Need numbers for Driver's School?

[backformore]

If you are going to Roebling for the DS and will need numbers for your car please contact me for Driver's School special. We will be there and can bring your numbers.

Rory
[email protected]

[JLawton]

I don't know how strict they are down there, but in the Northeast, you better have the proper sized numbers that are easy to ready. Other than safety issues, this seems to be the stewards biggest thorn..........

[Jeremy Billiel]

I don't know how strict they are down there, but in the Northeast, you better have the proper sized numbers that are easy to ready. Other than safety issues, this seems to be the stewards biggest thorn..........
[/b]

I was waiting for a jab on this one, but Jeff was being nice to me. Yup you need numbers! Just ask me how I know that!

[RacerBill]

I don't know how strict they are down there, but in the Northeast, you better have the proper sized numbers that are easy to ready. Other than safety issues, this seems to be the stewards biggest thorn..........
[/b]

I took my schools at Nelson with Mahoning Valley and T&S bitched at my numbers - white car with big black block numbers on the doors with no other decals! The car was numbered to run in nighttime enduros.

[JLawton]

Any new guys should take a walk up to Timing and Scoring and see how difficult it is to see the numbers at speed.

Hey Rory, nothing like free advertising for you!!

[CaptainWho]

Any new guys should take a walk up to Timing and Scoring and see how difficult it is to see the numbers at speed.[/b]

Or come out to the corners. At some tracks, it's harder from the corners than the timing "shed" because the flag stations are closer to the track surface, so the cars go through your field of view faster. At other tracks, the timing folks are as close to the surface as the flaggers. As a flagger, if I can't read your numbers at speed, I will let race control know. They might or might not take it any farther. If the stewards feel they're bad enough, you'll get "meatballed".

IIRC, the GCR spec for car numbers on the doors is minimum of 8" tall with 1" stroke.

And stay away from fancy typefaces. Big block numbers is the best bet. The higher the contrast between the number and its background, the better.

The other thing to remember when you pick what number to cut in the vinyl is that sometimes you won't get your number at an event. So pick a number that's easy to convert into other numbers with some racer's tape. On one car, we had the number "88" done in segments like on an LCD watch. Made it really easy to get whatever number we needed.

[RacerBill]

Or come out to the corners. At some tracks, it's harder from the corners than the timing "shed" because the flag stations are closer to the track surface, so the cars go through your field of view faster. [/b]

Try serial scoring Indy cars at a 1 mile track, from a suite a couple of hundred feet from the track, at night, with 25 cars, going by at 165 to 190 miles per hour!

Or 33 cars at the start of the 500 where they are going 230mph and the whole field passes by in about 3 seconds!

There ain't much surface area on them puppies to put numbers!

[shwah]

Yeah frustrating but true that some divisions will not reserve numbers for regional competitors. MidDiv gets it, CenDiv does not. Turns into a recurring PITA because you never know what number you will get even at your 'home' races.

[backformore]

I know this thread probably should have gone under one of the "classified" headings, but I wanted to put it where the new guys were most likely to look.

So, if you need legal number for Driver's School, contact me at [email protected] and I will bring them to Roebling.

Thanks

[backformore]

Another quick note on this. The requirement is for Numbers a minimum of 8" high with 1.5" stroke. Most default fonts will not result in 1.5" stroke from an 8" letter. In fact, on the car I bought a few months ago, the numbers are 8" high with 1.25" stroke. While I don't think tech is going to send you home for this and probably will not notice it, it is technically not correct so they would be justified to point it out.

Actually, I just had the annual done on my car today and no comment was made :P .

Fortunately, I know someone who does numbers/letters so it will be legal before my friend uses it for DS.

Anyway, just wanted to make everyone aware of this. If you go to a sign shop and tell them 8"high and 1.5" stroke, they will probably say "OK" and when you get them back, the stroke will not be sufficient.

Rory

PS This is not just a shameless plug for business, but is intended to provide useful information.