for people who hit the timing equipment

[engled]

When your going all out trying to get that last little bit, you don't think anything about the timing lights.

Yup, you are correct. I do like your insurance idea.

/if I hit them I will pay.
//if you hit them you should as well
///I hang out on fark too much
////I like slashes

[waflet]

hideeho
as one who has gone throught the lights sideways & backwards a few times, i wasn't thinking about the lights one bit as i started to slide. then it's

OHCRAPICANTSAVETHISPLEASEDONTHITTHELIGHTPLEASEDONT HITANYBODYPLEASEDONTHITANYTHINGPLEASEDONT... oh, i stoped. whew.

my point being, the lights are always going to be an after thought, therefore need to be as out of the way, protected, easy ending as possible, but it will still happen. we can harp on it in the drivers meeting till were blue in the face, but once folks are on the track thats all out the window. especially at this level of experience.

for comparison, think about the usgp @ indy a few years ago. all the drivers had to do was slow down a little bit for the last turn & they would have been fine. instead, knowing once they were racing wheel to wheel, they wouldn't do it, they dropped out. same situation here, all be it on a vastly different scale. all that can be done is to follow the guide line sent out by the scca, make it as safe as possible, make it as secure as possible, hammer it into drivers heads as much as possible, then KNOW it will happen anyway at some point.

[Erv]

straight finishes don't work
tight finishes don't work
they just don't

[TouringBubble]

What about a tight feature to drop speed and then a short straight after to the lights?

[Erv]

the reason i say tight finishes don't work, is you will have one of two isues

1. the obstacle before the finish will be too tight for most people

2. if its not, you'll have cars, flying through it. (read miatas)

[JohnW8]

I've been doing autocross for a little while now and I've only seen the expensive side of the lights hit twice. That has been in the last couple of events. I have to assume there is something in the course design that is opening the possibility for it to happen, or our drivers have thrown caution to the wind in which case they need to be responsible for damages.
I truly believe the course design CAN control the finish. It's been done for years, why not now?

[claym]

I have been doing this for a few years, and I have NEVER hit a timing light!

The percentage of people hitting them is small, and rarely due to the course layout. Mostly due to driver error. Putting the light as far away from cars and padding it are the best ideas. Minimizing speed before a straight finish to limit stupidity also helps!

Why not price out a new light and then set a cap on how much would be the most to repair it (say $100). Announce at each driver's meeting that if someone damages a light, they will be responsible for the actual repair cost (up to say $100). The person would be responsible for paying a $100 deposit up front, and would be refunded any money that was not actually spent on repair. If the money was not received before the next event, they would be suspended from events until the money was paid.

That may sound a little harsh, but Barber's rules are MUCH worse!

[TouringBubble]

JUST PUT PADDING ON THE LIGHTS! There is no way to completely avoid them being hit. It will happen. We cannot control how out of shape a driver will get trying to go faster ...

Course design will help, position will help, reminding them at the drivers meeting will help, but when it comes down to it, they need to not break when they are hit.

[Erv]

in neither of the events this year was the finish the result of the lights being hit.

pad em hide em whatever I like clays idea

[DAB21]

in neither of the events this year was the finish the result of the lights being hit.

Ah, did i think I heard what you thought he said, or was it the other round a way?

[Erv]

it might have been a lil difficult to understand

the instances in which the timing light were hit this year was not a result of the finish it was the result of driver error

[LeonL]

I just thought of something that might work. Put spike strips on both side near the end. I can guarantee it works.

[DAB21]

Then we could mark the ends of the spike strips with railroad flares. Ain't nobody goin' there

[dr_phatcity]

Close this thread ---- it's become a pointing blame game now ....

[Shea Serian]

Close this thread ---- it's become a pointing blame game now ....

I don't see anything wrong with this. Just guys poking fun.