Sprint Handicapping

Coxy · Post by **Coxy** » 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

russ979 · Post by **russ979** » Wed May 13, 2009 11:24 am

Hello Steve, And thank you for your input in helping our little series get started!

and thank you for the good wishes this weekend

cheers
russell

AdrianP · Post by **AdrianP** » Wed May 13, 2009 11:51 am

Hi & welcome Steve,

Sounds like quite a challenge you have set yourself, and it looks like it's working rather well too 8)

Hopefully next year I'll be giving sprinting a go too

Ady

IWANT1 · Post by **IWANT1** » Wed May 13, 2009 12:13 pm

Cheers Steve its great as its means you can turn up in anything and if you can peddle a bit you have a chance of being competitive.

Do you sprint yourseldf Steve?

Post by **Ben** » Wed May 13, 2009 1:14 pm

Hello and welcome to Bigpower

Mr Fletcher · Post by **Mr Fletcher** » Wed May 13, 2009 4:42 pm

hello and welcome to big power 8)

mikeb · Post by **mikeb** » Wed May 13, 2009 8:40 pm

I can only praise steves system as it helped me win the first shakedown sprint at honnington overall. thanks steve. mike backmore not as written in the borough 19 mag as blackwell.

Post by **Stuart** » Wed May 13, 2009 11:17 pm

Welcome to the forum Steve

Hope to see you and the TVR out there soon :thumb: