I had the honor of being asked to help with tech at the Runons this year, primarily in FA. In that position I was able to view the tech process from within.
There is a hugh difference between tech at the Runons and at most pro races. Pro races are run by a small group that has complete authority to act quickly. The Runons are run by a hugh bureaucracy. Sort of the difference between a small family run business and the U.S. government. :)
Because I was a member of a FC team and a GT2 team, we barred me from the FC and GT2 processes, although in the weeks leading up to the event I helped in developing FC/FA protocols.
First off, because of the chance of protest, appeal, and bashing from the interweb, each step of the process is carefully documented in writing. Careful notes are kept, plans are written in advance, times are noted for each action. A virtual ton of records are produced from each Runon.
A serious effort to keep security of a competitor's tuning secrets secret, especially so in non-spec classes. Even tech inspectors are barred from taking photos.
Tech is only one of the steps in verifying the final results. In many cases tech can be done with a class but a winner not declared for hours/days because of other actions being judged, such as on-track incidents. This is frustrating for teams with cars in impound, because the cars stay in impound until the final results are declared. At Daytona the excessive heat and humidity made this wait a lot more aggravating to many. :(
The tech staff is very experienced with these long delays and seem to have adjusted to them. To those of us used to a pro model, we kept wondering what was taking so long "up in the glass castle". Sometimes a person that has to sign off on a process is actually racing in his/her own race at the time, so the process my wait a hour or more. :) But, that is what happens in a volunteer organization.
Bottom line, If you are a competitor, expect to "hurry up and wait". Prepare yourself and team before going to the Runons. Getting frustrated is only going to shorten your life.
I have a personal opinion about the Runons tech philosophy. During the four qualifying sessions a given competitor will only get teched once. In the pro series every qualifying session the top six get teched plus others in the pack. I like the clarity of the pro system. It can be speculated that teams could "roll the dice".
The great competitors want a great tech. A good tech process means you have bragging rights for a year unclouded by speculation. If you budget to win the Runoffs, include in your budget a sizable "reassembly" cost when you get home with a roller or even a slider. ;)
Finally, a word about the tech team... They take their jobs very very seriously. Thousands of years of experience, and accumulated "lessons learned". The folks doing the measuring are incredibly professional. The specialists have the majority of times designed and built their own exacting tools. They arrive at 7 am, miss almost all the activities that occur outside the barn, and get home late at night. Many never see a race.
I really admire the guys that specialize in a special class that may have hundreds of car make/engine combinations and the amount of minutia they have memorized.
Dave Kettle was leading the show. Cool, calm, and collected. Even in his position he would ask about processes he was not familiar so he could take new knowledge back to his region. A super guy from a great region.
Fred Clark, my mentor, was Fred Clark. :)
Sarah Bonnier was sort of surprised late in the week, when Joe Couldn't make it, to be faced with teching FA. On the day of the race she came through with flying colors. She recorded exactly everything her tech team was doing. She followed the predefined protocol. She double checked everything. She even didn't physically attack anyone. :ha: Even the night before she was reviewing rules and scribbling notes on the margins of her protocol sheets. Being used to teching in the pro world, she was frustrated by the time it took to turn all the bureaucratic gears. LOL :) Sometimes I think my primary job was to follow her around repeating our mantra "Be calm, be calm". LMAO She so wants the process to be very customer friendly for the racers. Not a bad thing. Sarah did good.
In closing, if you plan to podium at the Runons, add to your pit cart list: chairs, drinking fluids. portable shade, and a good book to read. :) Don't book flights out of town for 3 hours after your race. Study up on Eastern religions to learn super-human patience. And remember, if you let the tech team do their job you will have clear bragging rights. :thumbsup:
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