• RaceDay - 60. It is time to order car kits and awards.
• RaceDay - 35 (about) At the pack meeting a month before the race, distribute the car kits to the dens.
• RaceDay - 10 (about) Make sure that the race manifest exists. Create race.dat for the computer scheduling. Use the editor in the pinewood program to clear last years entrants, and add all of the kids names with their car numbers.
• RaceDay - 5 (about) Dry run. No matter how successful the race was last year, a year is a long time, and there are possibly new people involved. Also a dry run will ensure that necessary things are collected. Always do a dry run to ensure that things will go smoothly.
• RaceDay - 5 (about). Weigh in and check in.
• RaceDay - 1. Ensure that the race manifests are duplicated for handout on race day. These manifests map between race number and peoples names. The race manifest is constructed in such a way that every car runs in every lane. Please double check the manifest as printed, and as entered into the computer to ensure that things work as expected.

It is now race day.

• A couple of hours before race time, set up the track and crowd control markers.
• Clear the list of recorded times from the database. If this is omitted, the averages may be very funny.
• Check the PA system.
• Check that cars are running down the track smoothly.
• Check the connection to the printer. I run the config.bat program which sets the port to the printer to the appropriate baud rate.

  	 	C:>CONFIG.BAT
  	 	C:>DIR >COM1
  	 

  The above should print a directory on the printer. If not, check connections. You may need a null modem adapter. Hopefully this item was checked out on the dry run, so you have all of the needed adapters and cables on race night.
• Check the sensors. The quick check is to look at the electronics box. There are four LEDs (lights), one for each of the lanes. As you run your finger between the light and sensor and the light should come on. This should work for each lane. There is an adjustment in the electronics box, with an access hole on the bottom of the electronics box. The way to adjust the sensor is to use a small screwdriver to turn the knob until all lights turn on. Then turn the adjustment in the other direction until the last light turns off. At this point all sensors should be as sensitive as possible. It may be too sensitive. It photoreceiver is getting most of its light from the LED built into the track, but is getting a little of the light from ajoining LEDs. Thus if a sensor is too sensitive, it may trigger when a car in an ajoining lane blocks their LED. So once you are happy, put the computer into test mode, and run cars down each lane. Ensure that only the appropriate lane triggers. If other lanes trigger, back off the adjustment until the problem no longer occurs. Note that paint used on the car does matter. Cars with glossy finishes or white finishes may not be seen. My favorite theory is that ambient light is being reflected back up into the sensor replacing the light which the car is blocking from the LED. So if possible, test with a very reflective car. (Wrap one in aluminum foil?)
• Test the timing electronics. The computer program has a test mode which tells the time for anonymous cars going down the track. Convince yourself that the times are reasonable, and that cars are listed in the same order that your eyeball sees them.
• There are lots of people around. Attempt to keep as many people as possible outside the keep away ribbon. There will be cords, stands, track, etc. that people can bump into and disrupt the race. Keep the chance for disaster to a minimum.
• As each race is run:
  • The announcer announces the race number, giving as much verbage as needed to cover the time the race team is getting the cars into position.
  • The people loading cars does so, double checking to ensure the right cars are loaded. If a car or finger slips over the start sensor, ensure that the computer person knows about it.
  • When the cars are loaded, the computer person looks for the message which says Waiting for race to start. This indicates that the start sensor was not accidentally triggered. If all is okay, the computer person gives the person at the start gate a "go ahead" signal.
  • The cars are released, and the announcer does the announcing.
  • If there is an empty lane because a scout did not enter a car, the computer person hits the F7 key once all of the cars are past the finish gate.
  • The announcer can start announcing results off of the computer screen, and the people recording results onto the poster paper can start as well.
  • If there was a reason that the race should not be counted, the person at either the start or end of the track should signal to the computer person and announcer that the race needs to be retaken. If this is the case, the computer is told to retake the race (and the announcer lets the audience know as well). Otherwise the computer operator accepts the results which cause a record to be printed on the printer. Once the recorders are done writing numbers down, they signal the computer operator so that the computer can be readied for the next race.
• The computer will list 1st, 2nd and 3rd place once a den is complete.
• The computer will list who's cars are in the run offs and the final race.
• Hand out awards after the information is known. This will break up the evening somewhat.
• Once the cubscout races are all run, put the computer into test mode and let the parents who made cars run their cars down the track. Do this enough times so that they feel confident that they know who did the best.
• If time and energies permit, open the track to people, including kids, who want to run their cars. As the track is somewhat fragile, keep everybody outside the ribbons still, and have the person at the start gate load and launch the cars.
• Put things away.
• Relax and breathe again. Talk about boat motors.

Last modified 27 May 2006
Questions or comments can be sent to Dave Regan.