HEY CCS - what's with this "3rd call" TOTAL BS?!?

[Woofentino Pugrossi]

Or how about them giving first call at the end of the riders meeting sunday and some of us were pitted back by turn 3a. Then hear 3rd call right as I got the bike off the stand. Get up to pit out and theres only 2 bikes there. THen have to WAIT because some racers were still getting suited up. Geesh give us 10 minutes AFTER the riders meeting before 1st call.

[G 97]

I am amazed that this surprises anyone.  Looks like nothing has changed.
A basic course in organizational skills would go far.  

[Jeff]

They explained how the calls are made at the riders meeting, and they haven't changed from last year.

At the 1/2 way point of the race, they announce 1st call.  At the white flag shown for the LEADER, they announce 2nd call.  When the checkered flag flies for the LEADER, they make 3rd call...

When 3rd call is made at BHF, you STILL have a grid full of racers who need to cross the checkered, and then make a cool-down lap.  At a minimum, you're looking around 4 minutes from the time 3rd call is made to a 5 board.  Most often times, it's around 8 minutes.

An easy way to deal with this is to stay within sight of pit out, and leave when the 5 board goes up.  However this is pretty risky.

Another way is to watch for ALL riders to come past on their cool down lap.  Once they clear the track, the 5 board can go within a minute or two.

All of this changes when the crash  truck has to go pick people up, but the way that calls are made has not changed in the last two years at least.  What changes and varies is the amount of time from clearing the track of race A to a green track for race B...

[pitbtch#1]

for one what is a rule book?  This year a rule book dont mean nothing considering that there is so many people breaking it anyway.  And for another i do have an argument about the calls.  Alot of the racers are arguing about when there made and they are actually the ones that have never worked corners or annouced anything.  I just have one thing to really say and thats without us cornerworkers u racers wouldnt be racing

[G 97]

for one what is a rule book?  This year a rule book dont mean nothing considering that there is so many people breaking it anyway.  And for another i do have an argument about the calls.  Alot of the racers are arguing about when there made and they are actually the ones that have never worked corners or annouced anything.  I just have one thing to really say and thats without us cornerworkers u racers wouldnt be racing

Yeah? and with out all of the racers there would be no need for corner workers.  What is your point.  ::)

[CCS]

Posted by: JeF4y Posted on: Jul 21st, 2003, 7:16am
They explained how the calls are made at the riders meeting, and they haven't changed from last year.
 
At the 1/2 way point of the race, they announce 1st call.  At the white flag shown for the LEADER, they announce 2nd call.  When the checkered flag flies for the LEADER, they make 3rd call...
 
When 3rd call is made at BHF, you STILL have a grid full of racers who need to cross the checkered, and then make a cool-down lap.  At a minimum, you're looking around 4 minutes from the time 3rd call is made to a 5 board.  Most often times, it's around 8 minutes.
 
An easy way to deal with this is to stay within sight of pit out, and leave when the 5 board goes up.  However this is pretty risky.
 
Another way is to watch for ALL riders to come past on their cool down lap.  Once they clear the track, the 5 board can go within a minute or two.
 
All of this changes when the crash  truck has to go pick people up, but the way that calls are made has not changed in the last two years at least.  What changes and varies is the amount of time from clearing the track of race A to a green track for race B...  

Jeff is correct, this is the proper procedure for CCS across the country. Some tracks have different pit in/pit out arrangements that make the delay a little longer than other facilities, but being familiar with the facilities quirks can save you that extra 2-3 waiting in the sun.

What we cannot control is riders crashing on the cool down lap, nor riders crashing on the last lap. Sometimes this is where the delay comes from, if the bike and rider are in an impact area, we must clear them before the start of a new event.

Our announcers have been instructed not to give multiple third calls, (two is max, just so we aren't accused of "crying wolf" by repeating it several times) but they are allowed to go back to "second call and holding" whenever they are informed of a delay by race control after third call has been made. No it is not an exact science, but it is the best we can do.

When things are going right, we require a minimum of one minute from the third call to 5 board so if you are at your pit you know you have at least that much time to put your helmet on and get rolling towards pre-grid. At Blackhawk, if there are no problems or back to back riders, as soon as the last bike turns into the paddock they should be releasing the next race. This would be a minimum of 3 minutes after the checkered flag. (Blackhawk is unusual because pit out is at the begining of the pit lane, and pit in is at the end of pit lane, and you cannot mix the two groups safely.

So I believe Jeff's suggestion of being ready as the last of the field comes in a Blackhawk would be the most prudent course of action.

I will ask the race directors to keep an "ear" out for this to make sure the announcers and control are working togther as they should.

Good Luck, and thanks to everyone who made Blackhawk a good safe event this weekend.

[OmniGLH]

Jeff is correct, this is the proper procedure for CCS across the country. Some tracks have different pit in/pit out arrangements that make the delay a little longer than other facilities, but being familiar with the facilities quirks can save you that extra 2-3 waiting in the sun.

What we cannot control is riders crashing on the cool down lap, nor riders crashing on the last lap. Sometimes this is where the delay comes from, if the bike and rider are in an impact area, we must clear them before the start of a new event.

Our announcers have been instructed not to give multiple third calls, (two is max, just so we aren't accused of "crying wolf" by repeating it several times) but they are allowed to go back to "second call and holding" whenever they are informed of a delay by race control after third call has been made. No it is not an exact science, but it is the best we can do.

When things are going right, we require a minimum of one minute from the third call to 5 board so if you are at your pit you know you have at least that much time to put your helmet on and get rolling towards pre-grid. At Blackhawk, if there are no problems or back to back riders, as soon as the last bike turns into the paddock they should be releasing the next race. This would be a minimum of 3 minutes after the checkered flag. (Blackhawk is unusual because pit out is at the begining of the pit lane, and pit in is at the end of pit lane, and you cannot mix the two groups safely.

So I believe Jeff's suggestion of being ready as the last of the field comes in a Blackhawk would be the most prudent course of action.

I will ask the race directors to keep an "ear" out for this to make sure the announcers and control are working togther as they should.

Good Luck, and thanks to everyone who made Blackhawk a good safe event this weekend.

I can understand fluke occurrences.  Somebody crashes on the cooldown, a corner worker decides after 3rd call is given that he needs to hit the bathroom, whatever.  But this was happening before EVERY RACE.  And I know there were several instances where I counted 5-6 "3rd calls".  It's just a little frustrating.. the last several weekends we've been treating 3rd call like a 1st call, and we still stand around...