Speedweek, how to streamline the meet?

[Clay Pitkin]

This is my 16th Consecutive year spectating and, I was able to drive a car for the 1st time and get a record. For the past 4 years I have been helping a car owner achieve his records as well. In looking at how to streamline the meet, first and foremost this is one of thee best planned events I have seen hats off to the many, many, volunteers.
When you realize the amount of entries at speed week, its much like rush hour on the freeway eventually it gets congested.
However looking at this, and this idea gets talked about alot, and that is allowing your mike to be keyed. Agree, it wont have a huge impact on making the event go faster, but every little bit helps.
As we prepared to enter the starting line, we were dressed in the suit and had the car ready a minumum of 5 car lengths before the starting line. There was a number of times that drivers in front of us were getting dressed when the car in front of them was just leaving.

Am I a professional? No, infact furthest thing from it, but like your car and trip to speed week, I have a found a little bit of planning and preperation can be very beneficial in saving time and money.

[JohnR]

How about having a false starting line 100 feet back from the real line?

Imaging stopping the existing 2 lanes 200 feet back from the zero marker. alternating the cars into a false start area that is 4 cars wide. The  starters do all the belt/helmet/safety checks and such and only when a vehicle is ready, and I mean 100% ready to roll, it is allowed to move up to the 0 mile marker. There it waits to be released by a course marshall/starter onto a clear course. If a car is not ready then it stays untill it is but all the while other cars pass it by. This way, the safety checking is removed from the starting process and cars may be able to run off smoother/faster/closer to each other.

I know we do something similar to that now but the reality is when someone is passed by, the guy in the next lane is not 100% ready since he is still rolling up to the line and a small delay still happens.

Right now, the starters do a great job getting cars off the line. Any improvements that we can make will come by shaving seconds off the time between cars, not minutes.

[jimmy six]

I'll probably regret this, but I need the points.  

The SCTA can always use good help.  Over the years I have seen many "help". Help themselves to a free lunch, good pit site, etc. They say they are there to help but when you look for them they are no where to be found or they are waiting in the shade waiting to be asked. When I see someone doing something and they appear to need assistance I go over to them and start helping....I don't wait to be asked.

It is hard to break in to the system; a real volunteer will do it. Every organizer of an area has "run off" some volunteers.. God knows I have.  As some of you know I normally drill a lot of holes in the salt, hopefully in a straight line going somewhere.  I break for water out the cooler in the truck. I work straight to lunch. When I'm done eating; I go back to work. Whether I need to or not I like to finish in 1 day.  I'm hard on the people who help me. It's the way I am.  sorry.  

There are alot of jobs done as a group. pits, timing tower, wire lay down, starting line set up, oil lines, entry cone lay down, signs, toilets, trash container, inspections, etc..The biggest thing I see are the "new" volunteers who wait to be asked to help....many of the leaders aren't going to ask...They are doers and when they drive off  to load cones, wire, etc you gotta go over and do it.. That's the only way to learn...There isn't any book.

Glen may or not comment on this but, to me the timing tower is HIS; when I go out there I ask for his direction. I don't place the generator where I want it. I put it where HE wants it. Same with the toilets..

Same thing for every area. The leaders know what they want and the followers who have done it before just know or follow them...I would never tell George or Monte how to set up the starting line cones...I ask them where to put the toilets.....

Like I've said, all the longtime volunteers have run someone off.  Maybe we don't see what we are doing because we've done it for a long time and are set in our ways.  Maybe we should quit and let someone else take it over...

Dan runs nobody off because you may have a beer for him .

I'll also relay one last obsevation...Most "new" volunteers are going hone on Thursday telling what a great time they had....Too bad the whole city you helped build is still there and just a few folks are left to pick it up, wash it all, and put it away. Just the truth folks...Those who stay know who they are...They may have broke their ride on Sunday afternoon but are still there 6 days later when they would rather be on the road or already home....

An example happens at El Mirage every meet. 30 guys will be there to put up the inspection area shade because they want there car/MC inspected and they first in line. But Sunday afternoon at 2:00 when the races are over the same few guys take it down.  Just an observation.

Once again sorry for the rant....I always know who the boss is...and I leave the Red Head at home when I go the Bonneville & El Mirage....J.D.

[Glen]

JD, very well said, just think if we were paid by the hour and how much OT we would get LOL. We do it because we love the sport and the racers.
We all have jobs that take helpers and some without. The pre race prep  in all areas takes manpower. The people that lay 25 miles of wire, miles of cones etc. is very time consuming as is drilling stake holes and putting up the ribbon in the pit area. As JD stated it has to be tore down and with a lot less help.
Glen

[edweldon]

JD and Glen--
You guys are a hard act to follow; especially JD when he's delivering a reality check.

Several years ago I was able to commit 7 days to full time volunteering at Speedweek.  I kept busy.  Was one of the most positive and memorable experiences of my involvement in the sport.  And I got a good look at how to run an enterprise.

At the time I wished I had the talent and resources of a movie producer or a good book writer to be able to tell the real  behind the scenes story of the making of Speedweek.  It would be a story of commitment, teamwork, leadership, management and yes, politics, worthy of comparison with the best of our Fortune 500 corporations or the few really good government operations.

It would also be a good "B" school case study.
I really hope that someday some creative person rises to that task.

Ed Weldon

[Carl Johansson]

Why not see if you can get USFRA to cooperate and put on a licensing only meet a week or 2 before Speed Week =  they could run their 130 MPH club and 150 club stuff -  as well as have it for licensing. It would require a short course prep -  maybe because you are not running for records -  they timing system could be simplified! not having to run so much wire -  not really needing backup -  not needing a separate timing slip site etc.  this would lessen volunteers for course work - (also a good time to break in new volunteers!)   it would require a few educator and inspector types!
 It could be rolled into some sort of education -  hands on deal - even maybe a 1/2 day in classroom education -  have it at the local community college! you could put on a concurrent class for those who want to be first time volunteers!

It would be great for first timers to get the extra attention and help they need -  and get their cars inspected -  etc -  this would speed up the rest of the events throughout the year!

 this thing marketed well could make money for USFRA -  and produce well qualified experienced licensed pilots for WOS -  Speed week and the world finals.

carl "i would have welcomed the rookie help" Johansson

[Sumner]

As JD stated it has to be tore down and with a lot less help.
Glen

I hope to get there next year on Wed. to help at least on Thursday, but for sure want to stay after the meet to help with the tear-down as that would work better with my time schedule and it sounds like you could use help then.

So who do I contact to commit to this or do I just show up??

c ya,

Sum