2009 APBA Mod Nationals Forum - Zanesville Dillon Lake

[brian]

Pie clocks are really not one of the traditions worth saving Digital clocks are sooo much easier to read and percise. I am sure referee's will attest that gunjumping is greatly reduced when a digital clock is used!!

Well I am not sure this is true...? The sweeping hand adds a visual perspective to time that a digital can not. The digital clock makes you think in 1 second increments and you must add or subtract accordingly. The round clock may provide more gun jumping because people are closer and going faster at the start? I have no evidence of this but this is my observation. How many heats at the nationals were 2 seconds late. How many heats at zanesville nationals two seconds late.

Accuracy depends on the picture not the clock it is always correct.

[Dave M]

Well

Pie clocks are really not one of the traditions worth saving Digital clocks are sooo much easier to read and percise. I am sure referee's will attest that gunjumping is greatly reduced when a digital clock is used!!

Ron France once told me that back in the World War Black and Orange were used as camaflage colors! I can believe it after racing on black and orange clocks. If region 4 and or 12 is willing to bring the digital clock, GO FOR IT.

We all talk about trying to make ourselves more in tune with the times and more professional, well, a digital clock is a lot more modern and FAN friendly..........I proposed at the 2008 National Meeting for the SORC to consider mandating digital clocks at all National Championship events. I heard the opinion was that clubs would be hurt by this potentially because they couldn't afford one. Maybe they are right but if brother clubs are willing to donate one then it should be considered!

Call me old fashioned then, might be one of the better things I have been called..... You might be able to start on them thar digital thing-ama-bobs but I not so good with them. To much like a video game with a digital clock.

[raceboat61-S]

Special Sprint race for J/AX

We are hosting North American Championships for J/AX at this year's Mod Nationals here in Zanesville. The race committee and I have decided not to run additional Stock Classes. We feel that the race is too close to the previous weekends race at Akron and the following weeks Stock Championships at Grass Lake. We anticipated that the Stock turnout at our race would be too low to make it worthwhile. Anyway, I've been brainstorming an idea for a special race for J and AX classes that doesn't eat up so much time in our race day and the efforts of so many officials and workers and to get the J/AX racers more boat time and Hi-points. I offer this here on Hydroracer.net to get some input from the many racers that use this site. Keep in mind that this "special race" will be in addition to the NAC's and only be run if conditions and the schedule allow it.
Here's the idea : I want to try a "Sprint course" for J and AX . Purpose is to: #1 give J racers an additional boat ride, #2 add to the number of entries (albeit at a lower $ amount such as $20 per entry), #3 offer a fresh, exciting new way of racing J/AX, #4 shorten the usual delays we often see in J/AX racing.
Here's how: We put 3-5 extra turn buoys in the middle of the course. Perhaps we use the starting line buoy as the exit pin for turn #2 (like we usually do at the Dayton race). This shortens the course to about 3/8th of a mile. We tell the J-dad's to bury the prop a notch or two for a Lemans start off the beach (if all of the teams agree we may use an "engines-already -running" Lemans start. The boats run straight off the beach to an "on-plane" buoy that will be placed about 200 yards off the beach. Boats must be on plane to proceed further to the first turn. They then round the buoys in the first turn and race for short, sprint race of 3 laps. At the finish, they stay on the course (continuing to the first turn and then to the backstretch and go out beyond the 1000' foot buoy until the last racer finishes and joins them in the neutral milling area. Then, while they are milling, we fly the white flag for the clock start of the second heat. For this heat we use a traditional clock start but we continue on the short course for three sprint laps.......Race over. Next class! Whaddya' think? Each special race takes 10-12 minutes. I think the kids will love it. The other spectators/racers will love it too. If a racer can't get on plane by the rounding buoy a couple hundred yards off the beach....too bad, turn right and go back to the pits. (REFUND THE KIDS ENTRY FEE but score it as a ("No Start", no points) We use a Leman's start at Top'O Michigan marathon for the J kids and it can be done. I've been wanting to try this for a long time. Is this the time/place for it? Mike


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[Larry Mac]

Well I am not sure this is true...? The sweeping hand adds a visual perspective to time that a digital can not. The digital clock makes you think in 1 second increments and you must add or subtract accordingly. The round clock may provide more gun jumping because people are closer and going faster at the start? I have no evidence of this but this is my observation. How many heats at the nationals were 2 seconds late. How many heats at zanesville nationals two seconds late.

Accuracy depends on the picture not the clock it is always correct.

I'm not that wild about the digital clock myself. Our club had one several years ago but now we have the sweep hand. I haven't seen any clock yet that I would trade ours for. Also if something breaks down you have a chance to fix it on the bank. I not so sure about the digital.
Larry Mac

[doc 35-0]

Mike, The J Lemans starts makes it different and doesn't use much more time than one heat of racing. I'm all in''''''Doc 0-35 for Braxton 0-36

[RandY Aveline]

hmm digital clock Kool i bet the 2nd hand wont slow down on the way back to the top from 15 till and on lolol

cant say as i have ever had the privy to race using 1 of those

looking forward to it especially if i can see it from the 1000 foot bouy ,with out my glasses that is lolol

hope to see ya:ll there

Randy

[raceboat61-S]

Race committee decided that we will use the traditional IOA sweep-hand clock for the Mod Nationals. Mike, Race Director

[blueskyracer]

I went to my first race with a digital clock last year and you can have them. Never could read the thing. Give me a big old pie clock any day. Going up the back streach you can pick it out and don't even have to think about it as you round the final turn to the start.

Sometimes the good old days should stay around

[dil/viller]

the BEST pie clock i have jumped is the BIG yellow/black one from the badger state club. the orange and black r way to hard 2 see on the shoreline.