Ideas needed

I don't know if this is the right place, but I know you have a lot of experience playing Slot.

I would like to solve this problem.


What to do when one car is desloted? (out of the track)
Should the Pause be pressed?
Should the other car keep its race as if nothing happen?

I have anothe question for the same problem.
I race with my kid (11 years old, he race since his 4 years, he beat me ), no always we have someone else for helping us when the cars run out. We need to go to put the car in the track again.
We can not continue racing, we need to stop the race, even when we put the rule to let the driver of the car that was in the track, to start the race again, it seems not fair.

Now we added a new rule, the car that is still running, can reach the next stright and stop there waiting for the other car to be back in the track again. I mean, if car A goes out of the track, car B can continue the race until it reach the next stright, if B is already in a straight it can race looking for the next stright part of the track. (Straight means, any place of the track that is composed by more than 2 stright tracks)

Any ideas?, opinions?.

Thank you.
Eduardo.

Eduardo,
This is a very good question that many clubs and home racers handle differently.

There is no right or wrong way to handle deslots during a race. You must decide how you will handle them when you are racing with your son or others.

Here are a few methods that we have tried or are currently using with our group of racers:

1. Manual Corner Marshaling Method: Corner marshals "reslot" the cars, and the racing action does not stop. This works when you have enough corner marshals available to monitor the problem areas of the track. We do not use this method with our group of guys, because we don't have enough extra guys to act as corner marshals.

2. "Impartial Marshal" Method: One of our racers - a controls engineer - developed an electronic system that automatically monitors each lane for the presence of a car. If a car deslots, this system, which we refer to as the "Impartial Marshal" automatically shuts down power to all lanes through power relays and pauses the PC Lap Counter program. A reset button is pushed which restores power to all lanes after a programmable amount of time (1, 2, 3 sec, etc.) At the same time, it unpauses the PC Lap Counter program. A negative aspect of this system is that you cannot use controller braking when using the system.

3. Crash-and-Burn Method: Each driver is allowed "X" number of deslots for the entire race, where "X" might be 1, 2 or 3. If the driver reaches the maximum number of deslots, his race is over. This method might seem harsh, but the intent is to promote more careful driving. If one driver deslots and causes another driver to deslot, our club rule is that only the driver-at-fault is charged with a deslot. Some clubs set the rules such that it doesn't matter who is at fault - a deslot is a deslot.
Our group of racers use the Impartial Marshal system along with a Crash-and-Burn rule that allows "3" deslots per race.

I'm sure other methods could be used along with PC Lap Counter, such as invoking a stop-and-go penalty each crash, but these methods require an extra person available to be practical.

I'm open to hearing about other methods that racers are using, but the above methods are the ones I have used through the years.

Hope this helps you, Eduardo.

Foiler in MI

I have a concern with your number 2 option, I think that it is unfair with the driver that didn't deslot. I use the same method here, instead of an imparcial marshall, the driver that is closer to the big red button push it when somebody scream "Stop!!!".
My questions started because I want to modify this method. I think that the car that is desloted should be penalized in some way, it can be done, as you said, adding a stop and go, or just letting the other car to continue a little bit.

Sure that what you wrote helps me, and it helps me a lot, thanks Foiler.

Eduardo.