COURSE WORKING GUIDELINES

 

1.      DON’T TURN YOUR BACK ON A CAR IN YOUR AREA!!! 

2.      Spread out the people to cover your area.

3.      Before the first car, check all cones in your area to be sure they are squarely in their box.  Check again if you have a significant break.

4.      Cars may come as quickly as 15-20 seconds.  Be alert!!  Hustle!

5.      Watch the cones, not the car.  Check any cone moved.  Reset any cone that moves and indicate whether it is a penalty or not to your radio person. 

6.      Use “safe” signal for no penalty; “touchdown” signal for missed gate; arms crossed in “X” above head for DNF.  Hold up penalty cone(s) or fingers for number of penalty cones. 

·          Cone penalty for “down or out” cone (see below). 

·          “Gate” penalty for going outside course (wrong side of cone) and not returning at or before the exit point.  (Note:  Each cone not correctly negotiated in a slalom is a gate.)

·          “DNF” (Did Not Finish) for missing a significant portion of the course. 

7.      One person handles the radio.  Call in penalties when a car exits your area.  Use something like, “Course Control, Station 2, one cone, black Corvette.”  Be sure you get a confirmation.

8.      One person holds the red flag, unfurled but not flapping in the breeze.  It’s used to tell a driver to STOP!  Don’t hesitate to use it if you see an unsafe condition developing – or if directed by Course Control.  Err on the side of safety.  Get the driver’s attention, but DON’T PUT YOURSELF IN DANGER IN FRONT OF A CAR!!!

9.      Explain to a red-flagged car why they were stopped.  They can exit the course either directly or by driving slowly (20-25 mph) through the remainder of the course.  If the red flag was NOT because of anything they did, they get a rerun.

10.       Cone penalty illustration:

               

(“Pointer” cones don’t count.)

COURSE CONTROL

(Penalty Call-in)

 

1.      You are responsible for receiving penalty calls from the course stations and relaying the total penalty count to the time recorder at the completion of a run.

2.      Before the run group starts, contact each station to be sure you can communicate.

3.      Have the stations call in penalties by exception (i.e., only when there’s a penalty to report).

4.      Acknowledge each call-in, so the station knows you heard their call correctly.

5.      If you see a dangerous situation developing, call for a red flag.  You may also be asked to do so by timing, if they are having timer problems.

6.      If there is down time, remind the stations to check their cones.

 

GRID INSTRUCTIONS

 

Report to grid early to help get cars lined up correctly.  There will be time for socializing after grid closes.  There may be two grids: one for your group and one for the next group.  Direct traffic as necessary.

	________				Start Line
5		4	3	2		1
		(NOV)				(MDC)

1.    MDC (multiple-driver cars) are on either the far left or the far right (lane 1 above).

2.    Try to group Novices in line 4 (or line 3 if there are only 3 lines: MDC + 2); the instructors would like them together.

3.    Try to keep an equal number of cars in lines 2-5 (or lines 2-3 if only 3 lines).

4     While one grid person is directing the placement of the final cars to even up the lines, another grid person should start collecting timing cards.

5.    As you collect the timing cards, check that the class and car number are entered.

6.    Keep timing cards in order, with the first driver on top.

7.    Run order is:  first MDC driver, lines 2 and 3, second MDC driver, lines 4 and 5.  (If only 3 lines, alternate between MDC and each of the other 2 lines.)

8.    After cards are collected, deliver cards to the timing vehicle.  You can deliver the first half, to get things started, then finish collecting the second half.

9.    When course workers and timing are about ready to go, get the first few drivers ready to start.

10.    Before a car goes to the start line, check that the driver has a helmet on and seat belt fastened.  Check one more time that loose objects are removed from the car.

11.    Keep 3 or 4 cars ready to go.

12.    Reruns wait 10 cars or 5 minutes.

13.    A car with a mechanical problem gets up to 10 minutes from the time it should run to fix it. If not ready then, that run is forfeited – and scored a DNS (did not start).

14.    Passengers must have signed the waiver and wear a helmet.

HELMET CHECKOUT

 

1.      Your job is to keep track of the loaner helmets by holding the drivers license of anyone borrowing a helmet.

2.      Helmet boxes have the helmet size marked on them.  Try to keep helmets in the appropriate box so they’re easier to find.

3.      When someone wants to borrow a helmet, take their drivers license and keep it until they return the helmet.

4.      A borrower should return the helmet after each run in case someone else needs to borrow it.

 

POSTING

 

1.      Your job is to get times and penalties onto the scoresheets on the scoreboard.

2.      If there are two people assigned, one will be in the timing van and one at the scoreboard.  You should have radio communication.

3.      The person in the timing van gets the timing cards from the time recorder and reads the information to the person at the scoreboard.  The following order of information is suggested: class, name, raw time, penalties (in seconds), total time.  You may wish to pause after class and name until the scoreboard person finds the name.  Be sure to return the cards to the stack in the correct order.

4.      The scoreboard person enters the information on the scoresheet and acknowledges in some manner (say, by reading back the total time).

5.      Sometimes, the radios may not work well (try repositioning the person in timing) and cards will have to be physically carried from the van to the board and back.  Work out a system, but be sure to keep the cards in the correct order.  Alternately, both people can work the board – one finding the scoresheet for the car finishing the course, and the other person filling in the times from the reader board and the penalties as announced. 

6.      If only one person is assigned, use the reader board and announcements as your information source.

7.      The scoreboard times are unofficial.  They will be audited against the timing cards at a later time, but please try to be accurate.

STARTER

1.      This may be the most important job, because you control the safe flow of the event.

2.      The course designer, safety steward, or other knowledgeable “old hand” should help establish the interval between cars.  It is important that cars never be in close proximity to each other, or headed toward one another.  If the course layout allows, cars should be started about every 25 seconds.

3.      To be sure the timing system is working properly, the first car in the run group should complete the entire course before sending out the next car.

4.      Stage each car close to the same location.  Check that the driver has on a helmet and seat belt, and that what you can see of the car looks OK (doors closed; no fluid leaks; tires not corded; etc.).

5.      If an experienced driver is following an inexperienced (Novice) one, allow adequate spacing.

6.      Check the course for obvious problems before sending a car (no red flags; course workers will have time to reset the course before the car gets to them; etc.).

WAIVER PATROL

 

1.      Everyone who is on site during an event, whether participating or watching, has to sign a waiver (“Release From Liability”), or, in the case of a minor, have a waiver signed for them by a parent/guardian.

2.      Exception: On Boeing property, Boeing employees don’t have to sign if they’re just going to or from their car and work.

3.      The waiver says that the signer understands the dangers inherent in the activity and won’t sue the organizers or property owner if s/he gets hurt.

4.      There are three kinds of waiver: “regular,” minor spectator, and minor participant.  The two minor (under 18 years old) forms have different requirements.  Forms and instructions are on the back of the waiver clipboards.

5.      Watch for new people (usually spectators) who have not signed a waiver (they should be wearing a wristband if they have), and have them sign.  When they do, give them a wristband to wear.

6.      Most “prospects” will be in the spectating area.  Watch for cars pulling in; if people stay around, ask them to sign.  If they refuse to sign, politely ask them to leave.