Conference terri::cars_uk

    
    Will you be on the Santander Ferry on 10th September ? If so snap !
    
    Karen

    My advice would be to take the A303/M5/A38 all the way.  The A303 is
    much improved these days with quite a lot of dual carriageway, and
    major towns bypassed.
    
    Since Thruxton is virtually on the A303 anyway, it seems odd to suggest
    going 20 miles North to the M4, then 60 miles North West (almost) on the
    M4 before you turn south on the M5, when you want to be heading south
    west in any case.
    
    Jeff.

    Re -2
    
    Not the 10th, we're off on the 23rd, ending up down in Jerez for the
    Grand Prix the following weekend :-)
    
    Re -1
    
    Thanks, that sounds good to me. My recollections on the A303 are from
    about 6 or 7 years and it didn't seem that good then.
    
    Paul
    

    re.2 That is the best route, A303 is a fairly fast road know. Quite a
    considerable amount of this road has been improved, by dual
    carriageways!!! 
    
    	From Thruxton, you will need to go back towards Weyhill I think, then
    onto the A303 - West..
     
    	The traffic will be `Very' busy around that area, But all the best.
    
    
    Stu. (Ex Andover resident.?!?)
                

    
    Re .4
    
    Traffic is NEVER a problem at Thruxton if...
    
    you get out really quick after the last race. If you see two people,
    wearing marshall's badges, sprinting for a car that's us!
    
    Mark
    

    We won't be waiting for the last race! We're planning to be off the
    minute the later of the F3/BTCC boys are across the line.
    
    Thanks for all the advice.
    
    Paul
    

    If you're only interested in real racing I wouldn't have thought the
    F3s would be worth waiting for this season!
    
    Mark

    Ah.... but we're not watching the leaders, we're seeing how Tanake does
    in the L/House car. Anyway, the action in the tin tops makes up for the
    Mika squared show at the front of the F3s. Gravett rules OK!
    
    Paul 
     
    
    

    Sorry, that should have read Tanaka!
    
    Paul

    Gravett and run I say! Says a lot about sponsors doesn't it? A team
    wins 5 races in a row on national TV before anybody comes forward to 
    sponsor them and yet everybody in Japan, Italy and Brazil (to name but
    a few) who can drive a car is sponsored to the hilt! (Well so it seems 
    anyway! :^)) 
    
    I didn't realise we were due for another BTCC round at Thruxton this 
    year. It almost makes getting up at 6 in the morning worthwhile!
    
    Mark
    

    Re 6am starts
    
    Yup, I can't wait for next season when I make the exalted of a Gp 4
    timekeeper and might get to time the bigger championships. Being a
    trainee this year has been fun, but seeing the Vauxhall Finance Sports
    *all* the time gets a little wearing.
    
    Mind you, timing the F3s on the Brands indy circuit was an experience!
    
    Paul
    
    

    
   > Mind you, timing the F3s on the Brands indy circuit was an experience!
    
    Do you have a head that swivels 360 degrees then? :^) 
    
    Mark
    
    PS I couldn't work out the compose for the degree symbol!

    Re -1
    
    We may not seem to start 'til 9 but its all action from about 8 getting
    the computer set up etc. Also, Croydon to Snetterton is a 6am start to
    get there at a reasonable time.
    
    Also.....
    
    
    Marshalls don't have to do mental arithmatic on
    Minutes/Seconds/Hundreths!
    
    Try doing:
    
    	5:45.87
    -	3:53.92
    
    for 5 cars, over 10 laps, with the cars placed from 1st to 20th and
    re-appearing every minute! Mind blowing!
    
    Seriously, I have been very impressed since I started seeing behind the
    scenes at the dedication of all the workers at race meetings.
    
    Paul

.12�PS I couldn't work out the compose for the degree symbol!

    It's easy Mark - <Compose> "0" "^" Comme �a: 27�C

	Compose sequences are easy really, most characters are quite
	logical. A lot of noters can't even do � though.

	If you want a pound sign you add an L and a - which is the
	nearest you can get ie compose l - or - l it doesn't matter
	and niether does the case.

	Silly foreign characters with bits sticking out of them are
	a piece of the proverbial. � = compose e ' obvious. � = c ,
	etc. etc.

	With a bit of logical thinking it's hardly necessary to ever
	look them up.

	-John (ex terminal software writer)

    
    Maybe this should be replied to in a 'racing' type note - but how is
    the timekeeping done and how acurate is it? - I time Derek just by eye
    as he comes past me, but my times are very close to his official time.
    
    Elaine
    
    ps any other 'behind the scenes' info would also be interesting.
    Especially some of the things which hold up starts etc, which they
    never tell the poor drivers and pit crews stood sweltering in the
    collecting areas!

RE .last

Maybe this should be refered to as the compose character note...




Many 8^)'s

    Well, I make a stab at explaining the timing process for the tracks
    that I've done. (Brands & Snetterton - but I think its also the same at
    Thruxton, Castle Coombe, Pembrey and Lydden)
    
    A beam is positioned on the start finish line. Each time a car breaks
    the beam it sends a signal to a console that prints out the time on a
    tally roll. A spotter writes the car number against this time. This
    acts as a control check list.
    
    Each timer has a timing box which is a flash stop watch, contected to
    the timing beam. They are allocated a number of cars (usually 4 or 5)
    and time these in conjunction with a timing sheet. The timer presses
    the split button when the car crosses the line, and if the car is in
    the beam when it is pressed they get a time in hundredths, if they are
    late or early, its in tenths. This is recorded on the time sheet and
    the previous elapsed time deducted to get a lap time.
    
    At the end of the race the elapsed times and fastest laps for each car
    are entered into the PC which produces results etc.
    
    In addition to the timers, someone produces a lap chart for reference
    purposes.
    
    It only gets confused with things like overlaps when two cars cross at
    the same time.
    
    That is probably a bad explanation but I'm still new at this!
    
    At Silverstone (and soon at Brands I think) the system is more
    automated. Instead of stop watches (which are still used as a control)
    people key the car numbers into a small pad which then lines them up
    with the time from the beam, and the PC then deducts this from the last
    recorded time for that car.
    
    At a race like the C2 race at Snetterton last Sunday with about 6
    entries its relatively calm, but with 30+ FFords coming at you,
    spotting your cars is great fun!
    
    Anyway, I hope that helps, as it was my base note, I reckon I'm
    entitled to change direction!
    
    Paul

    
    What happens when one car is in the beam of light - and another is
    almost along-side it? does the system then rely on the spotter to
    notice that two cars are there?
    
             light beam
             |
             | 
           ------ car A
             |
         -----  car B
             |
    

    Well, I nearly missed all that interesting compose character stuff,
    when a simple note on "how do I get there from here" degenerated into
    yet another F1/racing note, and I hit next unseen.
    
    Jeff.
    
    PS: Can someone explain what function keys have to do with motoring,
    anyway?

    Re -2
    
    When you get an overlap the beam often splits better than the eye can.
    However, the two cars are credited with the same time if only one time
    is printed, and the spotter/lap charter would note the overlap.
    
    Paul