How to you run Check-in?

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AlabamaDan
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How to you run Check-in?

Post by AlabamaDan »

Our PWD was Saturday and I'm thinking of ways to do it better next time. One issue I saw a crowd of people in the workshop area, then that crowd of people turned into a long line for check-in and then a lot of people waiting along time for their son to race. We had about 225 cars entered so it was really big. What we did was simplistic and took it one task at a time. Weigh was 10-11:30 and racing plan to Start at Noon. Well, due to the large crowd, we ended up with racing starting about 12:45. I had a thought of staggering the times. For example:

Weight in Registration:

Tigers 10-11
Wolves 11-12
Bears 12-1
Webelos 1-2

Then racing could begin

Tigers 12-1
Wolves 1-2
Bears 2-3
Webelos 3-4

If I've got smaller groups coming to check in per hour, then that should also result in smaller crowds in the workshop area. By 1PM I've got the full crowd in the house, but 75% are checked in. Tigers are finishing up. Limits the time that people have to wait in lines and wait for their son to race.

What do you guys think and how do you do it?
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Re: How to you run Check-in?

Post by AlabamaDan »

Oh! And I thought about checking in the night before....but that isn't well received. The problem we seem to encounter with that is that we'd have to lock the cars up somewhere safe to prevent mischief or accidents. No one seems to want to take responsibility for that. I thought about getting an army footlocker type of chest and making trays with foam sections or something. Anyone check in the night before?
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Nitro Dan
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Re: How to you run Check-in?

Post by Nitro Dan »

If your Tigers are registering between 10 and 11, why are you waiting an hour (12 noon) to start their race?

We do staggered times, but we start the race for each Den at the end of their registration period and immediately start the registration for the next Den while the previous one is racing.

We also do registration the night before, but someone takes responsiblity for the cars and sees that they are locked up safely somewhere and returned on time the next day.

-Nitro Dan
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AlabamaDan
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Re: How to you run Check-in?

Post by AlabamaDan »

Nitro Dan wrote:If your Tigers are registering between 10 and 11, why are you waiting an hour (12 noon) to start their race?
You're right, I was just thinking that we started at noon last time. Why not start at 11? Good point. So you do that and it works well?
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Darin McGrew
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Re: How to you run Check-in?

Post by Darin McGrew »

We hold registration the Wednesday night before the derby, which is Saturday night. That gives us plenty of time to arrange for impartial design judges, to generate our race schedules, to load photos of the cars into our race software, etc.

Before that, we held registration, then held a potluck while the judges determined the awards and the organizers generated race schedules. The potluck kept the families busy for a while, but the judges and organizers missed out, and the kids would always be anxious to get back into the fellowship hall to start the race before we were ready.
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Nitro Dan
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Re: How to you run Check-in?

Post by Nitro Dan »

AlabamaDan wrote:
Nitro Dan wrote:If your Tigers are registering between 10 and 11, why are you waiting an hour (12 noon) to start their race?
You're right, I was just thinking that we started at noon last time. Why not start at 11? Good point. So you do that and it works well?
Actually we impound the last day of our workshops and the last den meeting prior to race day (in conjunction with the night before the derby and the day of). This gives our members four opportunities on different days to register their car. About 50% of them still wait till the day of the race to register their cars, but I think we just have to chalk that up to human nature. Still, it does work well for us.

Another thing we do is reverse our line-up. Since our pack championship races takes place after all the den races, we start with Webelos first and work our way down to the Tigers. This means the older boys are at the derby the longest and the younger boys are there the least. The parents seem to really appreciate us doing it this way as well.

-Nitro Dan
Last edited by Nitro Dan on Wed Feb 03, 2010 3:59 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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AlabamaDan
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Re: How to you run Check-in?

Post by AlabamaDan »

Nitro Dan wrote:Another thing we do is reverse our line-up. Since our pack championship races takes place after all the den races, we start we Webelos first and work our way down to the Tigers. This means the older boys are at the derby the longest and the younger boys are their the least. The parents seem to really appreciate us doing it this way as well.
BRILLIANT!!! :bigups:
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Re: How to you run Check-in?

Post by Darin McGrew »

Nitro Dan wrote:Another thing we do is reverse our line-up. Since our pack championship races takes place after all the den races, we start we Webelos first and work our way down to the Tigers. This means the older boys are at the derby the longest and the younger boys are their the least. The parents seem to really appreciate us doing it this way as well.
I like that idea. We run the youngest kids first, and the final championship race between the winners of the age categories is at the end. The past two years, our grand champion was from the youngest age group, and the family had already gone home.

Of course, we'd need to start our derby a lot earlier, to avoid keeping the youngest age group up too late on Saturday night.
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sporty
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Re: How to you run Check-in?

Post by sporty »

Well I think i would do it tottally different.

Here is some thoughts.

1-, if the track has a timer, why not use software ? there is the software where they all race at the same time, the software can sperate out the packs and the kids for that ranking.

They all get to race 9 times. the fastest times and ect determing the winner for those ranking.

with 64 racers, it takes about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

The way you are racing, you are going to be there for several hours if not longer. just something to think about here.

Randy can add in more on his software adn this option on it.

Heck i would bet with 225 racers, 3 or 4 hours this way.

There is also hardly any one sitting and waiting for hours to race.

Registration, well heck, why not enter everyone into the software, its easy to remove them if they do not show up. that way you do not have enter them as they come in.

It's easier to take the sheet after registration to the guy running the software and add or remove names as needed.

with that many racers. I certainly would want early registration times and check in. people like to wait for the last minute, even if you stage the times per rank.

nothing goes as planned on race day. very few races start on time. So you will perhaps run into running well after noon and thats gonna push the whole day back.

Then having all those seperate races, ewww. you are gonna be racing at 6 and 7 pm at night.

Heck id might even allow registration the night before, why everyone was setting up the track for the next day.

thats my 2cents on it.

Sporty
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Re: How to you run Check-in?

Post by AlabamaDan »

Well, here's how it went this year.

Check in was from 10-12. Racing started at 12:30 and went until...4? 5? I never really looked at my watch. We break the divisions up as described. The boys seems to like running against their peers and winning heats.

We had 25 people walk away with awards and 57 different heat winners. So, alot of people felt like they won at some point. Lots of smiles and happiness, except for one leader who's unmodified car got registered with the modified.
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Re: How to you run Check-in?

Post by Go Bubba Go »

Nitro Dan wrote:...we do staggered times, but we start the race for each Den at the end of their registration period and immediately start the registration for the next Den while the previous one is racing.
Smartest way to go IMO.

We do this at our Pack, and we have a Council event with approx. 1300 cars run on 10 tracks over 2 days where we do the same.

With the Council event, the boys are raced in a bracket format, and they are required to preregister their names. They are given the time for their first race in advance, and are expected to check in (inspection and confirm attendance) no more than 30 minutes before their first race. No early check-ins keeps the lines short but steady for the duration of the event.

Typically the only boys who spend more than 45 minutes between check-in and their final heat are the boys that keep advancing, and they don't seem to mind. I could swear, though, that I do see the occasional parent hoping for a quick defeat and early exit LOL.

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Re: How to you run Check-in?

Post by Kenny »

We also stagger the races between ranks.

For us the check-in process is just that couple with inspection, labeling, and impound for racing.

The we cut-off the registration about 20 mins before 1st heat to strike the name of scouts who didn't come. Then the software generates the heats and lane assignments for us.

The pre-registration function was implemented for open class this year too for us. Basically asking all participants who intended to race to let us know via email or whatever so their info could be entered into the computer.

The check-in station has a computer networked to the race computer so both can function simultaneously, another big time saver.
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sporty
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Re: How to you run Check-in?

Post by sporty »

What type of race is it ? single elim ? double elim ? round robin ? fastest times ?

a little more food for thought here.

One of the packs, uses double elim. About the same amount of scouts as the other pack.

The double elim race, takes 4 to 4 1/2 hours.

the other pack The 9 run, times event takes 1 hour and 15 minuts.

Are council race is a single elim race. but as go bubba go mentioned, lots of track for the ranks. This really allows for flow and ease.

The only down fall we have with the single elim race is the timing of the race. A early kids come in say at 11am, has raced alot and is winning. but the car is slowing , due to all the racing. Then comes a later scout at 1 or 2 pm. That car is fresh and now races the car thats been there all day racing.

The newer car has a great chance of winning agains the car who had the early entry. less runs and likely still has fresher lube than the one running much longer.

since are council does not allow lubeing there. Many packs lube there cars before they are sealed up for council. some packs also fair better over having there races more closer to the council race date. So the cars have not sat as long. While other packs, there cars may sit in a box for upto 3 months.

There is always compromise and pro's and cons to any type of race. but this also differs from a pack typical race.

Whiel times for the races are staged. I'm not one thats big on single elim races. But it is a very large field and seems to work well with the current format.

so asking who to run a check in ? you're initial posting header.


hopefully this more diverse info than what I was initially seeing for replies, can help you have more options and solutions that may appeal to you more.

Sporty
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Re: How to you run Check-in?

Post by Stan Pope »

AlabamaDan wrote:... and 57 different heat winners. So, alot of people felt like they won at some point.
Was this from the approx. 225 participants that you cited in the opening post? That would be about 25%! Pretty low percent.

If that is a criterion for method selection, then look around for alternatives ... some will deliver 80 to 90% (without "manufacturing wins") while providing clear and accurate identification of the trophy worthy racers.
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