On Race Day
When you are practicing, use the first run to get used to the track layout and slowly work your way to full speed as you get used to the track. Using the rest of your practice time to improve your time from there is one of the best ways to learn the track and your car.
Also try and be aware of the other racers—keeping up to someone faster than you can be a great learning experience. Often the pre-race tack will be crowded and unorganized, so take care while practicing not to run into others and risk wrecking your or someone else’s car before the race even begins.
When it’s time, the race director will announce that the qualifying heats are available for racers to see their car numbers and race numbers. These are very important! Get your car number decals and with a pen or marker mark your race number on one of the car numbers. This will make sure you remember when your race is coming up, you won’t miss one of your races.
A 'round' of races is one complete set of races, from race number one to the last race. Each round of races can last 30-45 minutes for a small track with just a few races, to an hour and a half or more at busy tracks. Most tracks will have at least two and sometimes three rounds of qualifying.
Qualifying is your chance to make your best run on the track, in preparation for the 'mains,' or the final races. Usually the top ten fastest racers in each class will be grouped in what is called the A Main or A Final, and the next ten fastest racers are in the B Main, and so on. Sometimes a class will have ten or less racers in it, so there is only an A Main and no B Main.
The novice class is usually the first class to race, so if this is your first race, make sure your batteries are charged up. If the track uses transponders, ensure you have the correct one installed. There will usually be a track employee at the transponder area with whom you should register. Watch the race numbers coming up and select the right transponder with the correct color.
When you get ready for racing, be as relaxed as possible and just try to make it to the end of the race without hitting any barriers or other cars - that is what will slow you down the most. Don't worry about winning, going faster than other cars or making any passes—simply run your car as consistently and quickly as you can. After the race is over, make sure you follow any directions the race director gave everyone before the racing started. Sometimes your car and radio must be left on a table, sometimes you are able to take your car back to your pit area.
Either way, make sure you get back out to the track to do your turn marshaling duties. Every racer has to turn marshal the race immediately after theirs, this is the best way to make sure everyone does their marshal duty and everyone has an equal chance to get going the right way if they crash or make a mistake during their race. Turn marshaling is basically watching a specific part of the track and turning over any cars that crash in that area. Failure to complete your marshalling duties could result in penalties to your score or disqualification from the round.
To give you an idea of what the rules are like, here's the way ROAR lays out the guidelines for turn marshalling:
5.5 TURN MARSHALING
5.5.5 Drivers must marshal for their designated race. Another qualified ROAR member may
substitute with the approval of the Race Director. It is the driver’s responsibility to find a
substitute marshal. The original marshal is responsible for the actions of the substitute.
5.5.6 Turn marshals are not permitted to repair vehicles. Marshals will take disabled vehicles to
the closest outer edge of the racetrack as soon as possible.
5.5.7 A vehicle running on the track has the right-of-way over a vehicle that has gone off the
track, turned over, or otherwise had problems.
5.5.8 When marshaling a vehicle, it should be returned to the point where it left the racing
surface. Care must be exercised not to interfere with on-coming vehicles.
5.5.9 Only the designated marshals are permitted to handle vehicles on the racetrack during a
race. No one else may enter the racetrack to repair or retrieve a vehicle.
5.5.10 Marshals for 1/5 scale classes can be a pit crew member. No one,Marshal or otherwise
may enter the race track area until a Yellow Flag condition is called and all vehicles have
slowed to a controlled pace.
Once you are done turn marshaling you can head back to your pit area to work on your car, get your next battery started charging, or whatever you need to do to get ready for your next race. When the qualifying races are over, the mains begin, normally after a short break in the schedule. Your car number may change, and also your race number may be different, so be sure to pay attention to the main event listing.
The main event is run just like the qualifying races, except that this time there's usually a real prize at stake! The top ten fastest drivers in each class are put in the A main for that class, the next fastest group in the B, the next ten fastest in the C, etc. If you didn’t make the final group you wanted, take time out to watch those who ranked ahead of you. Observing their steering and racing techniques may help you get better results next race.
Tackling a New Track
A new track is always exciting, but seeing it for the first time can often be overwhelming and intimidating. It is important to calmly evaluate the track in its every aspect, and try to anticipate potential trouble spots. Each track has its strengths, weaknesses and quirks--the better grasp you have of them before the race begins the better you'll do.
When you first set eyes on a new track, look for the tricky or tight spots: boards that may snag your car, a fast entry going past a corner dot, off-camber turns, etc. Some turns have a real sweep to them that can be dangerous if you enter or exit too soon. Long, stretched out turns—sometimes called lazy S’s—are often tight against the boards; take these with caution to avoid trouble: these are the types of corners that cause crashes and flameouts.
It is important to know how to spot these corners and carefully navigate your car through them without incident. Use your practice rounds to get a feel for the whole track to map out difficult parts of the track. One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is over-driving the turns during their practice times. Once you've identified any tricky turns, look for the easier turns and sections that can improve your lap times.
Spotting the pivotal and dangerous points in a new track is not always easy. Your practice time is limited, and it can be hard to know without running it a few times how to take a certain turn properly. The transition from straights to tight turns is where a lot of drivers lose time—pay close attention to slacker parts of the track that allow you to make up time. Watch for hairpins and sweeping turns so you can anticipate how quickly they can be taken. Experienced drivers make the most of their practice runs and heats by mapping out the dangerous parts of the track they must keep slowly and the part in which time can be gained.
Many tracks feature large sets of looping S curves. These sweeping curves in rapid succession can spell trouble for inexperienced drivers. Take care to control the inertia of the inner loops, and do not over steer. Use your practice runs to test how fast you can take S’s, as they are one of the trickiest parts of most RC tracks. Remember for more dangerous parts of the track, slow and steady is preferable to crashing and burning.
When evaluating the track, be sure and spot the shorter straights that can be rounded off between curves save time. Negotiating your way through these sections properly can significantly lower lap times. The easiest way to negotiate such a turn is to straighten it out before you make the second turn. This usually makes the car look as though it’s slowly doing a slight S-bend in the straight section. The fast way to do these types of turns is to turn the short straight into a nice radius by tightening up the curves as much as possible. But take care that you do not cut any of the corners too short or you’ll run the risk of a crash. The key lies in acceleration through the small straight between the opposite curves—time it right and you won’t have to straighten out your car entirely. This creates the shortest distance between the two turns and allows you to carry the most speed into the next section.
Make-or-break sections are named with good reason: master them, and you’ll always find yourself in the A final; fail to get a knack for them and they’ll cost you precious time. With practice you’ll be able not only to spot these pivotal sections, but to navigate them successfully. Especially when you consider you’ll be racing against others and there is always a possibility of disaster, you’ll want to master course navigation.
How do I Pass?
There are a number of factors affecting how successfully you pass. Proper evaluation of the sections and hazards of the track, as well as of the drivers around you, is key to making safe, effective passes. Every driver is different, but there are universally accepted ideas about when you should and shouldn’t pass. More then anything, passing is about opportunity, and the driver’s ability to anticipate his speed and the speed of the surrounding vehicles. Of course, this also has a great deal to do with the track—you’ll find some race tracks have numerous safe passing zones while in other it is next to impossible to get a clear pass. Watch for breaks especially when entering and exiting straight-aways, since these tends to be the time when racers are changing position and speed. Patience and awareness are as important in pulling off good passes and speed and reflexes. When you’ve decided you want to pass, be sure to analyze the person’s postion, acceleration and the track around you before you move. Avoid passing in hairpin turns and on the track’s fast sections, and be sure that your pass doesn’t put you in poor position for the next turns.
And the Most Important Rule of All…
When you’re racing (or even just practicing) keep fair play and good sportsmanship in mind at all times. Every competitor puts equal amounts of painstaking time and energy into their models, so respect the parts and competition space of others at all times. Crashes and flameouts can be harrowing and awful—but in the event of such an accident, it is important to try and minimize damage to other cars. Any disputes over times, technical requirements or race rules should be brought to the race officials’ attention immediately.Decisions made by race organizers are usually final, and should be respected.
Just remember everyone is there to have fun- so treat the other drivers fairly and don’t forget to enjoy the race!
posted by Nadim @ 7:23 AM
