Open Track Fun Time

General race coordinator discussions.
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DMWOOD
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Open Track Fun Time

Post by DMWOOD »

Our track takes some time to set up so we only do it once a year for our race. Prior to race check-in, each kid was allowed to run their car down the track 5 times for testing. Our race this year allowed each scout to run 12 times during the race. This gave each kid 17 races for their car.

After the race awards were handed out, the track was open for the kids to race on if they wanted. The kids had great fun doing this and it was hard to get them to go home so we could tear down. They would match up however they wanted and just race. They did not seem to care if they won or lost a race, they just wanted to get ready for their next race. I had some extra cars that I had built and they were used by some of the siblings that had not built a car for the open race.

I did not plan for this to happen but I was glad to see the kids having so much fun and for the track to get some use. I will now plan for this open time in the future.
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terryep
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Re: Open Track Fun Time

Post by terryep »

I'd encourage you to suggest the serious racers who plan to go on to district to bring a "play" car, maybe last years model so they don't wear out their good car.

Terry
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MathGuy
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Re: Open Track Fun Time

Post by MathGuy »

Since this was a successful Open Track, I am going to guess that this was supervised.

The problem we have had when there is no supervision, the open races quickly became a :P crash derby, with kids wanting to roll a car up the track as another car is going down it. :mrgreen:
Fun for one, Fun for all.
Rob D
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TDean
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Re: Open Track Fun Time

Post by TDean »

We are lucky enough to have a track set up for several weeks, so we have our Open Racing Day a week before the actual races start. This allows the boys to test their cars, and parents and siblings are welcome too. As you say, it can be difficult to convince the boys not to race their cars too many times -- but they sure have fun racing against their buddies, siblings, dads -- or last year's cars. They'd race 'em until the wheels were worn down to nubs if they could.
The enthusiasm during these no-pressure races often exceeds that of race day -- and encourages the boys to work on their car early, rather than waiting until just before race day.
TDean
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Da Graphite Kid
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Re: Open Track Fun Time

Post by Da Graphite Kid »

After all of the results and awards are announced from the formal racing, we also open our track up to 'open racing' but we always race "Grudge Matches" first! We have a few fathers and sons who race (once again I lost to my oldest son!) as well as some friends who race against each other. Only after this is completed, do we open the track for others. I always have some extra cars at the races which anyone can race against.

One thing I offered to do but no one took advantage of, was to open the track for a limited number of test runs during this time. There was one father-son team who called about two weeks later (a week before the District race) who wanted me to set the track up so they could test the car they raced at our Pack race versus another car they had built. This was to determine which they would race at the District race they were invited to. I was not able to do so as neither of us has an area that is big enough to set the track up in. In the end, they race the second car they built and took 1st place in their rank (Webelos 1) and over all in the District! After the race, the same father said he was putting both cars up until nect years race so that the could match them up head-to-head to see which really was the fastest - I broke the news to him: "Jim, you might be a Pinehead!" :mrgreen:

At no time is the track used without supervision.

Da Graphite Kid
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