Kart enduro rules!! Must read!!!

Rod Powell

Shake N Bake Baby
The first statement should be read, and re read if you have any doubts! Hate to hammer on this, but you know, sometimes we don't listen so well.

THIS IS A RACE, and you are expected to conduct yourselves as you would at the track.


IF YOU TREAT IT AS BUMPER CARS, YOU, THE DRIVER, CAN BE YANKED FROM THE RACE, AND IF YOUR TEAM CONTINUES THAT BEHAVIOUR, YOUR TEAM CAN BE YANKED There, got that out of the way.

So we do not have 60 people lining up at two computer terminals Friday and Saturday, please get everyone registered using this link: http://www.speedsheettiming.com/AKOlympia/register.aspx

Liability waiver here: http://www.apexkarting.com/forms-liability.php This for reveiw only, you will have to sign a copy at the track when you get your pic taken.

Highlander Motorsports and Black Widow Racing in conjuction with Apex Karting Presents

The 6 Heuers of Kartrrera PanOlympia

A worker appreciation indoor kart racing enduro.
Saturday, February 7th from 9:00am to 3:00pm
• Maximum of 10 teams
• Event held at Apex Karting Center, Tumwater, WA.
• $600 entry fee per team
• Six members per team.
• Apex Karting rules apply to all participants, in addition, specific Kartrrera PanOlympia Endurance Series rules shall apply.
• All Drivers must arrive 1 hour before the start of racing and attend the Drivers meeting. Drivers that fail to attend the Drivers meeting will not be allowed to race.
• All Drivers must sign Apex Karting liability waiver
• Kart assignment will be determined by random drawing at the end of the drivers meeting. Requests for specific karts will not be entertained.
• Starting position will be determined by a five lap qualifying race held 10 minutes prior to the start of the race. Best time will be pole position. Qualifying Driver will be determined by team vote. Once the qualifying race is complete, the drivers will be stopped on the race track and directed into the pit lane in the qualifying order. The qualifying driver does not have to be the driver that starts the race. There will be an opportunity for a change of drivers between qualifying and the start of the race.
• A mandatory driver’s change will occur at the ½ hour and on the hour. Optional driver’s changes will be allowed at the quarter hours. Driver’s changes will be indicated by waving the White Flag.
• All teams will pit and race will be halted at each two hour mark for re-fueling of all karts. Racing will be stopped on the track and the teams will be directed into the pits in the current position order. After refueling, teams will change karts: the team in 1st place will take the kart of the team in 10th place; the team in 2nd will take the kart of the team in 9th and so on. This puts the team in 10th place at the pole for the start of the second half of the race. This also eliminates any advantage due to differences in kart performance.
• Refueling will take place outside in accordance with local Fire Marshal regulations. One kart at a time will drive through the garage and out to the fueling area. Once fueled, the kart will be driven back through the garage and then to the end of the pit lane that they came from.
• There will be two types of penalty for contact: a 15 second rev limiter penalty and an open black flag stop and go penalty. A rolled up black flag warns of unsportsmanlike conduct. Continued unsportsmanlike conduct could result in disqualification of the driver or team. The type of penalty will be determined by the Pit Boss and will be based on a judgment call of the severity and flagrance of the contact or behavior. REPEATED INTENTIONAL CONTACT MAY RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION OF THE DRIVER OR TEAM.
• Only two karts may be in the pit area at any one time during driver changes. Any kart entering the pit area while two karts are there shall be required to serve a mandatory 15 second rev limiter penalty. That penalty will be assessed when the new driver exits the chicane. If a driver enter the pit while another kart is already in the pit, the driver’s change may not begin until the first kart has exited the pit area.
• The yellow line at the front of the pit lane is a “Do Not Cross Line”. Teams crossing this line while coming into the pits for a driver’s change will be assessed a 15 second penalty when the new driver exits the chicane.
• Replacement karts will be available for mechanical failures. Drivers will indicate a mechanical failure by raising their hand. If they can continue to drive the kart they will pull into the pits to exchange karts. If they cannot continue, they should pull to the side of the track and stop. A full course caution (with all karts on the rev limiter) will be instituted while the kart is replaced. Once a kart is pulled from a race for a mechanical failure it will not return to racing except as a replacement kart if repairs can be made in a timely manner.
• Position lost due to mechanical failure will not be restored.
• Should all replacement karts be exhausted, any team experiencing a mechanical failure will be finished racing and their position in the race will be determined by the number of laps completed.
• All Drivers should report to the pit area at least 5 minutes prior to their time to drive, all Drivers must check in with the Pit Boss prior to getting in kart.
• Spectators will not be allowed in the pit area while any karts are on the track.
• No more than one driver shall be allowed over pit wall at any one time for any team.
• Each team shall be issued one neck brace. That neck brace must be shared by all drivers on the team.
• All karts will be held in the pit during Driver changes by the Pit Boss until seat belt is fastened and neck brace is put on.
• Drivers leaving the pit area after Driver changes shall be responsible to enter the race track only when safe and clear of other karts. Any Driver entering the track in an unsafe manner shall be subject to a mandatory 15 second rev limiter penalty.
• No beverages will be allowed in the track or pit area during race time. No Driver will be allowed to consume any alcoholic beverage while karts are on the track. Any Driver found to be drinking prior to the end of his driving activities shall be disqualified immediately.
 
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Okee Dokee, state yer issues here!

BTW, I suggest the team captains direct each member to sign up online using the link above. Also reveiw the waiver and be prepared to sign at the track so we can get through the initial process as quickly as possible. You will need to get your pic taken as well for you Karting ID, so primp appropriately :rolleyes:

RP
 
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After refueling, teams will change karts: the team in 1st place will take the kart of the team in 10th place; the team in 2nd will take the kart of the team in 9th and so on. This puts the team in 10th place at the pole for the start of the second half of the race. This also eliminates any advantage due to differences in kart performance.

I understand changing karts to eliminate differences in performance, but are we also changing positions? Not possible to change karts but keep positions?

Also this wouldn't be for the second half of the race, but would occur twice. Correct?
 
I understand changing karts to eliminate differences in performance, but are we also changing positions? Not possible to change karts but keep positions?

Also this wouldn't be for the second half of the race, but would occur twice. Correct?


Negative, cart rotation and position rotation are mandatory. The whole idea is that if everyone is on the lead lap, then the team in front starts in the rear and has to work their way back, the team in the rear has to hold the lead, etc. In practice, I have my doubts that after two hours everyone will be on the lead lap, so it will make little to no difference, but we will see :)

"Also this wouldn't be for the second half of the race, but would occur twice. Correct?"

Correct, two gas stops, two cart and grid rotations as well.

As a side note, in order to keep the clock accurate, the gas stops will occur on the hour (11:00 AM and 1:00 PM) and the next driver change will be MANDATORY on the half hour (11:30 AM and 1:30 PM). Thus, if your strategy is to run 30 minute sessions, your driver for that time segment will get 20 minutes seat time, 10 minutes fuel. If your strategy is 15 minute stints, you can change at the quarter hour, but you must change again at the half hour. This is the only way we can insure driver changes occur on the half hour. (Put another way, if you change on the quarter hour after the gas stop, then fail to change again at the half hour mark, you will get the sputter button and black flag)

RP
 
Pit boards

We will be using pit boards numbered one through ten to signal drivers in for driver changes. When you get to the track, upon entering the front door, you will see an alcove that faces the hairpin turn. This is where the pit boards will be displayed. It is incumbent on the team captain and members to manage their pit strategy in conjuction with the other teams.

If you, the driver, enter the pit area and are penalized because the pit is full, look to your captain/team members for the issue. They control when you enter, not the track management.

Bit of advice: When you see the waving whites at the quarter and half hours, upon entering the chute before the hairpin, EYES UP to see if you are being signaled ;)

RP
 
Just to clarify - the limit on two cars in the pit at any one time is *only* during driver changes, not if there are other circumstances, right? For example, Remfert gets black-flagged for dropping spikes on the track, and at the same time two team captains have signaled their karts to pit for a driver change. Or, a kart is having mechanical issues that are being addressed in the pits, and the driver changes happen.

I'm sure there will little, if any real-time coordination between "race control" and team captains in the above circumstances, so what is the correct read of the rules?

Thanks,
-Bruce
 
DO NOT Print the waiver. We will take your picture andl have you sign the waiver electronically once you arrive. DO go online and pre-register. Once you arrive you'll go to the front counter and give your last names and we'll look up your registration. To facilitate getting everyone through registration, if you're in town on Friday, come in then and get the registration process completed. If you're coming in Saturday morning, try to arrive NLT 7:45. The drivers meeting starts promptly at 8:15. That gives us 30 minutes to make sure everyone has signed the waiver and we've got the teams organized.
Walker
 
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Just to clarify - the limit on two cars in the pit at any one time is *only* during driver changes, not if there are other circumstances, right? For example, Remfert gets black-flagged for dropping spikes on the track, and at the same time two team captains have signaled their karts to pit for a driver change. Or, a kart is having mechanical issues that are being addressed in the pits, and the driver changes happen.


I'm sure there will little, if any real-time coordination between "race control" and team captains in the above circumstances, so what is the correct read of the rules?

Thanks,
-Bruce

That is a good question Bruce, I will defer to Walker on this one, but my sense is that if Remfert is in the penalty box (and he will be in the penalty box, I guarantee it) then perhaps we move his sorry butt out of pit lane so driver changes can continue?


Speaking of race control, let us discuss how communication with Race Control can occur. I don't have a method in mind, however, I do know that shouting at race control because you feel your driver has been unfairly penalized will not work. These guys are fair, and they do not need abuse from the peanut gallery. So, anyone got any ideas on how to communicate with the Pit Boss without interfering with his race management? Cannot be radio, as he is already communicating via radio with the turn workers.

Hmmm, little stumped here.

RP
 
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Two Kart Limit et al....

The two kart limit is during the drivers changes only. If someone comes into the pits for any other reason, including but not limited to: mechanical failures, black flags, potty stop, etc., the kart that they are/were driving is immediately removed from the pit area and moved to the shop.

I feel the need to clarify the black flag the way we use it:
Generally I don't use the rolled up black flag to warn - you just get put on the rev limiter for a 15 second penalty. If I bring out the black flag it will be open, and the driver is required to pull into the pit for a stop and go penalty. There will be a short conversation about the transgression, and then the driver will go back out onto the course. Should that occur to the same driver twice during the race, that driver will be removed from the event. We also use the black flag to bring drivers into the pit for safety reasons - i.e. missing seat belt, neck brace coming off, etc.

My sincere hope is that there won't need to be any communication with "Race Control" during the race. If I've done my job right, critical information will be made clear during the drivers meeting. If there is a need to communicate with me during the race, all communication must be in writing and sent via registered mail. Actually, I'm pretty approachable, but during the race I have neither the time nor the patience to deal with whining or quibbling. Please try to remember that above anything else, I'm human; subject to error. I can almost guarantee that I'll make mistakes during the race. If I do - I'll apologize in advance, but if it's a matter of giving someone a rev-limiter penalty, there's no way to go back and give those 15 seconds back.

The other thing to remember is this: this race is for FUN! I want to give you guys the most fun you have ever had, and I'm going to bust my ass to make sure that happens. It won't be fun for anyone if minor challenges turn into huge problems.......

Now, there's only 20 more days to get in some "secret" practice in......
 
About those sweaty neck braces

I have a minor beef about sharing a neck brace with the entire team. After a while, this one brace is going to be a sweaty mess. Going from one guy to another, though I have the highest regard for my teammates, is gross. I have my own karting neck brace. Why can't I use it? I could even put it on as I'm about to buckle up so I don't have a time advantage. What do you think?
 
I have a minor beef about sharing a neck brace with the entire team. After a while, this one brace is going to be a sweaty mess. Going from one guy to another, though I have the highest regard for my teammates, is gross. I have my own karting neck brace. Why can't I use it? I could even put it on as I'm about to buckle up so I don't have a time advantage. What do you think?

Agree with you and have my teammate hand me mine once in the kart. Since I have neck issues and have a neck brace with a cutout for my shoulders just for that reason.
I don't want to speed things up or circumvent the rules.
I would rather use mine.

I was allowed to use it for practice on Sunday.
 
1 more vote against the sharing of bodily fluids on a sweaty neck brace. That's simply gross. Perhaps we could all share a long passionate kiss before we get started too?
 
In defense of the old and sedentary (think JC 07), I would prefer to see mandatory driver changes every 15 minutes. The fun factor diminishes rather quickly past the 12-15 mark. Plus there would be additional driver exchange entertainment.
jmho

Rick Delamare
 
I stopped there yesterday on the way back from Oregon, and I can tell you that VERY few of us will make 30 minutes! 15 minute rotation I believe is a must, and our team will be doing that regardless.
I will be bringing my own neck brace Rod because it is a personal piece of equipment like a helmet, and is not a good thing to share!
If only 2 karts are allowed inthe pits, then who is going to police that, not the teams I hope? BTW, the karts need to be rotated a lot more than every 2 hours. If a team gets stuck with a dud for 2 hours then 600 bucks will have been wasted, and if that is the case our team will withdraw right now. I understood that each pit stop would require a kart rotation, am I wrong on that?
 
I agree with the 15 minutes.Yeah Yeah some of us "think" we can do 30 minutes but go down and run 30 minutes in 8 minute segments before you try it. Without a fair bit of practice you could be hurting!

Just did a two hours last weekend at Skykart and was hurting a bit after two 15 minutes segments. Apex has much better carts, newer seats, better belts and more flat out track.

I will be bringing my own neck brace as well.
 
The pit stop window is going to be up to 30 minutes. This is one of the few things that teams have to use for strategy. Keep in mind you don't have to run sprint pace every lap, slow it down a couple of seconds, and make the time up staying out if you want. Or don't and stop at 15 minutes if you want. It's the driver's prerogative.

The karts aren't all exactly equal, it's the nature of things. Some will be better than others, some worse. I don't think Walker is going to put a piece of crap out there though. If someone finds a kart to be undriveable, there should be a few in reserve to replace it with.

The teams are responsible to ensure their driver doesn't pit when there are already two karts in pit lane. Somebody on the team is going to have to pay attention with their pit board in hand to avoid getting a penalty.

Lastly, Neither Rod nor I are making any money on this deal. The entry fee is simply the facility per hour rental fee times the duration divided by the drivers. The $100 extra per team is going to a very worthy cause, our excellent volunteer workers. People are welcome to take this as seriously as they want, but this event was organized not for profit as a way to get together and have fun first and foremost, and do some good for the workers at the same time, and as such, there will be no whining allowed.
 
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Whining aside Randy, please clarify the kart rotation rule if you will. If they are only swapped out every 2 hours then it won't work since we all know from experience that there are always bad units in every group. So if a team gets stuck with a crappy kart for 2 full hours it would be pointless to continue. If that kart is deemed inoperative and has to be pulled out of service, then the other teams should pit while that swap takes place. That really, really needs to be addressed, massaged and clarified before we go forward.
 
Ok, let’s be honest. We’ve all used the bad kart excuse to explain some slower lap times, but even ghastly karts can have a sweet spot. You just have to find it. Lean in, lean out, trail brake, treat it like a wife, treat it like a mistress, etc. I’m guessing the truly unruly karts would show themselves during practice and the heat race, but perhaps we can come up with plan for catastrophic failure Randy? Could each team get a specified number of Mulligan’s? I can’t think of a better term at the moment. Perhaps each team gets 2 exchanges for the whole day? The driver/team would then decide if the pit stop to change karts would cost more time then the kart is costing them on track. We should all be pretty aware of what each driver’s lap times ‘should be’ by then right? Perhaps a specified signal to the pits means “I want a new kart now” and another signal for “let’s change at the next stop.” But with only 2 Mulligan’s, you have to choose wisely and thus even more strategy comes into play. I’m just throwing it out for discussion.

Much like all other forms of racing though, if you get a flat tire, you’d be hard pressed to find other teams that will come pit with you because they feel bad for you. Fate has to play some role in this thing we all love so much.
 
I agree with Wes, I also believe Apex should have a pretty good idea as to what karts are the bad units and maybe they can pull these karts the day of our enduro?...or fix whatever issues the bad ones have.

What pre-enduro preparations will the karts go through prior to this event?
I don't know the type of karts they run so I can only assume that pads, wheels (can be bent), tires (to many heat-cycles), tie-rods bent and alignment etc. are all things that should be looked at...or am I just being finicky?

I want to have fun but the last thing I want is a kart that flat out sucks for eight minutes or fifteen minutes or what ever duration I or my team has to be in that kart. I would be the same way about the karts if I just showed up out of the blue and ran two or three sessions.

And I agree about the neck brace, I like all my teams mates but I don't want to wear their sweat. I may go pick one up before this event.

Ciao,
C
 
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