looking for software that ....

[Stan Pope]

Give me an email addy and I'll send over pdf's of the material that I gave to each of my Track Chairmen for operating their races at our district derby. If you don't want to post it, send it to me at standcmr@aol.com

[brownboy]

Thanks Stan .. you da man ...

brownboy3491@yahoo.com

you know it's sorta wierd how three years ago, I was looking for hints and tips to help my Tiger build his first car, and I must have seen your article on 5 websites, now I'm getting help from the guy himself! Isn't the internet great. I wish this site was up 3 years ago, much really good info here.

[Stan Pope]

An email is on the way. It has a zip file attachment with about a dozen pdf's enclosed. Hope a 1/2 Meg attachment can make it's way through yahoo okay. I don't have enough web space to put it online.

[brownboy]

Thanks Stan, I got it.

Wow, I really like the stuff you sent over. If I can talk the Co-chair for our districts into it I'm going to try the Format you sent over in "heat plan" pdf then run the finals, I can really see how it would be better for the Kids than D.E.

and it will take advantage of our seldom (read never) used third lane.

[Stan Pope]

Keep in mind that the whole package that I sent works together.

If the group is smallish, e.g. around 40 or fewer boys, consider running 2 at a time. The reason is that the top group whittles down too quickly. Also consider running 2 at a time if the middle lane is significantly worse than the other two.

Reductions racing 3 at a time:
1 round: 3 -> 1
2 rounds: 9 -> 1
3 rounds: 27 -> 1
4 rounds: 81 -> 1
...

Reductions racing 2 at a time:
1 round: 2 -> 1
2 rounds: 4 -> 1
3 rounds: 8 -> 1
4 rounds: 16 -> 1
...

Total number of heats needed and sequence of group sizes can be displayed using a script in my nelim page:
http://stanpope.net/nelim.html at
http://stanpope.net/nelimsim.html

If you want to run 2 at a time, give me a shout and I'll help you work out lane draw token boxes.

At first thought, tokens should be something like
4 or more left in line waiting to race from group: Next 3 draw from tokens 1, 2, and X.
3 left in line waiting to race from group: Next 2 draw from tokens 1, 2, and X.
1 or 2 left in line waiting to race from group: Rest draw from tokens 1 and 2.
This causes a mild random reshuffle of the boys waiting to race and assigns racing lane by chance.

If there are an odd number of racers in the group, then someone will race a bye. At some point as the group races there will be exactly 3 remaining in line. The "3 left" draw randomly places the bye in one of the last two heats. The obvious need is to mix up the line in a way that keeps a "smart kid" from always being close to the end of the line.

edit: changed site name to stanpope.net from AOL!

[brownboy]

well it's that time again, stopped by this thread to see if any computer freeware software had been written since last year to do Stans method of (x)E elimination method with a homebuilt printer port interface and a 3 lane track. no luck there (go figure)... but last year's poker chip in tupperware container method was so successfull that we've had many of the district's packs contact us for information so they could run their derby the same way.


PS Stan not sure if I told you, but the reduntant paper trail you insisted on saved my neck from what would have been an ugly situation.. great insight.

PSS the multiple winner in one heat senario happened several times... but it really ended up being a positive... if it's too close to call, we just advanced all cars judged to finish first.