Sprint Handicapping
Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 10:11 am
Hiya,
Firstly, I am delighted to have been invited to join the BP forum. Some of you may know that my main interest these days is Sprint Handicapping and I have written papers on the inherent unfairness of sprint events in their current format. Who really wants to look around the paddock and know, before a wheel has even turned, who the winner will be? I have written to the MSA about the potential for handicapping speed events but they have yet to welcome the idea with open arms. It will come about eventually as more clubs are keen to adopt something similar.
For your info, I have run the TVRCC Speed Championship for the last 7 years and this has enabled me (and my mathematical mentor/guru Pete Humphries) to tune the algorithms to produce close competition, irrespective of the age or power of the car. Incidentally, for 2009 the Scimitars/Sabres adopted the same system and are delighted with the results. Currently I am working towards running a Classic Marques Speed Championship to incorporate single make series: Austin Healeys, Morgan, Triumph TR Register, Aston Martins and today the classic Bentleys signed up - now that will be a challenge! The end game is to run a series where these cars compete against each other in teams - yes, I am introducing the concept of team sprinting. I believe that clubs should be able to run against each other - all using the same handicapping system, its good for the competitors and its good for club members to support their teams.
I was delighted when Stuart asked me to help out with your handicap speed series. It is a quite different ball game to integrate many different types of high powered cars, some with 2WD, some with 4WD (and List 1B tyres) into a championship that makes sense for all its participants; please use this year to benchmark the system. At the end of the year, we can look at the results and see whether any algo tuning is required.
So, there you have it - handicap sprinting is here to stay and I will continue to help Stuart to make the series truly competitive and very good fun. The goal is to reward the best driver, and not necessarily the fastest car. May the best driver win!!
Good luck to you folks at Bentwaters this weekend.
Steve
Firstly, I am delighted to have been invited to join the BP forum. Some of you may know that my main interest these days is Sprint Handicapping and I have written papers on the inherent unfairness of sprint events in their current format. Who really wants to look around the paddock and know, before a wheel has even turned, who the winner will be? I have written to the MSA about the potential for handicapping speed events but they have yet to welcome the idea with open arms. It will come about eventually as more clubs are keen to adopt something similar.
For your info, I have run the TVRCC Speed Championship for the last 7 years and this has enabled me (and my mathematical mentor/guru Pete Humphries) to tune the algorithms to produce close competition, irrespective of the age or power of the car. Incidentally, for 2009 the Scimitars/Sabres adopted the same system and are delighted with the results. Currently I am working towards running a Classic Marques Speed Championship to incorporate single make series: Austin Healeys, Morgan, Triumph TR Register, Aston Martins and today the classic Bentleys signed up - now that will be a challenge! The end game is to run a series where these cars compete against each other in teams - yes, I am introducing the concept of team sprinting. I believe that clubs should be able to run against each other - all using the same handicapping system, its good for the competitors and its good for club members to support their teams.
I was delighted when Stuart asked me to help out with your handicap speed series. It is a quite different ball game to integrate many different types of high powered cars, some with 2WD, some with 4WD (and List 1B tyres) into a championship that makes sense for all its participants; please use this year to benchmark the system. At the end of the year, we can look at the results and see whether any algo tuning is required.
So, there you have it - handicap sprinting is here to stay and I will continue to help Stuart to make the series truly competitive and very good fun. The goal is to reward the best driver, and not necessarily the fastest car. May the best driver win!!
Good luck to you folks at Bentwaters this weekend.
Steve
and thank you for the good wishes this weekend 
