145 replies to this topic

[TSR]

Fastest lap
==========
Doug Matthes
Oscar Morales
Mark Wampler
Paul Sterrett
Allen Low

Laps & Sections
==========
PdL
Larry Shepard
Greg Gilbert
Mike Boemker
Tore Anderson
Bryan Warmack

Next?

[KenMiles]

Hi Doug, Racers-

I've long been in favor of Indianapolis 500 style four-lap time trial qualifying.

ThanX,

[The Bugman]

Hey Mr. PdL,

Instead of asking all these great racers' opinions WHO DON'T EVEN RACE WITH US here in SoCal, why don't you just poll the BP racers and let them decide (and then there's Paul S.)

Who gives a rat's arse what the rest of the country thinks, and you so-called past champions (World, Natl., etc., etc., etc.), living on your past laurels for input
when you come race and support our race program on a regular basis, then you can voice your opinions, otherwise if you want your area to do it by L&S, go for it...

PdL, why must you always stir the sh*t pot to cause controversy... leave well enuff alone!!

[TSR]

Hi Oscar,

I do not know if you have noticed, but this is precisely what we are doing here by asking YOU, the D3 racers in SoCal, to express YOUR opinion. While others may express theirs, you will note than none of them is part of the growing list, since they do NOT race with us at this time. Greg does, even if he is away for a while.

PdL, why must you always stir the sh*t pot to cause controversy... leave well enuff alone!!

Actually, Tore Anderson was the first to, as you say, "stir the sh*t". He suggested the L&S format because the races were fast becoming destruction-city, mostly because he felt that some racers were in races where they did not belong. Hence, the question is put to figure out how the racers actually think and what they prefer. If more than half the racers would prefer something different, would you not consider it? So this is what we are doing here.
You have expressed your opinion and so did others, and there are apparently people disagreeing with you on this. Will you actually abide by a majority vote if the majority turns to be against your preference?
Rather to make a "poll" where anonymous votes can be cast, is not it better to put it all in the public's eye so that you clearly know who is for and who is against such a format?

[CruzinBob]

Laps 'n sections.

[TSR]

OK,
Fastest lap
==========
Doug Matthes
Oscar Morales
Mark Wampler
Paul Sterrett
Allen Low

Laps & Sections
==========
Larry Shepard
Greg Gilbert
Mike Boemker
PdL
Tore Anderson
Bryan Warmack
Bob Scott

Next?

[SliderGreg]

Oscar,

In my case that would be the CURRENT USRA National Champion in 1/24 and 1/32 Eurosport, and current USRA Scale Director.

I will admit I must be slipping as I could only manage a 15th out of 116 racers at the World Championships in Slovakia this year.

[KenMiles]

Hi Racers-

Well, this is new...

Since when has D3 sought the consent of racers regarding ANY decisions made by the 'benevolent dictatorship'?

[TSR]

Who asked for your opinion?

[KenMiles]

That's what makes you so special, Philippe, you'll always find a way to make a personal insult out of anything on your keyboard - but you'll never conduct yourself in this manner face to face.

Sorry-

[TSR]

Allen, SMILE, it was a joke. Most everybody else got it.

[The Bugman]

Laps 'n section

So even though I have an A main built car and motor but can't crank the total laps that "you good guys" can in one minute, but can turn one fast lap better than most, I'm not privy to race with you A main guys... BS.

Oh, I'll go with what the majority votes(or what Paul S. says) and race, what other place is there locally ?

Hmmmmmmm, that's strange, Slider, I've raced only a short time (4-5 months, 2 or 3 times a month) and never seen you yet!... So put it into affect where you race, and WHEN/IF we ever come race with your group we'll use those rules then, and just out of curiousity, because I don't know... how is the format for qualifying for Yuro-Sport?

I wonder if Beuf would like L&S to take away his world record lap time?

[KenMiles]

Allen, SMILE, it was a joke. Most everybody else got it.

No sir - I'm calling you out. There isn't anything you say in humor that isn't at someone else's expense. It was your typical snide PdL cheap shot. If you could laugh at yourself now and then, I'd give you a break. But you have ZERO humility.

[idare2bdul]

On further reflection, it is kind of fun watching PdL dodge Oscar. Now if Cukras would just hand out slower cars a lot of this discussion would be moot.

Let's see, who haven't I offended yet???

My vote should actually be a I don't care vote. I'm not unhappy with the current system and if we go to laps and sections I can live with that, too. I consider dodging traffic part of the game. Personally I don't like qualifying period. Put them on the track and race them.

[TSR]

Oscar,

Now back to being a bit more serious since my perverted sense of humour is not well understood to my utter dismay .

Paul and only Paul is making the decision on qualifying and no one else. Why? Because it is HIS series.

What we are trying to do here is to see what most SoCal D3 racers prefer as far as qualifying, so as to figure out different options if they make sense in this benevolent dictature. I understand that it would be frustrating for racers who can qualify higher through one "magic" lap than their basic ability to drive consistently if the L&S format would be adopted.

It is also obvious that the races are fast becoming very hazardous due to drivers having qualified in one of the races where some feel they do not belong. Nothing elitist there, it is simply a FACT. You don't put a first-year Formula 3 driver in a Formula 1 and expect him to win the world championship, it is simply NOT going to happen. Only lots of experience and talent building does that. The thinking is clear: if a driver races in a group where he is truly competitive, he has a greater chance of success than trying to shoot too high and racing above his and his car's limit to keep up with fellows who are simply better drivers. By trying too hard, that driver can easily ruin a good race for others, and lately I have seen this more and more.

The L&S format puts everyone where he belongs, both in car and driving performance.

Now the question is, racing being racing, who prefers what? There are no plans to change anything yet, but it would be good to know who stands for what, would it not be?

And Mike, how do you

put them on the track and race them

when there are 38 entries?

[CruzinBob]

... I wonder if Beuf would like L&S to take away his world record lap speed?

Hey, Oscar, thanks for the Christmas Blues CD. Oscar had the Christmas spirit and handed out CDs to those who wanted them during the Hardbody race Sunday.

I'm sure none of the well-established programs that support cobalt racing like Eurosport are going to change, wouldn't you agree? Without going into an elaborate statement, "laps & sections" qualifying is more applicable for a laid-back racing program like D3 and IMO would lend to more equitable race divisions. D3 has already changed tradition by doing away with payouts - a huge step in the right direction. (And yes, I did say laid-back program. )

And, Slider has been a huge presence in ALL forms of semi -cale slot racing in SoCal (and the world) for the last 10 years or so, even managing the successful raceway called Uncle Kal's in Monrovia for a long time.

BUT, don't change your tune, mi amigo, we love you just the way you are.

[idare2bdul]

No sir - I'm calling you out. There isn't anything you say in humor that isn't at someone else's expense. It was your typical snide PdL cheap shot. If you could laugh at yourself now and then, I'd give you a break. But you have ZERO humility.

Saying that PdL has zero humility ignores the possibility of negative numbers, therefore your position may not be mathematically sound.

Lighten up, people! Now we have two racers who are on strike, sulking and not racing, duking it out on the blog.

[Prof. Fate]

Hi,

Oscar, I've been doing this hobby for 48 years now. I suspect I have seen every possible way to qualify, and in reality, I don't think it matters.

When I go to SoCal to race, I only really go to run with my friends. I like to THINK that Tore, for instance, or PdL are my friends. I know I enjoy the company.

What I observe is that with round robin racing, I sit around too much. My prefrence is to solo-drive enduros. Short of that, drive my eight in a single chain. (There are systems out there who call the placement "random" which means no one ever runs all his heats in a row).

I observe that the one-lap wonders are an exception. And I observe that the great drivers, pretty much anyone who has done G7 in the last 30 years, is also usually good at dodging the one-lap wonders.

So, I don't really care what the qualifying system is. Or even if there is one.

But if you have only been driving a few months, you will discover something wonderous if you live.

Folks Like Tore and Cukrus REALLY ARE THAT GOOD. That is their reputation isn't unearned.

PdL dropped out for a couple decades. I love watching that he STILL has the passion he had in the '70s when he felt he had something to prove.

Ultimately, though, it doesn't matter. Laps and sections usually favors me. But I don't care.

Fate

[idare2bdul]

Paul and only Paul is making the decision on qualifying and no one else. Why? Because it is HIS series.

In the beginning there was Paul and he saw qualifiying and he said fast was good. There gathered those who saw not the wisdom of the fast lap and disharmony spread among the hosts gathered to hook up their Professor Motor controllers. We beseeched a sign but the AQMD had outlawed burning bushes and Paul blogs not.

Banned, not to the desert, but rather to that place of humidity, a Slider confronted our anguish and tried to provide guidance. Oscar pleaded, take not my A main sit out and PdL pleaded for the peace of a smooth, fast, clean race. Heretics from the East and from the North looked upon our division with mirth gladdened that our nut cases race not with them.

[The Bugman]

First lemme give ya'll a brief history of my slor car racing experience, Fate-man!!

I am 58 yrs old and have been racing since 1959-1960 in Gardenia, CA, at Western Speedway... Later I raced at the original American Raceway in Hawthorne, CA, I raced at Inglewood Raceway, too, all in the '60s, and all the South Bay areas, then in the '70s/'80s marraige/kids/jobs/real cars/etc., took precedence. I raced all through the late '80s and '90s too, at all the Los Angeles/O.C./San Fernando Valley based tracks... and have raced for 20 years and am current Race Director for SCHOR, which is the largest HO program in CALIFORNIA... so my unknown friend I have racing experience, too...

So again lemme see here, seems like I've got a few years, too... and like you, I've expressed my opinion, and like they say... "opinions are like a**holes, we all have one, and they all stink"...

Let's just race, no matter what format we use... I'm done in this pissing contest!!!

[KenMiles]

Hi Racers-

What does it matter if you're in the A main or the Z main? To suggest the A main deserves clean racing at the exclusion of the rest IS ELITIST. We'd all like to have clean racing but the fact is that won't happen until we as a group all raise our game. This laps and sections talk needs to stop now.

[TSR]

Allen, ALL the races deserve to be clean, from A to Z. I for one believe that L&S qualifying format can achieve this better than HL format. I do not see any such elitist posts anywhere in this thread as anyone claiming that only the A"race should be "clean", and if you see any, please show us, thanks.

[KenMiles]

Okay, where else in this discussion has any other than the A main been cited?

e·lit·ism or é·lit·ism (-ltzm, -l-)

n.

1. The belief that certain persons or members of certain classes or groups deserve favored treatment by virtue of their perceived superiority, as in intellect, social status, or financial resources.

[TSR]

By me, all the time. In other threads, all the time. MOST of my D3 posts have to do with the Z guys, not the A. The A guys can take care of their own, I care about the very last guy in the line, and I am really sorry that you have not noted this by now.
Please read all the race reports I wrote to get the picture, ask all the Z guys I helped so that they could race, at the cost of my own time and racing.
I would appreciate if you would pay attention.

[Mark Wampler]

As a general rule, "if it isn't broken, don't fix it". Previous experiments such as the first D3 Spec motor hand-out for the most part proved a reliable motor and accordingly reflected various QTs and thus placed everyone one in A to C groups. I have no problem with doing L&S as an experiment ONE TIME. After that, THEN call for a poll.

I think calling for ONE hand-out motor for the King track was an excellent decision. So you get a chance to race your brand new motor for about 2 and a half bucks. I haven't heard of anyone getting less than four races per motor. Pretty good value.

I haven't read about Mr. Gorski's results in calling for the JK spec tire race format and if it was successful. All of this is worth at least trying out. You have to consider that qualifying for small town racers is basically non-existent, so our opinions will tend to be fair and balanced, even better than FoxNews.