racing partners discouraged in Florida

[SayMikey]

In RCU's case, the computer deals with boats on the same frequency and does not put them in the same heat. This was one of the orginal parameters we set up.
However, we have come across the situation where people do choose the same frequency for exactly the reason stated. To avoid raicing each other and to help each other out. We never really cared much about but then the past two years some father/son teams have done that. They do it so they can help each other out, but in actuality it gave them an unfair advantage over others as they never had to race each other.

We decided that to be fair, all boats in the top 20 in season points needed to have a dedicated frequency, different from everyone else in the top 20. This meant if you weren't in the top 20 and therefore more "recreational" racers you could still team up. However, if you were a more serious racer you had an equal chance to race any of the other top racers and no one didn't have to race against a specific other racer.

We had some initial grumbling over how we were "picking" on several people, as they needed to help each other. It was curious though, how they alwaya were able to find someone else to help when they both made the final. Finally after some good and heated discussion they understood the point and agreed to get on different frequencies. I think the key thing we learned as a club was, people don't care what you decide, as long as you include them in the discussion and try to make things fair for everyone.

Face it guys as a host club and as a c/d its your job to make sure everything is fair.As c/d and club president i go way out of my way to make sure contestants get a fair shake on and off the stand,and at the same time do all i can to make everyone at our race feel at home. If there are enough boats whats the big deal unless its a points series no real advantage exsists. In the good classes there are always enough for 2-3 heats per round.Maybe you should try the SHOOTOUT format that will change everything,you win you race the fast boats and be ready to change freqs. Mike

 

[Brian_Nelsen]

Mic

I love ya man, but I have to agree with Joe here. There is an advantage to not ever having to race each other. Lets face it your both fast and good drivers, all you have raced you know that. I travel to more races than I do locally and have different pit people all the time. I do not mind this as someone in this thread stated you get to interact with people you do not know. I know what I want a pit man to do for me and I tell them that or ask if I need something they are not giving me. I would rather it be the same guy everytime just like you, its comfortable and you know what to expect. Starting equipment is another deal though. Having two starting set ups costs money, and this sport is expensive enough. That said I have shared equipment with others in the same heat you just have to start one boat earlier or later than the other or ask someone to borrow for a race. Sharing starting equipment can make things ugly if one boat does not start or has a problem. Just gotta work it out.

My two cents Mic, hope you can get up here some next year it was great racing with ya again. Tell Jay sorry about being so hard on him at the international regatta but we gotta be safe. Take care

Brian Nelsen

 

[Don Ferrette]

Well I was going to avoid this one but after seeing some of the posts like "chicken **** stuff" and "accusing me of cheating against you" makes a response necessary. Guys, while I can appreciate father/son or race partners pitting for each other some of the comments made about it being considered favoritism are dead on. Aligning heats to split up people is no different than someone stacking heats to make them easy, you are still manipulating the heat(s). Anybody who thinks otherwise is just kidding themselves. I have been CDing & doing race entries for different clubs for quite a few years now & the best way is to let the computer set the heats REGARDLESS of how they wind up. It's fair & impartial, the computer doesn't know who anyone is. Yes there might, once in a while, be a circumstance to consider but 99% of the time you gotta keep it level. I will tell you this, if you enter a race that I'm doing the entries for, unless the class has AT LEAST 12 or more entries you better be prepared to be asked to change frequency and possibly run together before you even get to the lake. Here in IMPBA D12 we are about to hold the annual ODMBA Invitational in Chesapeake this weekend, I have just over 200 boats entered and this race rocks the house in our district each year, if you trophy here you've done well. I have spent the better part of the last 2 days (cut off was Monday) calling people to get them to switch frequencies in classes with lower boat counts even if there are 2 heats. This did 2 things, one it enabled me to drop a few heats by going to 7 & 8 boat heats in some classes & saves time which there never seems to be enough of. I even have nine 20 monos that now do not have any freq. conflicts. I will ask the drivers Sat. morning if they would consider running all in one heat, they're small boats, we have a big pond & the system does score thru 9 places but a nine boat heat is totally up to the drivers. Secondly, you will find valuable time can be saved when the inevitable scratches start happening on the second day, you can quickly combine heats without waiting for someone to change crystals (or hearing the all too familiar "I forgot my spare crystals") and scrambling to move heats forward while waiting for someone to change. Like I said, I have no problems with guys who pit for each other but around here if you enter a class that may have less than 12 entered be ready for a phone call. It is what it is fellas, keep it impartial so you don't even have to go there about "what's fair". B)

 

[lohring]

The simple solution to the problem of not having the best racers run against each other has been around for a long time. It's called the Love Plan and is used at most scale races, as well in full size boat racing. There there are several qualifying heats then one or more consolation races for the group below the top points winners where the winner advances to the final heat. Awards are given to the place in the final. It would be unusual to not have all the "best" racers wind up in the final no matter how the heat draws go. We use this plan if the classes are large enough in our district. The final is always worth watching.

2.4 GHz radios will soon eliminate frequency conflicts in any case.

Lohring Miller

 

[HTV Boats]

I guess when you try to open discussion you take the good with the bad. Thank you all for the input.

I do need to address Don Riek and say that he did and does an excellent job as CD. His decisions are for the betterment of competition and I understand sometimes you have to be a benevolent dictator. This issue obviously had some heated discussion before I got involved and will be resolved by consensus and open discusion.

To the personal attacks generated well it's good to open up and maybe this is cheaper than therapy. I do not beleive I have ever not helped out at a race when asked to. In 20 plus years of active racing I have run more than my share of races. Been racing in Florida only 8 months. Any other words here would not be positive.

Seems in the real world there is no fair way to sramble competition. I will conceed that everyone should run everyone but the practical application if you are registered next in line the computer may not be able to separate you all day. This is where the human element enters. Be it the managment being asked for consideration or just using duplicate frequencies. A shootout format would be the best. Running the best guys availiable makes the best racing.The biggest issue to me is plain logistics and pit person. Sound simple to just grab someone or use someone elses starting equipment but if you have ever missed a heat due to something you normally would have prevented sucks. Like it or not some team concept is present in most of motorsports.

 

[AFIRacing]

Hope this doen't mean you took me off your christmas list??? Sorry for HEARLING YOU, You all know how passive and shy I am.Don't know what came over me.If you look close at the Lee Racing Boat in Mag read the lettering on the sponson.CYaaaa

Steve H.