July 20, 2008 - Post Event

[Native]

Event chairs are still needed for Nov. and Dec. Here's a chance for someone to try to one-up Mike!

[03M3]

I've been told that sideways is not the quickest way around the course...but it does get lots of smiles!

sideways drivers represent 8)

[Native]

I just got email from SPC saying that we did not reset the police course after our event, and that we will be billed for it the next time.

I need to respond.

What happened?

[impalanut]

we may have missed a few spots, but I looked at it when we left and it looked ok, although I didn't have a map in front of me.

[bama_rebel2000]

Steve we set up the police course the best we could. I am not sure if their
course was the same as the course layout we used.
Thanks Mike (bama_rebel2000)

[Native]

ok. thanks. I figgerd y'all didn't not do it

I'm not sure what they aren't happy with - I'll try to find out.

[AScoda]

There are maps for the police layout in the registration box, but I think Brian already took the box to you, Steve before the event ended. We shopuld probably laminate 5 or 6 so they last, and leave them hanging somewhere in the trailer where they are easily found.

[Solar]

There are maps for the police layout in the registration box, but I think Brian already took the box to you, Steve before the event ended. We shopuld probably laminate 5 or 6 so they last, and leave them hanging somewhere in the trailer where they are easily found.

I passed out a few diagrams, but even with the diagrams, resetting the course isn't the easiest thing to do. This is no excuse, but when there's only a couple people resetting it after a long hot day, I can't blame anyone who would want to get out of there.

We just need to make sure that a few people are assigned solely for resetting the course, (not the same people who load the trailer).

[Native]

yeah, not having the maps, or not enough maps, does make it difficult.

Nevertheless...(insert lecture about how difficult it is to find autocross sites and not wanting to agitate the ones we have).

[Loren]

Okay... if they're talking about charging us to set up the course... how much WOULD they charge us to set up the course? Maybe it would be worth it?

[Solar]

Okay... if they're talking about charging us to set up the course... how much WOULD they charge us to set up the course? Maybe it would be worth it?

I have a feeling the charge is more of a penalty than a service.

[Tim_M]

I was one of the ones setting the autocross course up and taking the police layout down...

I did not see any marks for the police cones that would even assist in the course setup which makes it pretty darn time consuming to lay it back out with a map or not.

I would be interested in the cost as well.

[Jamie]

...resetting the course isn't the easiest thing to do.

Which we've talked about for at least a year. At one time, we talked about asking to paint some clearer marks for the current layout -- nothing more than an orange dot of paint -- to make resetting the course easier. IIRC, we were told SPC was going to re-top the pad and paint new markings, which would make resetting the police course much faster and easier. If they've delayed that, we should ask again about making the markings clearer, or simply make some discreet marks of our own. Otherwise we're going to revisit this many more times.

[meicalnissyen]

Excellent video!

My apologies to the 42 drivers that were slower than a Yaris.

If only I'd been smart enough to NOT fill the car up a few days before an autocross... maybe I'd have gotten down to 41 seconds. Removing the spare tire and crap from the back of the car (which I did before my last run) was apparently worth 2 tenths. With that long straight and a couple places after that I was really sluggish accelerating out of, carrying 60 pounds less fuel probably would have been another 2-3 tenths.

I guess I need to make up my mind whether or not I want to be "casual" or "serious", huh?

I will forever show this to my friends who say I need to get a "real" car.

Clearly, I just need to suck as a driver a great deal less!!!!

[Loren]

Clearly, I just need to suck as a driver a great deal less!!!!

I believe I have instigated at least one driver placing a "Suck Less" sign on their dashboard. Probably among the best advice I ever give. 8)

[snookwheel]

I believe I have instigated at least one driver placing a "Suck Less" sign on their dashboard. Probably among the best advice I ever give. 8)

To be specific, the sign will read: "Push Harder and Suck Less"

Scott

[Native]

Which we've talked about for at least a year. At one time, we talked about asking to paint some clearer marks for the current layout -- nothing more than an orange dot of paint -- to make resetting the course easier. IIRC, we were told SPC was going to re-top the pad and paint new markings, which would make resetting the police course much faster and easier. If they've delayed that, we should ask again about making the markings clearer, or simply make some discreet marks of our own. Otherwise we're going to revisit this many more times.

You remember correctly. THey actually did repaint the dots where the police cones go - they are green. If you know what to look for, and use landmarks appropriately, it actually is fairly easy to put up once you've done it once or twice.

We already pay through the nose for the police pad, and I think Brian is probably right - they want to penalize us, not offer a service.

[rant] The whole thing cone-resetting thing pisses me off - it's like going to a hotel, and first having to change the bed of the person who was there before you, AND change your own linens when you are ready to go, all the while paying for the time it takes you to do it. But, I guess at some level they know we're the ones over a barrel - they have what we want, but they don't care if they sell it to us or not... [/rant]

If y'all feel strongly about it, I can ask them again about repainting the dots, and also about paying to not have to reset it ($%#@)...

[Solar]

If the green dots are visable and correct, then it should make it much easier to reset. I think the people who were out there resetting the course didn't know about the dots. Lets make sure that next time before the course is set up, lets see if the police layout cones are marked properly, if so, then it shouldn't be a problem to point out the dots to the resetting crew.

The biggest rant I have is the lack of people staying afterwards to help with resetting the course, as long as we make resetting the course a work assignment, (seperate from cleanup/ loading the trailer) it shouldn't be an issue in the future.

[michlong]

i've only done a coupe of events at SPC and honestly had no idea there was any reseting of the police course......

can we not add it the info about the event on myautoevents, set expectations up front etc.

thanks

Mike Long

[03M3]

Markings - they aren't very good. I was out there resetting, and it took me a little while to find markings and figure them out (as best as I could) - and I have helped before... Once you get out there and see things coming together, they make some sense...but it's tough (even with a map in hand)

Issues:
Where do the big cones go, versus the small ones?
Seem to be some extra "dots"/markings around.
Dots are small, faint, and hard to find.
+1 on laminated maps (with "what the markings look like" instructions)

I think we had it 95%+ when we left