questions concerning christmas tree

[John Dinkel]

When you are racing are you watching if the other guy turns on the red light, or you watching the tree?

[bill dedman]

John,

NOBODY's red light comes on until BOTH cars have left the line. Once they've both launched, the computer decides who had the worst red light and turns it on.

It can't do that before both cars have left, so nobody will see any red lights until after they've launched.

Hope this helps...

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by bill dedman

John,

NOBODY's red light comes on until BOTH cars have left the line. Once they've both launched, the computer decides who had the worst red light and turns it on.

It can't do that before both cars have left, so nobody will see any red lights until after they've launched.

Hope this helps...

And then neither will see the red light, because the tree is behind them, because both cars have launched and then the computer makes up its mind after the fact. MAYBE one or both drivers will see a win light come on, or maybe they won't.

[bill dedman]

>>>"Again, you ignore the law of unintended consequences simply because it is easy, convenient, and suits your agenda."

Okay; Alan, please give me an example of ANY "unintended consequence" that might come from this rule change I'm advocating.

I can't think of one; can you???

Please tell me of an "unintended consequence" that could come from this rule change that could have a negative impact on racing.

Just one... please.

RE: "And then neither will see the red light, because the tree is behind them, because both cars have launched and then the computer makes up its mind after the fact. MAYBE one or both drivers will see a win light come on, or maybe they won't."

And, this will affect the race how??? I don't know anybody who is oblivious to a win light... but then, I don't know everybody. Maybe they could install a red light beside the win lights that would appear as the win light in the other lane comes on... a minor issue, at worst. And, it will take the computer a millisecond to turn on the red light, once the second car has driven out of the beam; think he might see it as he passes the tree???

Finally, I don't have an agenda; I'll be racing no matter if they never change this, and they probably won't.

[Michael Beard]

Originally Posted by bill dedman

I don't know anybody who is oblivious to a win light... but then, I don't know everybody. Maybe they could install a red light beside the win lights that would appear as the win light in the other lane comes on... a minor issue, at worst.

Um, me, I'm afraid... More than once I've been backing into guys at the stripe, get my timeslip, and discover they were red. Granted it's only been at one certain track where the win lights are hard to see, and 1/8th mile racing, where you don't have all day to look around while you're motoring down the track. Good practice anyway... right?

As for red lights on the scoreboard, a number of southern tracks actually have a row of colored lights on the scoreboard... red for red light, yellow for a breakout, blue for who got there first, green for a win. (May have mixed some of them up... all I remember is thinking, "Dang, there were a whole bunch of lights on my scoreboard, I must've won!" only to find out I 'got there first' and 'broke out'.)


This topic got completely away from the original poster's question in regard to how the tree is blinded anyway. The first or worst red light deal is going to be rehashed a million times this winter. No one of one mindset is going to change one of the opposing view.

Now, RE: tree blinders... I don't even notice. We were at Bristol for the World Footbrake Challenge, and about 3rd round, my buddy says, "Man! I just can't get a handle on the tree. There's no blinder." 'What are you talking about? Yes there is!' "NO, there's NOT!"... I go up for the next round... huh! No blinder. I don't know if I'm 1) that focused or 2) that unobservant. (See Win Lights, above)

Work on being 1) that focused or 2) that unobservant.