Falcondrivr

I am in the process of taking over as DE Registrar for my region. One of the things I want to do is tweak our schedule to allow at least one more session per day for at least one of the run groups.

Can anyone/everyone send me examples of schedules from other clubs/regions? I'm lazy and would like to copy the best ideas out there...

We run a 4 group format, and right now all groups get 3-30 min sessions per day. Obviously there is time there to add...

Thanks in advance, and if you are in my region, this will directly impact you!!!

pontifex4

Good luck in the new position. I doubt the other three groups would appreciate getting shorted a session if one group gets an extra, unless there's something I'm missing in your explanation.

Our region has five groups (including instructors) and runs 4x20 min sessions per day. The groups are fairly large (20-35 cars) but the weekend cost is pretty low. Other regions I've run with either combine groups in the afternoon / on the second day or have fewer groups to begin with, and offer a little more track time. I just threw out a copy of the schedule I had from this weekend, or I would have posted it as an example, sorry.

sbelles

Combine groups and give it to the instructed drivers one day and the instructors / solo drivers the other day. Make it the last run of the day.

Falcondrivr

We have 4 groups: green (novice,) blue (advanced,) yellow (solo,) and red (instructor.)
In our region, instructors can run in red or yellow, as long as they run under the rules for the yellow group in yellow. My idea is to give the extra session to yellow. Green and blue students are usually cooked after 3 sessions, and yellow students are generally able to take the extra track time. If an instructor really want to run more, have at it...

Falcondrivr

We are not fans of the "happy hour" concept. It's an option, but I know I'll have an easier time selling something else to the CTI..I'm in a VERY conservative region.

Cris Brady

I happen to be looking at our draft schedule for our DE next week when this came up.

We run 5 run groups with 4 sessions per day. Each group rotating thru.

Day 1: 30 mins, 30 mins, 25 mins, 25 mins. Start at 9am and finish at 5:20 with a 1 hour lunch break

Day 2: 25 mins, 20 mins, 25 mins, 25 mins. Start at 9am and finish at 5:55 with an 1:25 min lunch break.

sbelles

Yes I know. I used to be a member.

Doug007

Here is a link to the Lone Star Region DE handbook. The normal schedule is in the back on page C-1.

http://www.lsrpca.com/linked_docs/de...E_Handbook.pdf

We have five groups: green (beginners), blue/blue solo (novice), yellow (intermediate), white (advanced), red (instructors)

Sessions are about 20 minutes. More than that and people start getting fatigued and tires/brakes are pretty hot. We do 30 min sessions during club race DEs due to the different scheduling during those events.

Often times people leave early and we combine run groups with similar experience late on Sunday. For example, green/blue or yellow/white or white/red. With some attrition late in the day these groups are still generally have fewer cars than the morning sessions. This allows everyone to get in their promised 4 sessions while finishing early and letting everybody head home a bit earlier. You may want to think about implementing something similar.

Flying Finn

Start the day at 4 am... Or end at 9 pm...

Personally, when we did the DE at Homestead where the last session was in dark (with practically no lights at all) that lasted for 1.5 hrs was the best.
I never went to pits until I ran out of gas which was maybe 10 mins before the end.

I think the group (IIRC, instructors & solo), had one 30 min session less during the day and then this, 1.5 hr session in the end.

Really cool format that obviously works also during the day.

GuyIncognito

I've never seen the point of instructors groups only (except for the free comedy of watching them wad up cars trying to win the DE).

all it does it water down the track time available for paying customers.

Falcondrivr

Lol! Were you at our last event?

Eifeler

How about three 20's and a 30? More opportunities to set goals and debrief for the students and I can generally get done what I need to in a handful of laps running solo.


I've always appreciated the instructor only sessions. It's generally open passing and instructors typically watch their mirrors a little better than those in the solo group.

bobt993

One format that Mid Atlantic Nasa has used is really effective. They run a pace car on track to lead out the next group while the ending session pits. Effectively picks up 2 to 3mins per session and gets driver into the zone under a double yellow. Have a chat with Chris Cobetto (runs the operation) he has managed to get more track time into a day than any group I have run with.

mglobe

I'm hoping this is in jest, but... There are so many reasons.

In our region our events typically have over 200 attendees, over 60 of whom are instructors. If we were to split those 60 into our two top run groups, the track would be mobbed for our clients. No one would have fun. We discourage our instructors from runnning in the non-instructor run groups except for demonstration rides to keep traffic down.

The pace in the red run group is high compared to most people in even in our top non-instructor run group. I can run over many folks in white (our top group) in my Spec Miata, let alone in my Spec996. Again, no fun for anyone.

Instructing is a lot of work. Most of us do it primarily for the satisfaction of helping people improve. But the track time is icing on the cake, and honestly without it, it would be a lot more difficult to get instructors.

We have advanced instructors (AI's) whose job it is to ride with the yellow and white (upper intermediate and advanced) run groups. If the AI's are instructing in those groups, what run groups would the run in?

sparks259

you might want to get in touch with our track chair Drew Karpinski from nnjr.
he might be able to send you a schedule.
typically we run seperate groups for green, yellow, blue/whit, black, and red.
green being newbies and red being instructor.
blue/whit is a combo of instructed/non-instructed drivers.
usually on the last day of an event, when a lot of people book out early, we combine red/black under black rules.
IIRC, our run groups are 23-26 mins. ea.