Lunch break- reduce to 30 minutes

[rotoboge]

As the new riders instructor for the SW region, I too think that working a conner on Sunday should be part of it. (jewett)

I agree with you Jewett, that would be a real plus as part of the new racer clinic!   ;)

[hi-side_racing]

By the way, the corner workers could take a brownbag lunch to the corners, thus eliminating the time issues of getting them lunch.

Someone just isn't getting it...

Before I started racing I volunteered to work a corner just to see what was going on. It was a very long day. And now after 8 years of doing this I never fail to wave to the corner workers as a little thanks after each race... unless of course I'm being carted off the track in which case I'll be sure to get you guys the next time  ;D

And I think it would be an excellent idea to incorporate corner working in with the license clinic... why not make it a weekend thing ? Race license clinic on Saturday and corner working on Sunday.

[Chuck]

I'm for giving the cornerworkers what ever break they need.  If lunch could be cut to 30min I'm sure they would already be doing it.  

[KBOlsen]

If you've never worked a corner, you really ought to consider doing so... especially before you start flapping your jaws about having cornerworkers 'brown-bag it' and blaming them for delays.

On the positive side, I think requiring a racer to cornerwork for a day as part of the licensing requirement (or as part of the qualifications for getting white plates) is a GREAT idea.

[rotoboge]

Who's blaming anybody? Sounds like you are... I only mention the need to make the races more efficient in the future. What ideas have you contributed???

[Woofentino Pugrossi]

On the positive side, I think requiring a racer to cornerwork for a day as part of the licensing requirement (or as part of the qualifications for getting white plates) is a GREAT idea.

To go expert you should have to cornerwork a weekend like Kim suggested. Heck, make it part of the school (1 day) AND a requirement to go expert (weekend).

And Roto, if you want to complain about the time it takes to get the races started, talk to the race director. I'm sure he'll say something nice to ya.

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

Here's the moral of the story.  Lunch is about feeding the staff.  Corner workers make up the majority of the staff.  They must be brought in and fed, since the track concession stand usually provides the food.  For the corner crew, this is the only time they get a bit of shade, a chance to sit down, or a roof over their heads to hold back the monsoon.  Have you ever skipped practice because it was raining?  The workers were out there in the rain.  Ever crawl off your bike and sit in your warm car to thaw out after a 35 degree race in the spring?  The workers were still standing in the wind as you thawed out.  Ever hide in the bathroom during a tornado?  The workers were out there clinging to trees and praying.  Many of us are very protective of the corner workers, because 1) they are volunteers, 2) They save our butts, and 3) they are the hardest working people at the track.
The hot ticket for getting things to run smoothly would be to 1) control the weather, and 2) Prevent riders from crashing or breaking down.  These things, and the cleanup that they necessitate, are the reason race weekends get behind schedule.
This is a problem that really doesn't have a solution.  It's just the way things go.

[EX#996]

Very well said....

 ;)

[KBOlsen]

By the way, the corner workers could take a brownbag lunch to the corners, thus eliminating the time issues of getting them lunch.

:P

I'll contribute some ideas... things that we as racers actually have some control over:

Make sure your bike is 110% before you get to the track - decreasing the odds of a delay due to crash cleanup related to a mechanical.

Be at pit-out when the "5" board goes up so you can get to your grid position timely.

Don't screw around on the cool-down lap... the sooner you're off the course, the sooner the next group can be let out.  Likewise, there are no points awarded for "winning" the warm-up lap... keep a cool head and don't cause a crash delay before the race even starts.

The weather is out of our control.

We could talk about reducing the number of races at an event but let's face it - we'll never come to any agreement as to what races should be cut.  

I will offer a personal observation after seeing what happened at Road America and Barber this year - when running a combined CCS/FUSA weekend, do we really need to have a race licensing clinic, or Twin Sprint format?  

[TrackBrat]

Not being ugly or anything but asking cornerworkers to take a 30 minute lunch would be like asking racers to run only half of a race.  Getting the track clear and waiting in line at concession takes most of our lunch right off the top.  There have been times we didn't get but 20 minutes and do you know how hard it is to eat, talk on the radio and wave a flag all at the same time??  I'm all for what the riders want but at least you guys get breaks between races. Getting a 45 minute lunch is hard enough especially at tracks that won't allow you to take your own vehicle to the turns.

I also believe that all riders should work a corner for a weekend in order to obtain a license. You'll learn a lot from watching everyone elses techniques and lines.........and that's my 2 cents. ;)

[Bernie]

I *love* cornerworkers.  It is simply bad mojo to suggest anything that would make their lives more difficult than it already is.  Huge debt of gratitude to all who work the corners!!!!

[TiffineyIngram]

Kim--your observation is correct, that will not be happening in the future.

Corner workers ARE the hardest workers at the track, followed by our race day staff.  Our scorers sit there trying to read numbers that they can barely see due to a-driving rain (Road A), b-scorching sun (Mid A), or even a mixture of everything Mother Nature throws at them.  Same goes for our starters, grid marshalls, etc.  And don't think that these people are making tons of cash off of working for us.  Most of the time after paying gas, hotel, and expenses there isn't a penny left.  We all do it because we are your biggest fans and if we can't do what you do, we want to at least be there in some way.

What you are suggesting will not make races 'more efficient'.  It would make life more difficult for everyone.  Do you want to go down in a corner where a worker has been out in blazing sun for 5-6 hours and has 'brown bagged it' and is enjoying his turkey sandwich when you get bored and go boom?  Probably not.  Our workers wouldn't like that either.

For the 2004 season, we added an extra lap to each race on the schedule.  If you're volunteering to find ways to cut time from the schedule, volunteer to cut a lap from each of your races.