Cal Club Autocross Forums

Jayson Woodruff wrote:Just to be clear, does anyone think it was an unsafe finish? or is this more of a 'Dislike'.
...
In short, I'm fine with it so long as it's not deamed unsafe.

... and doesn't cause re-runs due to 15 cones being knocked down at the finish that can't be put up in time. Which can be deemed unsafe.

If I have pick between "unsafe" and "dislike", I'll choose "Unwise" ;)

Finish shoot was really just an oddly spaced 5 cone slalom setup slightly unfriendly. Could have been done with 5 cones and a pointer. It's slightly odd to have the finish on a slalom cone, but I managed to get it stopped every time.. even the time with the worker right off course after the finish waving arms and 2 cones sittin in the middle of the finish shoot.

In the 5th run group I was working Radio 1. I had to run over to the finish 3 times and replace a cone or two. From where I had to run it was pretty close each time, but I was able to get out of the way of the next finisher. Me having to go over and handle the finish was more a result of a lack of workers in Radio 4's area then finish design, although there were at least 7 cars that hit cones after the lights that I saw.

Aaron Goldsmith wrote:Finish shoot was really just an oddly spaced 5 cone slalom setup slightly unfriendly. Could have been done with 5 cones and a pointer. It's slightly odd to have the finish on a slalom cone, but I managed to get it stopped every time.. even the time with the worker right off course after the finish waving arms and 2 cones sittin in the middle of the finish shoot.

It's not what's before the lights that would cause me concern; it's the amount and characteristics of the space that follows.

Bob Beamesderfer wrote:
It's not what's before the lights that would cause me concern; it's the amount and characteristics of the space that follows.

The area before the lights is what caused the issues this time Bob. Over use of cones made the finish hard to see and the preceding corner is what made the space after the finish difficult to navigate while turning and braking. The after the finish zone by itself if entered straight on was long enough to stop in a high HP car on street tires, the preceding is what made it.. interesting.

Aaron Goldsmith wrote:

Bob Beamesderfer wrote:
It's not what's before the lights that would cause me concern; it's the amount and characteristics of the space that follows.

The area before the lights is what caused the issues this time Bob. Over use of cones made the finish hard to see and the preceding corner is what made the space after the finish difficult to navigate while turning and braking. The after the finish zone by itself if entered straight on was long enough to stop in a high HP car on street tires, the preceding is what made it.. interesting.

I see. Well, that gets back to course designer preference/prerogative vs. safety concerns.

Ira Cruz wrote:Design for finish was fair. There is space to stop/slow down car. Problem I had was seeing/finding the lights. Found it on my 2nd & 3rd runs.
Suggest different cone color...something that will attract a drivers peripheral vision so it will tell brain to slow down.

We used to have a checkered flag at the finish. What happened with that?

I never saw the lights. I just hit the brakes when I got close to the left into the grid, I didn't hit anything (or anyone), but I wasn't real happy about it.

To me, the ideal finish is well-marked, able to be taken full throttle and has plenty of room to stop. Boring, huh?

I did mention the ambiguous finish during both novice course walks - one person suggested that using gates instead of two lines of cones for the elements leading up to the finish would have been a better solution so we could actually SEE where it ended. As soon as you made that right hander leading into those last few turns, all you could see was a sea of cones.

Bob Florey wrote: We used to have a checkered flag at the finish. What happened with that?

It's pretty tattered, but I think it's still around. It is an issue on windy days though.

Wasn't the Starting Flag missing ...

Who do we talk to about getting new Start and Finish Flags? Perhaps we can come up with some nice new bright contrasting color to use for the 6 Finish Cones. Perhaps Green White Green ...

Both the start and checkered flags are missing. +1 on the importance of the checkered flag.

Mako Koiwai wrote:Wasn't the Starting Flag missing ...

Who do we talk to about getting new Start and Finish Flags? Perhaps we can come up with some nice new bright contrasting color to use for the 6 Finish Cones. Perhaps Green White Green ...

:ibrightdea:

I'd say, go to the fabric store, buy a small amount of Green outdoor suitable fabric, pick up some nice thick dowls over at the home depot. Staple the fabric to the dowls with a staple gun like the current ones are. Bring'm to the next event and receive the accolades of your peers.

I think we just need about 20' of this across the finish line...

http://www.scsupplyco.com/Speed_Bumps.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Aaron Goldsmith wrote:I'd say, go to the fabric store, buy a small amount of Green outdoor suitable fabric, pick up some nice thick dowls over at the home depot. Staple the fabric to the dowls with a staple gun like the current ones are. Bring'm to the next event and receive the accolades of your peers.

I can handle that.

I'm just glad Craig didn't put in a stop box.

I think we just need about 20' of this across the finish line...

Even better, how about 20' of this...



We wouldn't have to worry about slowing down in time for that last turn to the timing slips.

Kurt Rahn wrote:

I think we just need about 20' of this across the finish line...

Even better, how about 20' of this...

Sure. You first, though.

Leonard Cachola wrote:I did mention the ambiguous finish during both novice course walks - one person suggested that using gates instead of two lines of cones for the elements leading up to the finish would have been a better solution so we could actually SEE where it ended. As soon as you made that right hander leading into those last few turns, all you could see was a sea of cones.

Blasphemy! Using gates on a course instead of a tunnel of cones?! How could we EVER find our way? How could we deal w/having a choice of lines; we are just children, after all ('though I must say, there really was a lot of choice - well done!). Watch it, Leonard, that's Nasty National-Type talk there.

Bill Schenker wrote:Watch it, Leonard, that's Nasty National-Type talk there.

Not pickin' a fight. Just sayin'!

Hmm, now that I look at it, I think that was the original finish. Fendel must not have updated his drawing after the changes.

I drew the course in the morning, before the first run group. However, it still looked this way when I made my runs in the second run group.

Rick, when was the finish supposed to have been changed?

Also, after a couple of spins in the third run group, there was at least one cone missing for a period of time on the outside of the final left turn. During the time it/they were missing, several people ran off course through the hole and looped around to re-enter the course and exit to the timing slip person. This exit at speed while braking could have caused a potential problem with the start area. IMHO of course.

John Fendel wrote:

Hmm, now that I look at it, I think that was the original finish. Fendel must not have updated his drawing after the changes.

I drew the course in the morning, before the first run group. However, it still looked this way when I made my runs in the second run group.

Rick, when was the finish supposed to have been changed?

Don't worry john, your drawing is correct as run. The finish very early in the morning was about 40 feet further along in the coarse.

Aaron Goldsmith wrote:Finish shoot was really just an oddly spaced 5 cone slalom setup slightly unfriendly. Could have been done with 5 cones and a pointer. It's slightly odd to have the finish on a slalom cone, but I managed to get it stopped every time.. even the time with the worker right off course after the finish waving arms and 2 cones sittin in the middle of the finish shoot.

Aaron - that could have been me waving my arms... not because of the downed cones that I couldn't to fast enough, but because there was a stopped car (the one that caused the downed cones) that you came VERY close to (in my opinion). Why was I waving my arms? I HAD NO FLAG. Why? NOBODY in the entire radio 4 area had a single flag (because the starter was using it?). There were 2 incidents during my work group where, in my opinon, a flag would have been apropriate given the cars that were going off-track over and over again after the lights. I spent more time chasing cones after the lights than anywhere else. I KNOW there were many times that I could not get to them fast enough before the next car (your run included). In fact, I know a few people (Renee included) got re-runs because I couldn't safely get to the HUGE number of downed cones after the lights.

Eric Stanley wrote: I HAD NO FLAG. Why? NOBODY in the entire radio 4 area had a single flag (because the starter was using it?).

If you notice this in the future, please have the radio person call to the trailer for a flag, we'll get one out to you ASAP.

Sebastian Rios wrote:

Eric Stanley wrote: I HAD NO FLAG. Why? NOBODY in the entire radio 4 area had a single flag (because the starter was using it?).

If you notice this in the future, please have the radio person call to the trailer for a flag, we'll get one out to you ASAP.