I have 2 portable race tracks and neither have a timing system yet. They will come in the near future but for now I need a way to score the racing without a timing system.

For Thanksgiving I'm having the track set up for the soninlaws and grandkids and of course .... me ! I won't have a system by then and need ideas .

I've heard of Crash and Burn but don't know the particulars. Maybe there's even a better way . That's why I'm posting this question.

Thx for the help, GoneGonzo

I posted the following on scored racing a year or so ago. Maybe it will give you some ideas:.........................



In 1976, a group of us in the neighborhood were heavily into racing on one of our friend's new 4 lane track. That summer, we as teenagers devised a racing format that we still use today.

We called it scored racing and it goes something like this.

The best thing about this method is that it requires no fancy lap counters or corner marshalls and all racers race in each lane.

It begins with 10 heat races in each lane. A heat race is a 5 lap race. If all drivers succesfully complete the five lap heat their score is marked down in order of finish. If one of the racers crashes the race stops and that racer is scored a "4" and must set out. Then, the remaining 3 racers compete another 5 lap race. If another wreck occurs, he is scored a "3." This is repeated until one of the drivers acheives the score of "1." With the 1 scored that concludes a heat race and the next heat race begins with all 4 drivers once again competing. Having the lowest score at the end of 40 heat races (10 heats x 4 lanes) determines the winner.

Even though there is continual starting, stopping and re-starting the format offers very competitive and easy to quantify racing. Other features.....The leader of each lap is required to call the lap. After the 4th lap its anybody's race and there is no re-start. A wreck requires the driver to sit out requiring no need for marshalls. Its simple and everbody understands that the more 1st places earned the lower the score.

Give it a try. Four racers can race a well run race with little confussion and lots of competition.

We have been doing it and having fun for 31 years now!

Jim Norton
Huntsville, Alabama

Assuming you have a four lane track, this one has worked great for us for years too. It's essentially a two lap drag race. You start the race at the beginning of your longest straightaway, and end it 3/4 the way down the longest straight. It goes like this....

Line the cars up
Starter yells go, or you can have the starter flip a switch to start the race.
Drivers run the coarse and pass the start line, this is the final lap.
First one to cross the finish wins the heat, and gets 4 points.
Second gets 3, third gets 2, and fourth gets 1.
If you crash, you're out of the heat.
If more than one driver crashes, order is determined by the order of crash.
If everyone crashes, we rerun the heat, someone has to finish the race.
Drivers rotate through each lane twice.
The one with the most points at the end of 8 heats wins the class.

You can use this method to run several different classes of cars...
AFX Mag
Tyco 440x2
Tyco Hp7
Tomy Turbo
LifeLike
and add all the points at the end of the night to determine a nights Champion.

You can preprint scoring sheets in Excel.

Have fun!!! :thumbsup::hat::p:thumbsup:

This is how we raced in Tucson.

Everyone tosses a nickle into the pot.
The race is 5 laps long.
Everyone lines up there cars at the start line and someone yells "go".
all drivers must make at least 1 lap for the race to officially start. If you crash on the first lap that the driver {or drivers} that crashes has to toss another nickle into the pot and you all restart the race. Once all drivers successfully complete the first lap then the race officially has started and the first person to five laps win or the last person still on the track wins the pot.
It works well for us although we eventually set a 10 minute time limit for each race as we were spending too much time just starting sometimes. At the end of 10 minutes there is no restarts and it's the last one standing that wins. If we finished the race before the 10 minutes were up we ran the heat in the reverse direction.

I have had bad experiences with Crash & Burn races. The biggest problem is there are some who won't really race. I refer to them as "Grandma getting groceries". They run slow enough to stay on the track (and slower) and count on the real racers to take themselves out.

I prefer the "Last man standing" method. If you crash, you're out. If you go a lap down you're out. No lap limits. No time limits. Last man (or woman) on the track and crossing the finish line wins.

Come up with a ponts system for the heats and run an equal number of heats in each lane.

The great thing with this system is that you can have some REALLY exciting heats. You get two or three good drivers going head to head and racing close for dozen laps or so and you're going to love it. We raced like this with my brother's club years ago (mainly because his track was un-marshallable) we had some heats that went 30+ laps before there was one car running. It was great. :thumbsup:

Hey Dragon I thought of that too. Somone just motoring around while everyone else is racing and maybe crashing. Are you saying that after the first lap if your passed, you out ?

Should be a way to end the sunday drivers.

GoneGonzo

Hey Dragon I thought of that too. Somone just motoring around while everyone else is racing and maybe crashing. Are you saying that after the first lap if your passed, you out ?

Should be a way to end the sunday drivers.

GoneGonzo

I'm saying if you go a lap down to the leader you stop your car right where it is and put down your controller. You're done.

everyone of these replies ahve good ideas.

I like Jim's format as far as it having a competitive push to it. However the sandbagger could be there as well, that's the only negative. That's when Dragons idea of your out when passed comes in to play, you have to race to keep from being passed.Then of course i like the 5 cent penalty system. That adds a little flavor to the race. The drag race format would be nice for a 2 lane. I do have 4 lanes so I'd need a more road course type format.

I appreciate all your inputs.

GoneGonzo

Yeah, the drag race thing is for a 4 lane. First one back to the line wins. The point system is in case you have someone who just cant drive, they get SOMETHING for racin. It's rare that the Sunday driver wins, very rare.

Rich

As far as the strategy of sandbagging goes this is what we have found over 30 years in racing the scored method. The method has never allowed the sandbagger to win. Reasons:

1) The better the field gets, the odds are that more races will be finished without startovers. So, if you lay back, you will most likely be left trailing the field more times than not.

2) Sandbagging makes you go cold. By not running in the pack you become less able to drive the track when it comes down to it.

3) If you have people who really enjoy racing, they are not going to enjoy running slower most of the race.

4) I have yet to see anybody win by sandbagging. Usually, if the sandbagger makes it to where it is just him and the other racer going for 1st,.....The non sandbagger wins more times than not. I guess because he drives aggresive throughout the race, the sandbagger does not.

There have been races where I felt I needed to back off and go easy. While this keeps me on the track, I find that I seldom score a 1st or 2nd win. The other drivers complete 5 laps and there I sat in 4th!

Jim Norton
Huntsville, Alabama

Jim/Dragon We have raced "Cash-n-Burn" @ Crash-n-Burn Speedway in Springville NY for over five years, on a ten lane AFX/Tomy Track, no one has won by "Sandbagging". Even though the winner may have less than 60 points, well within the reach of the one point per race sandbagging run, it has never happened. Sometimes the "Bagger" gets more points due to others misfortune, they eventually fall pray to garbage in the way, or getting cought up in "The Big one" no one has won using this stratagey. There has been plenty of 20/20 hindesite, but no win.

Last year in our club we had three people win C&B events by Granny getting groceries driving. One of them was a kid who had never raced slot cars before.

The club refuses to institute the lap rule even when I sugested that the rule be 1/4 distance of the heat, 2 laps down on an 8 lap heat. 3 laps on a 12 lap heat. It was very frustrating for a lot of people because crashed cars cannot be removed and often take out someone in the lead. It can happen.

The problem caused such a controversy that C&B events are no longer run in the club, only timed events.

Thos elast posts cleared up the sandbaging but I have one more question.

Who counts the lasp to know when " for instance ", 10 laps has been completed in a 10 lap race ? Hope this sin't a stupid question.

GoneGonzo

In a two lap race, it's pretty obvious. You have that last lap adrenaline rush for the whole two laps. Once you pass the first lap, it's ON. There is no restart unless no one finishes. It is last man standing on the third try, racing to the finish line on the second lap. Most people try to take it easy on the first lap, but it's hardly sandbagging. You just can't let the leader get too far ahead, or you don't stand a chance to win.

Rich