Why Don't tracks utilize Raceiver?

phenom101

Member
I remember years ago running a King of the Concrete race (one of the first few years) and using the raceivers radio. It was awesome to have, to know about upcoming wrecks (especially when doing 7-8 sec laps) and made communication between the flagman and the racers clear. I wonder is it a cost thing?
 
We use them at our track...mostly stock class...
But running open and RWYB class none of us could hear anything...
No matter what ear buds, helmet phones, even tapped them to our ears/heads...could not hear... old or young...
Problem in open class is you have your muffler on the right, and the guy beside you has his exhaust in your left ear...
 
Ear buds are everything. The original buds were ok but broke easily. After many different disappointing replacements I stepped up to a Sony that cost about $30 bucks if I remember correctly. Made all the difference. I have been racing a mini sprint that is very loud. Much louder than my UAS kart and I can hear OK at speed and clear during yellows. The hundred bucks for the Raceiver isn't too much. I wonder what the base station for the track costs.

DK
 
I suspect that cost to the racer is the biggest factor as well.
To me, it's just another part of your safety gear, like a helmet or gloves.
I don't know that there is a cost to the track -- the Raceceiver itself is simply a receiver (1 way) - the track would already have two way radios (most do anyhow) and they could broadcast on the frequency to the drivers on a different frequency than the track workers, right? Even the cheap radios have multi-channel capability so that there's no interference.

We use the Raceceivers at most every big car track now.
Unmuffled sprint cars with the exhaust right at your side and we can hear fine through them.
2 cycle opens do have an annoying high sound/pitch to me though - that frequency of sound may just be right to cancel out the audio coming through the ear buds, I dunno.

For me, it's a no-brainer -- The $100 it costs is worth it if for nothing else than saving the aggravation of having a guy riding alongside of you on a caution arguing for a spot that he didn't earn for 4 or 5 laps. Scorer communicates the running order and you fall in line or you're stop being scored, simple as that. Couple this with a track scoring system and there's no reason for anyone to argue a position on the track, so for the most part they don't.

They do certainly help on cautions and red flags - alerting oncoming drivers to a particular situation ahead of them on the track. "Yellow - Turn 4" or Red-Red-Red" - If you hear ANYTHING at all during green flag racing, it should be because there's a problem on the track. Too much chatter on the radio gets annoying -- most tracks limit it to one person and that helps a bunch.


It's those "other" voices in your head you've got to worry about. ;)



-----
Thanks and God bless,
Brian Carlson
Carlson Racing Engines
Vector Cutz
www.CarlsonMotorsports.com
28 years of service to the karting industry
Linden, IN
765-339-4407
bcarlson@CarlsonMotorsports.com
 
Alot of people say its to exspensive to spend $100.00 on them but don't bat an eye at spending upwards of $150.00 on a nice custom decal job on their karts.
 
I would gladly use this system. All you would need to do is require the team to purchase the fusion plus unit. I could see people buying the legend plus and having someone on the sideline with a radio giving their driver instructions.
 
I wonder if Tracks could incentivize the purchase. Say if you buy one (from the track) They give ya a couple gate fees for free or...something like that. Eventually making them mandatory.
 
When my 6 year old son started racing rookie class I used one with him at local tracks to help him know where he should line up on restarts and when cautions came out. It helped him out a lot for the younger kids it is a great safety improvement and helps keep the show moving.
 
As with any tool, its only as good as its user. Like a computer, the information coming out is only as good as the information going in. I have a raceiver, several in fact. I have used them on maybe a dozen occasions. I have NEVER used them and not seen controversy arise at some point in the night. Only involved me two times but on both occasions a video of the race (s) clearly showed the directions given by the track were WRONG. Not little things either, these had result changing consequences.
A raceiver has the potential to be a positive tool IF and only IF it is used properly and accurately. If they are going to be used, it is the tracks responsibility to be doubly sure the directions given are accurate. I am sure all have seen the guy that is "sent to the rear" or whatever by the flagman and got angry and do something silly. Saying the same information over a receiver wont make him less mad or make the decision more appropriate.
Most of the time, adults KNOW what is right or know what should be done, and most of the time they do it. Ive seen countless races where this was done and the race went smooth and no disputes arose and no raceivers where used. Ive also seen the opposite, with and without raceivers. HOW the information is relayed to the drivers is much less important than how useful or appropriate or accurate the information is. JMO
IF they will be mandated, please be sure and use them properly with accurately. Two subjective terms Im afraid.
 
Some tracks cannot afford to purchase a system , let alone hire someone to do it . That is 1 more person to have to pay , or get to run it .
 
When they used them at the one track I ran at I thought they were great , the same corner worker that use to help with lineups after a caution was no in charge of the communications, never abused the radio with unneeded chatter .... yelled "caution or red turn 1-2-3-4 etc " and called out kart #s for positions after a caution ..I think all tracks should use them and very helpful for the rookies
 
I just came back to karts from late models. We had one track we ran where I just couldn't hear the race director. I bought 5 different pairs of ear buds. Even duct taped them to my ears. We told him in the driver's meeting that we couldn't hear him. I finally bought a pair of race fuze ear buds. They come with a 10 min epoxy that you mix up and form around the bus itself. They are color coded so you know which side is which. After you mix up the epoxy you mash it into your ears and it forms to your ear. I me had a problem hearing him after that. I even used them at church with an in ear monitors system. They cancel out EVERYTHING but the radio. It was hard to even hear the motor in the car. They are 35 bucks shipped from racefuze.com get the ones with a pic of the late models. You won t be disappointed. I love the raceiever. It lets you know many times if there's a caution way before you see the lights or a flag.
 
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