 hours!)
There is another strategy that I suggest. Use a reasonable number of heats as a "screening race" to identify some number of finalists. From other analyses, I've found that a group of finalists numbering twice as many as I have place trophies to award usually assures that the deserving are among the finalists.
Then race the finalists in a PN or CPN chart.
So, if you are awarding trophies for places 1-3, then use a 4 round PPN chart for screening all the racers and then a 6 round chart for the 7 highest scoring racers.
For 30 racers this would be 120 heats for the prelim ... each racer makes 8 runs ... and 42 heats for the finals.
Maybe it is time for your pack to try a wider track! Or (much as I dislike 'em) run the competition based on average elapsed time for 6 or 8 heats. A timer for a 2 lane track is not that expensive!