Derby Talk

This year will be our first year using GPRM. Is a printer needed on race day?

We will be doing points scoring. We have not needed a printer in the past with Raceview software.

So wondering if a printer is necessary on race day.

Thanks,
Greg

I do no think so but? Someone might want a copy of there score sheet so I would bring for just in case.

One is not needed, but can be helpful. I like giving a printout to the staging crew, so they can stage the cars faster than if they were depending on a computer monitor or projection system to show them who is up next. They can stage multiple heats ahead that way. The GPRM racing screen has a lot going on during racing, so the On Deck section is not always being displayed.

Printing out the scoresheet report is a good idea as well to record each heat. If the computer goes belly up, you can continue the race using the scoresheet.

Three years ago we used a borrowed inkjet printer. It helped out tremendously, however while fast, we found we were waiting for it to print the requested 4x copies of the 5 page race matrix (one for me, one for the announcer, one for the pit crew, and two to post for the cubs to see).

Last year and this year we used a cheap 27 page per minute Brother laser printer we picked up at Staples for around $65. Keep a lookout for these as they are small, reliable, CHEAP and can print so fast they won't hold up any races.

It cannot be overstated how much better the race day goes when your pit crew:
a) has multiple trays to stage the cars on - we got ours from Randy
b) has a pre-printed race matrix so that they can be working one to two races ahead

best of luck!

Last year we had a printer and a projector. After ten minutes they stopped looking at the paper and just stared out the screen to see who was on deck (grand prix software).

Alot depends on your group. Im use to Cub Scouts so I'll use that language. How big is the Pack? Will you be running the dens individually or as one large group? How much a race crew do you have? and how familiar are they with the names of the cubs.

For my small pack race, I never printed out a race schedule. We could use the ondeck feature on the big screen. For district where my race crew did not know who the Cubs were from all the packs that participated, a printed race schedule help so much. The race crew always had the boys staged in their heats of two to four groups out, it just keep the race rolling nice and smooth.

As for printing out individual car results. Some people really like it others don't. In my pack, I printed out one for those who asked, for District, we posted them on the District Website so they could go and look at them and print them out if they wanted to.

Before my move, I rented out my track setup, usually 20 to 25 times in a season, and always had the printer with me. I used it to print out the invoice mostly, but it came in handy for other things as well. Don't want people coming through a door, place a nicely printed sign on it. Looked better then the ball point pen sign that always seems to get missed. But for the most part didn't get used all that much. If you have it take it, go out and buy one just for one race, well..., that is how I got my bandsaw, belt sander, etc. little bit harder of an arguement for a $500.00 lathe, but still working on it.