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From Your R.E. April 8, 2008 In an effort to continue to keep all of our club members up to speed as we push forward and move to a more customer and member focused organization a couple of new things will be seen at our races for the future. These changes have been suggested and implemented by our members (and in this case from the worker community as a salute to the racer community). First at BRP and everywhere else we can do it (Willow it seems would be a lock – Cal Speedway – not sure yet) we will grid the feature race on the front straight. This idea came from Renee Angel and the Grid Team and is designed to be a fun addition to our race event. It worked very well at the feature race (regional) in March at BRP and was simply “cool”. Big THANK YOU to Renee and the whole grid team for the idea and then most importantly, for making it work. The second addition is what the flaggers call the “Monkey Dance” and it too is a salute to our racers at the event. Its fun for the flaggers and is nice to see when you have expended all you and your car can offer at the end of a race. The Monkey Dance (in case you have not seen it) is waiving all the flags at every station at the conclusion of a race. It will be used during the cool off laps of the feature race and the last race of the day – again saying “THANK YOU”. I am not sure where in the worker community this idea first surfaced but Bruce Allison (Assistant RE / Director of Competition and long time flaggers) brought it to my attention. So I will say for this idea. Thanks Bruce, Thanks to All the Flaggers, and thanks to all the workers for your good ideas. You have seen and heard the “5 min short horn” when on the grid. It is added to let everyone on the grid and in the pits know that the next group is at the 5 min. board. The longer 3 min horn is added to the normal grid whistle to let both the grid and the pits know that we are at 3 min before the next race group goes on the track and creates the rotation to the following group. This idea was installed just because we know that from time to time we might get a few minutes ahead on the schedule or a few minutes behind. We all know that it is the racers responsibility to watch the group rotation and be ready when called, but that does not help the situation if someone does not hear the announcements or call to grid. Some places we go, it can be a problem with equipment such as at California in January and with weather and other issues – still we don’t want to miss any opportunity to make sure everyone knows what is going on so no one need rush to the grid at the last moment. We may well add a 10 min horn in the future. That is a very long horn blast about 10 mins. before the 5 min. board and about when the first call or second call to the grid goes out. Sort of a announcement to all “ hey listen carefully to the Public Address announcer, for a “call to grid “ announcement is coming. Still working on that right now but it seems like it too would be a useful secondary communications system. Thanks for these great ideas Cal Clubbers, and keep them coming. For the Board of Governors Steve Staveley RE |