Car Numbers: Three Digit or Letter Suffix??

[peterzekert]

This post is aimed at drivers who frequently run out of division (and then have to change their numbers) and to the corner workers, officials, timers and registrars that deal with our car numbers.

Is there any opposition or downside to increasing the available numbers by either:

1) Going to three digit numbers? (Yea, I know it looks stupid)
or
2) Going to the letter suffix after the number? (So I could be 45z and Fred could be 45x)

Constructive Comments??? Peter

[Peter Olivola]

This has been a problem for Timing and Scoring. Although the AMB system can handle it, most T&S operations still have people "taping" as backup and three digit numbers are more difficult, especially in large run groups and with open wheel cars (where number visibility is a problem anyway.) T&S will complain loudly about this, but those regions who also support vintage racing are well experienced in dealing with three digit numbers.

I don't know if AMB can handle letters.

Originally posted by peterzekert@Oct 22 2005, 02:52 PM
This post is aimed at drivers who frequently run out of division (and then have to change their numbers) and to the corner workers, officials, timers and registrars that deal with our car numbers.

Is there any opposition or downside to increasing the available numbers by either:

1) Going to three digit numbers? (Yea, I know it looks stupid)
or
2) Going to the letter suffix after the number? (So I could be 45z and Fred could be 45x)

Constructive Comments??? Peter

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[peterzekert]

To my surprise, 3 digit numbers are already allowed per GCR 17.5.1. Thanks to Bryan Cohn of the SCCA staff for pointing that out to me. Peter Z

Three (3) digit numbers may be used when individually approved in advance by the Chief of Timing and Scoring.

[bhudson]

A lot depends on how well the extra digit can be seen. My experience with vintage racing has been that third digits are usually poorly done, letter designations are even worse.

But if you don't mind getting black flagged because someone mis-identified your car as someone else, then I have no opposition.

Bob Hudson
Atlanta Region

[RSTPerformance]

One suggestion... anyone who wants 3 diget numbers or extra letters, go "tape" for a bigger race group up in T&S... You will understands T&S concerns.

I am 100% against the letter suffix (reminds me of demolition, derby's) and I am 98% against 3 digit numbers. They look silly (although the rally cars look cool) and from having tried to tape recently it isn't easy doing 2 digit car #'s!!!

Raymond "two thumbs down" Blethen

[turboICE]

Ditto - trying to tape as a novice worker session with WDCR there is no way I would support three digits.

Try and tape a large race group sometime, you won't want a third number and you will rethink the numbers that are already on your car!

[Maddog]

We have used 3 digit numbers a few time in the SW when groups were combined. If you just use a leading "1", ie "76" becomes "176" it's not too bad for T&S. When you get into "395" and such it becomes difficult.

Letter suffixes are almost impossible for T&S to use.

[Super7]

Originally posted by RSTPerformance@Oct 25 2005, 07:48 PM
One suggestion... anyone who wants 3 diget numbers or extra letters, go "tape" for a bigger race group up in T&S... You will understands T&S concerns.

Yea, try doing a full formula car field at lime rock in the rain. Many of the best T&S folks agree that LR is the most difficult place to do lap charts.

The starter also does a lap chart, without the aid of either the AMB system or any of the T&S tapers. It's really hard to do a good one, and even a one hour race is almost impossible. We have enough problems with cars numbers that cannot be read as the cars go by at almost 100 MPH, and small numbers, turned at funny angles and / or lost in a sea of hood graphics make it nasty. The numbers on the hoods of the RST cars come to mind as a typical bad example. If we didn't know the cars, it would be really hard to pick up on where the numbers were placed.

Formula cars tend to have no room for the third digit, either.

We tried to get three digit numbers for SM this last year (we ran out of reserved numbers), with only 1xx numbers allowed, but T&S said "No, no, no."

[RSTPerformance]

The numbers on the hoods of the RST cars come to mind as a typical bad example. If we didn't know the cars, it would be really hard to pick up on where the numbers were placed.

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Super7-

Not to be ummm... hostil how can we make our numbers better (without making them crazy big :119: )??? They used to be black numbers on silver/red and silver/blue at an angle, however they are now a solid white background (touring car style door number) with large black numbers in them. they are located on the drivers side front part of the hood (no angle). At Lime Rock and NHIS I can see them as being more difficult to read from the starters stand simply because our hoods are so flat, and they are on the opposite side of the car, however they are in perfect view for many other tracks we run such as Pocono, WG, Mid-Ohio, and Atlanta. They are also more visible in that location at NHIS for T&S, not to mention they are more visible for "Pit Marshals" and "Black Flag Stewards" in it plane (not that we would ever visit that station ).

I don't disagree that they used to suck, and we did get a complaint or two, thus we made changes that we thought made them A LOT LOT better, not to mention brought out a bit more color in the front portion of the car that made it look a bit better!!! I am not saying that we would change ours, but I am wondering suggestions that would look good and be better for starters (I think i know who you are :P ).

Again not being rude, you just pointed ours out, and for the good of all who has seen ours, what is wrong with them?




Raymond "glad to help whenever possible!!!" Blethen

[Super7]

Originally posted by RSTPerformance@Nov 1 2005, 11:51 PM
They used to be black numbers on silver/red and silver/blue at an angle, however they are now a solid white background (touring car style door number) with large black numbers in them. they are located on the drivers side front part of the hood (no angle).

Sorry, didn't know you fixed them. It was the OLD numbers I was refering to. I guess I got so used to picking your cars out by color when they are at startion 12 (either track).

From the pictures, the new ones look great. If more were like that, it would be almost easy.

They are in the front half, near the center. and that solves 80% of the problem. Numbers that are only a few inches high, sideways, near the a-pillar are hard to spot.

[joeg]

I do like alpha-numeric systems and my favorite is "K9"--what a dog of a car at the oval!