Dan -
It's a balancing act.
Too few groups, and everyone bitches about too much traffic, requests their own splits ("Sorry, can't do 4 split starts in a single race group, buddy") and, if everthing goes perfectly, you could finish the day at 3:30pm and get accused of not using all the "track hours" that are paid for.
Too many groups, and you risk overtime costs and shortened sessions.
What's a region to do ? For years, the Fun One ran 8 race groups...even wedged in a 1-hour handicap enduro on Saturday a couple of years.
For example - the Glen Region's July Sprints regional Saturday schedule...nearly identical to the Fun One schedule (8 groups, 15 min Q, 7 lap races vs. 8 groups, 12 min Q, 8 lap races), PLUS it had a 30 minute qualifying session for Pro-IT. All went well...everyone loved it. What was the difference ?
Well...Saturday at the Fun One, group 1 Q had a major track oiler and several tow-ins, as did group 2 and group 5, 6 & 8 (and probably a few more). Group 2 race (split start) had a flipper Volvo in T1 PLUS a multi-car wreck at the Bus Stop IN THE FIRST LAP, BEFORE the 2nd split had even taken the green. Major clean-up, plus a re-grid for the restart. Later race group had another flipper (Miata this time). Oh...and a Formula Ford upside down someplace in their race. And another on fire. And more oilers in several more groups. And tow-ins.
Lessons ? Don't crash ? Don't blow up ? How does anyone enforce that ?
Serious question - If we limit groups and limit car counts in those groups, entry costs will go up. Significantly, maybe. What are racers willing to tolerate re: entry fees ?
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