Tom Welch
Enthusiast
Hello all,
There has been alot of conversation about a method of determining the best driver at voi. In my opinion there is a simple solution to this question, using it affords every participant the same chance to earn the title of "best driver" while still allowing every car to go as fast as it possibly can.
I am pasting this response from another post on the "Viper racing, time slips" forum;
Jason,
Good idea but I've got another. Drag racing is about consistancy and longevity. I'm not impressed by the one run kamakazi bonzai warrior.
The essence of drag racing has always been the process of eliminations that lead to the eventual winner. There is rarely a dispute of who the winner is at a drag racing event. Computers, timers and beams of light take the human mistake factor out of deciding the victor.
I suggest a series of eliminations, similar to what goes on every saturday nite at drag strips across America. This series of eliminations is referred to as "bracket racing".
Racers get a few time runs to determine what their car can run. Then they "dial in" their time on the window of the car with shoe polish. This dial in is a time that their car can achieve without running faster. Once at the starting line, 2 cars with different dial in's are handicapped by computer from the timing tower and the slower car gets a headstart. This headstart is computed so that if the cars were on a rail, and driven perfectly by computer, they would reach the finish line at exactly the same time. With this in mind, the driver makes the difference. Bracket racing was designed to make drag racing affordable and competitive to all participants, so that the racer with the most money doesn't win unless he is also the most consistant car and driver combination.
Bracket racing requires consistancy in the car and driver.
For our usage, I suggest the following;
1. Keep the class structure that we currently have
2. Have eliminations per class
3. Winners of each class race against each other for best driver of the event.
Its just that simple.
One other important thing that I'd like to add which is common at the "fastest street car" and "Quick 16" events across the country...your dial in must be within .05 of your best time run. This helps to keep the faster cars from "sandbagging". A series of eliminations also keeps the one run kamakazi bonzai warriors from being a one run wonder. Awards can still be handed out to top speed and low et per class, as I would assume that everyone is trying to go as fast as they can on every run.
Just my $ 0.02. Flame suit donned. Everyone travel safe to this event!
Tom Http://btrviper.com
P.S. I have added this....in a nutshell, there are alot of good drivers out there like Mike B, Mike S., Chuck 98 rt/10, D. Levin, G. Bryce, L. Saunders, J. Furman, and countless others, but their Vipers are all spec'd different. What other format could everyone compete in?
There are other forms of drag racing eliminations, ie; classes by mods with the fastest car in each class being crowned king. These are good also, but they do not necessarily show who is the best driver, but maybe the best or wealthiest tuner. A bracket style elimination will show the best driver for that given day, and we can still crown kings of the fastest in class as they surely deserve recognition for their efforts.
There has been alot of conversation about a method of determining the best driver at voi. In my opinion there is a simple solution to this question, using it affords every participant the same chance to earn the title of "best driver" while still allowing every car to go as fast as it possibly can.
I am pasting this response from another post on the "Viper racing, time slips" forum;
Jason,
Good idea but I've got another. Drag racing is about consistancy and longevity. I'm not impressed by the one run kamakazi bonzai warrior.
The essence of drag racing has always been the process of eliminations that lead to the eventual winner. There is rarely a dispute of who the winner is at a drag racing event. Computers, timers and beams of light take the human mistake factor out of deciding the victor.
I suggest a series of eliminations, similar to what goes on every saturday nite at drag strips across America. This series of eliminations is referred to as "bracket racing".
Racers get a few time runs to determine what their car can run. Then they "dial in" their time on the window of the car with shoe polish. This dial in is a time that their car can achieve without running faster. Once at the starting line, 2 cars with different dial in's are handicapped by computer from the timing tower and the slower car gets a headstart. This headstart is computed so that if the cars were on a rail, and driven perfectly by computer, they would reach the finish line at exactly the same time. With this in mind, the driver makes the difference. Bracket racing was designed to make drag racing affordable and competitive to all participants, so that the racer with the most money doesn't win unless he is also the most consistant car and driver combination.
Bracket racing requires consistancy in the car and driver.
For our usage, I suggest the following;
1. Keep the class structure that we currently have
2. Have eliminations per class
3. Winners of each class race against each other for best driver of the event.
Its just that simple.
One other important thing that I'd like to add which is common at the "fastest street car" and "Quick 16" events across the country...your dial in must be within .05 of your best time run. This helps to keep the faster cars from "sandbagging". A series of eliminations also keeps the one run kamakazi bonzai warriors from being a one run wonder. Awards can still be handed out to top speed and low et per class, as I would assume that everyone is trying to go as fast as they can on every run.
Just my $ 0.02. Flame suit donned. Everyone travel safe to this event!
Tom Http://btrviper.com
P.S. I have added this....in a nutshell, there are alot of good drivers out there like Mike B, Mike S., Chuck 98 rt/10, D. Levin, G. Bryce, L. Saunders, J. Furman, and countless others, but their Vipers are all spec'd different. What other format could everyone compete in?
There are other forms of drag racing eliminations, ie; classes by mods with the fastest car in each class being crowned king. These are good also, but they do not necessarily show who is the best driver, but maybe the best or wealthiest tuner. A bracket style elimination will show the best driver for that given day, and we can still crown kings of the fastest in class as they surely deserve recognition for their efforts.
