Ordering NEW Track/Timer/Software

[KLenort]

Hi everyone, first time poster here. I have been looking over your misc postings regarding tracks and timers. Our pack is taking the plunge this year and stepping into the 21st century. We are gonna say goodbye to our 2-lane track and the unfair elimination derby. Tell me your thoughts on what I am going to push my committe towrds (March 04 Derby):
1)Piantedosi wood 4-lane
(Considered:Piantedosi alum 4-lane and Bestrack alum 4-lane)
* Bestrack has more joints and I am leary of getting a fixed radius in line with other section (smooth transition)
Does the wood track come ready to race ?
2)Microwizard Fast Track P1
(Considered: Judge and New Bold)
* All very comparable, basically went by $$
3) Grandprix Race Manager
* Only one that had everything I wanted. Especially the ability to manually input times so we could use it for our summer cubmobile derby.

I would also lake a little input on how others display (software data) to the audience. Do you use multiple computer monitors or borrow a fancy VGA projector.

All comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I would be glad to share my race data after our derby.

[Da Graphite Kid]

KLenort,
I don't know where you are located or if you will be able to store the pwd track in a controlled enviroment or not. We cannot so an aluminum track was the better answer for us. I believe that the aluminum and wooden tracks both set-up the same. Once the lanes are attached into sections all the sections are stored that was and the sections are than bolted together when used. If you read the posts on this board, I believe you will find that track section to track section transition can be smooth on both types of tracks. Both manufacturers stressed that the initial track set-up is the key. Don't have my new track yet to make a definite comment but I went with the Piantedosi (aluminum) only because we were going to be racing on a Piantedosi (wooden) at District - since ordering the track we have been reshuffled to a District that uses a very short (25 foot ) home built wooden track. I've heard that this is only the second year that this track will be used and that they had a lot of lane-to-lane variation last year...

I went with the MicroWizard P3LCD because it had the features I wanted for the best price (display format, computer output, vertical display orientation, software compatability,...). I would have paid a little more for an even higher resolution display of car speeds but I wasn't going to pay as much as some of the others wanted.

Ditto on the Grand Prix Race Manager. Randy makes some nice software. also got the whole suite of software along with it. Now just need a portable PC that I can plug everything into that has some kick@$* speakers for the Race FX software. I've been practicing with the Timer and software on my big non-portable PC (wife says: "You're not unplugging everything and lugging that around with you race-to-race!" ) at home and everything works fine so far. I suggest you do the same before race day.

Da Graphite Kid

[Darin McGrew]

I would also lake a little input on how others display (software data) to the audience. Do you use multiple computer monitors or borrow a fancy VGA projector.

We use a VGA projector attached to the laptop that runs our scheduling software. It shows the previous race, the current race, and the next race. All races show who (name and number) is in each lane, and the previous race shows the (manually entered) results.

[gpraceman]

I would also lake a little input on how others display (software data) to the audience. Do you use multiple computer monitors or borrow a fancy VGA projector.

If you have a relatively small audience, you can use a large TV. With a larger audience it is best to use a projection system. Generally you need to have a video convertor box that will convert your computer signal into something the TV or project system can display, though there are some TV's and projectors that may have a direct computer video connection (the convertor is built in).

We use our church's two projection screens, with one screen displaying the screens from the GrandPrix Race Manager software (via video convertor box) and the other displays the view from a video camera that is placed at the finish line. We've done this the last two years and it has worked out well. Though, I wish I had a video camera that would give good slow motion instant replays of the finishes.

[KLenort]

We had our meeting last night and had a great turn out, all dens were represented. We agreed on a 4 Pantiodosi 40' track, Fast Track P1, and Grand Prix software. Now we just need to find a computer and a means of displaying to computer data to the audience. Do those of you that use Grand Prix print out the schedule to aid in rounding up scouts when it is their turn ? I was planning on running as an entire pack (not by individual dens as their sizes vary too much).

[Da Graphite Kid]

KLenort,
Congrats on the selections your Pack has made! I'm sure the boys will really enjoy it. I haven't used the Grand Prix software during actual racing conditions yet so I cannot comment. I do feel the need to comment on your decision to run the whole Pack together. My $0.02 is that this gives an unfair advantage to the boy-parent teams who have not been building pwd cars for longer than the other teams. This translates into Tigers having the least experience and Webelos II having the most experience - if they have been in Scouts since Tigers and have raced every year. This isn't always the case though. We are also a small Pack (about 20 kids right now) and we plan on racing wthin each rank to get the top 3 fastest and than have a race of champions over the whole Pack with awards for all. This will give each boy a better chance of bringing home an award of some sort and will provide more racing (racing = fun! ) for the boys as well. Differences in Den size should not make a difference. We only have two Bears and we will run on a three lane track. The 'filler car' will be one that I build (I'll make sure that it doesn't win). This way the Bears get to race more than once and get to beat an adult while they are at it!

So please reconsider your decision on this. It is a race, but if it isn't fun, they boys won't race next year.

Da Graphite Kid

[gpraceman]

KLenort,
Congrats on the selections your Pack has made! I'm sure the boys will really enjoy it. I haven't used the Grand Prix software during actual racing conditions yet so I cannot comment. I do feel the need to comment on your decision to run the whole Pack together. My $0.02 is that this gives an unfair advantage to the boy-parent teams who have not been building pwd cars for longer than the other teams. This translates into Tigers having the least experience and Webelos II having the most experience - if they have been in Scouts since Tigers and have raced every year. This isn't always the case though. We are also a small Pack (about 20 kids right now) and we plan on racing wthin each rank to get the top 3 fastest and than have a race of champions over the whole Pack with awards for all. This will give each boy a better chance of bringing home an award of some sort and will provide more racing (racing = fun! ) for the boys as well. Differences in Den size should not make a difference. We only have two Bears and we will run on a three lane track. The 'filler car' will be one that I build (I'll make sure that it doesn't win). This way the Bears get to race more than once and get to beat an adult while they are at it!

So please reconsider your decision on this. It is a race, but if it isn't fun, they boys won't race next year.

Da Graphite Kid

With GPRM, you can run the pack as one race group and define different subgroups being your ranks. Once racing is done, you can base your awards on the subgroup standings. As long as your standings are being determined by times, not points, and broken down by ranks, then there should be no issue with a Tiger racing against a Webelos II. You just need to make sure the parents and racers understand that they are racing the clock, not the racers in their heats (unless, of course, they race against a racer in their rank).

[Da Graphite Kid]

Randy,
I didn't know that! I'd been playing with GPRM set to points as that is what we will be using in our Pack race.

Da Graphite Kid

[KLenort]

My intensions were as da graphite kid explained. My Tigers are 14 strong while my wolf den is down to 3. My hopes were to race the entire pack of 47 and log each by time while ensuring all are registered by a den subgroup. That way we can pull up the times for each individual den for awards. I've ran some charts and by doing it this way I can get each scout 10 runs down the track in 1 1/2 hours and they will race against 90 percent of the pack. We spend a good half hour handing out awards. We made a pile of certificates last year and made up awards as we went, no scout went home empty handed. They don't need a first trophy to be proud of at that age, just to have an award presented to them in from of a crowd is special.
Still looking for an answer on a wood track, is it ready to race when we get it ? (aside from assembly).