Track Tac

Safty? Raceceivers!!

B

bernard motorsports

Member
With safety being on the forfront this week in light of the tragedy at a dirt track. I have seen my share of accidents and flips even at kart tracks. Y have more track s not implemented raceceivers? I have seen more than a few times this year where these would have prevented a crash and save someone s equipment. I have a 9 yr old racer and I would and I do spend quite a bit of money to keep him safe and my self a I race. Y are tracks not making this mandatory. Maybe if the insurance companies stated that it was mandatory things would change. Just wondering if I am a bit over board or on the right track.

Can we really put a price tag on safety?
 
If I remember some conversations over this it was cost for the track. Dont quote me for sure on that but I think it was. I think its pretty expensive on the tracks part. Again, thats what I just believe I have heard in the past Im really not sure how much it actually costs.
 
Matt, I think you are spot on about using them. We love them. This conversation comes up every now and then and mostly it is the racers complaining about the extra cost of using them. Reality though they are great and makes the shows safer and run more smoothly. I wish every track would mandate them.
 
Im for them 100%. Whats an extra $100.00 on top of the thousands I have already spent over the years?? And its to protect the racers at that. If you complain about the price...bottom line is you need to find a new hobby.
 
If it to much of a cost for tracks I say to bad. I spend thousands to race from track to track. And what the cost of a body and nerf bar or hospital visit is well worth the cost of a raceceiver.

and that is the question! Is there a price on safety? is that y tracks are not using them?
 
,, pm me on a set we are also running amb timing system, I have ben at some tracks that use them dose maks it nice to here whats going on. thanks tim Pittsfield championship karting assoc.
 
I know of absolutely nothing negative about using raceceivers.. Especially for the jr classes.. BUT they do require a clear speaking knowledgable controler.. It also speeds up the program by line ups,,rough driving / black flags and lap traffic..
 
We were told that the new state series was going to let us use them.I went out and bought one for my Jr sportsman champ driver.Well the series had us put them in our kids ears for one race,and didn't even say a word over the air on it! The sad part was during that race,a kart spun and was left in the middle of the track for two complete laps.Twice the leaders came by at 60 mph and barely missed it. No caution or radio communication was used.My son said after almost hitting the kart the first time,and no caution he figured the kart got off the track. I'm not sure,but I think that was the last race the spun out driver attended!!! So I'm all for the one way radios!!!
 
Dover Power said:
I know of absolutely nothing negative about using raceceivers.. Especially for the jr classes.. BUT they do require a clear speaking knowledgable controler.. .
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You just named two good reasons why transcievers are not used much, if at all, in karting. Let them RIP.
 
bernard motorsports said:
With safety being on the forfront this week in light of the tragedy at a dirt track. I have seen my share of accidents and flips even at kart tracks. Y have more track s not implemented raceceivers? I have seen more than a few times this year where these would have prevented a crash and save someone s equipment. I have a 9 yr old racer and I would and I do spend quite a bit of money to keep him safe and my self a I race. Y are tracks not making this mandatory. Maybe if the insurance companies stated that it was mandatory things would change. Just wondering if I am a bit over board or on the right track.

Can we really put a price tag on safety?
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I'm sure that if the insurance companies provided the entire electronic transceiver setup, and a knowledgable, highly alert official to speak thru them, the karters would use them. Given the unliklihood of either of those things happening, it's basically kicking a dead horse.
The vast majority of racers and tracks have spoken, by their inaction on this issue. If it's terribly important for a given racer to have this, then let them get the setup for their driver and Dad can be the spotter.
 
Ive ran them at Race1 and Atlantic City Indoors. They worked great at Race1, not so great at AC. All depends who's holding the microphone and whether or not they have correctly prescribed contacts in. Two years in a row at Atlantic City they failed to miss karts spun out. First year I was leading the heat by a straightaway and a lap car was spun out in turn 4, cut low to miss him and he drove down the track into me, went home bruised and junked. Second year exiting turn 2 spun to avoid another spun lap car, didnt cream him that time, but both times they sat there for at least half a lap with nothing said on radio. Watched the video later and no corner workers were even watching their corner.

I personally like having them the few times a year I get to use mine, but its senseless spending $100 for something when the track rarely talks on it for anything. Andy uses his for everything at Race1 and it works out really great, money well spent for out there.
 
It only takes one YakYak in your ear, one time that may save your hinnie. To make $100 investment worth it, as with all safety equipment. It's only worth some thing it goes real bad.
 
The Burris money series was the first karting event in Pa to use the raceceiver radios 8 years ago. There is a need for them they speed up the show and for safety reason. They are not 100% perfect some times the racers battery dies or head phones break but when they do work they help out a lot. The raceceiver shouldn't cost the track very much to use them most radios used at the tracks can be setup to work with the raceceiver. if the track tadio isn't programmable they can purchase a radio for around $100 to use with them so cost for track isn't a issue. I'm a distributor for them if any track is interested in getting them we can work out a deal on quantity purchases if they want to sell them at there track. email is BMSevent@aol.com
 
You can buy them for less then $100 bucks all day long. I ran ump modifieds for a few years and it was nice to know when a caution comes oit or where yiur suppose to be at in line up.
 
The biggest issue we have with them has been mentioned several times above, but cannot be overemphasized: they are only as good as the person assigned to be on the microphone, so sometimes they really aren't very useful or helpful, and that's unfortunate, given their potential. The sprint car tracks in this area have done a more consistant job in that area than the kart tracks.

And no matter what you do or use, directing Jr. II drivers seems to always have a lot in common with herding cats..... :)
 
overlooking the personal bias on using them and the need for a clear speaking person to man the mic when using them, the thing you have to look at is safety. if your willing to spend a few hundred on tires, what is $100 for a chance to be safe? the raceciever isn't designed to be used all the time...it's purpose is to let the racers know of cautions and trouble on the track....not as a way to teach racing or to be used like a spotter radio. the use has been proven at tracks across the nation that it does help with safety and that's the main concern....it won't stop people from getting out of thier cars or karts on the track and risking injury, but it might help to keep things from becoming worse...specially on a short track or your view of the track ahead isn't very good.

say what you like about the pros and cons of using them, it's all about safety......

just my opinion....
 
mikey56 said:
say what you like about the pros and cons of using them, it's all about safety......

just my opinion....
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Agreed, but after listening to them for several years, both on the Raceiver and on a scanner set to the same frequency, I can tell you that unless the person on the mic is alert and unless they know what they're doing, a reciever isn't any better than nothing but flags. They enhance safety only to the extent the person on the mic says something (and knows what to say...); "Yellow, Yellow, Yellow" or "Red, Red Red" is a good place to start but 3/4 of a lap after the flag incident occurs isn't much help. After you've watched the incident unfold and and heard it done right a few times, you get real sensitive to hearing it done wrong, and I still see and hear that technology wasted, even after all the years it's been around.
 
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