# A dumb question?



## mrstumpy (Oct 5, 2013)

Why do most clubs in HO race three minutes per lane? Did this come from Fray racing? It seems that three minutes is really too long in most cases of typical club race nights.

If you have a four lane track and a dozen guys racing, running "Heat" races to figure out who will run the "Feature" takes a LOT of time. Another downside is that it's usually very obvious in the first minute where everyone will finish, but the really fast guys rack up a huge number of laps over the rest of the field.

I've been thinking about this for some time, but no one seems to have a really good answer. What's the story on three minutes per lane?

Stumpy in Ahia:wave:


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

It would be interesting to know where that form of racing originated.
Lots of folks prefer 3 minute heats... but not everyone.
Our group prefers laps limited heats.


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## SCJ (Jul 15, 1999)

Huh-

In forty some odd years of racing HO (and 1/24 scale cars).....I have never heard of 3 min heats.....short of an endure race or special timed event, all have been crash-n-burn or 2 min heats.

Where did two minute heats come from? Aurora of course, it's in the old hand book. But I think it's pretty much up to the organizer of the event, there is nothing etched in stone

-------------------------
www.SlotCarJohnnies.com


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

I think this comes from real life in a way... 3 minutes of televised NASCAR racing, 7 minutes of commercials, 3 more minutes of racing, 7 more minutes of commercials, etc, etc... :tongue:


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## ajd350 (Sep 18, 2005)

Not from The Fray, that format is 10-lap championship sprints per lane.


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## pshoe64 (Jun 10, 2008)

That's down from 5 minutes segments we raced in the 70s and 80s in my area. I think some where around 1990-91 we dropped the segments to 3 minutes for elimination rounds and 5 minutes for the final 4 drivers in the main. That was based on 4 lane tracks. We had one 6-lane track and one eight lane track that we increased the time since we could get more drivers in per segment. I think we upped those 2 events to 5 and 8 minutes respectively. With 15-25 entrants that was good all Saturday-long event with 2 classes being raced. I think with more racers and limited free time, the segment time was reduced by the clubs and racing organizations. Anyone remember how long the segments were for the Parma Challenge Cup? 5 minutes or so per lane?


SCJ - Good call on the Aurora Handbook. I forgot about the start a racing club guide. I think Oscar provided some insights in Car Model Magazine to the subject as well.

-Paul


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## Dslot (Sep 2, 2007)

slotcarman12078 said:


> I think this comes from real life in a way... 3 minutes of televised NASCAR racing, 7 minutes of commercials, 3 more minutes of racing, 7 more minutes of commercials, etc, etc... :tongue:


LOLOLOL wurf wurf ... :lol:


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## neorules (Oct 20, 2006)

I think in the timed heat format HOPRA has led the way for many years. Typically in the timed heats a 5 minute main was the ending race. The qualifying heats were 2 min to start and then go into a 3 min semi or 4 min super semi at the Nats. Originally the format came out of Ill. , Ind. , and Mich. mind trust that formed the original HOPRA founding Fathers. History lesson courtesy of Sluggo Aka Norm Gardner. The current trend of 3 min mains is a product of wanting to run more classes in the same day.


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## slotking (May 27, 2008)

2 min just seems to short to me
3 min give me the time to enjoy racing without losing focus like in a 5 min heat

the 10 lap sprints is great for the big races like the fray
but for a small group, 30laps would be better if no timer is available


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## partspig (Mar 12, 2003)

I'm with SCJ on this one, Aurora had it in their handbook! How many of you realize that the guy that completes the first lap wins the heat 95% of the time? We raced crash and burn for years. We just didn't like the thought of "Race Marshall's" putting your car back on the track. Never, ever seen that in 1:1 racing. Three laps, three heats per lane, everyone races on each lane once. Many night we has over 30 racers. We started at 7PM and were done in about four hours………….. geez,,, five minute heats would seem like the 24 hours of Lemans …….just saying...


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## Dslot (Sep 2, 2007)

> _*Mr.Stumpy* sez_:
> If you have a four lane track and a dozen guys racing, running "Heat" races to figure out who will run the "Feature" takes a LOT of time.


People actually use 3-min. per lane for qualifying heats? 
Hokey smokes, Bullwinkle! 
We used to do 3-*lap* crash and burn heats on a 25' 4-lane with no lane-progression - you just play the lane you're dealt. 7 or 8 guys, top two in each heat go on to the class race. Five class races per night.

Granted, it was just-for-fun social racing and nobody was a slotter, so egos weren't on the line. (Well, mostly. My former-SEAL buddy wanted a recount when it turned out he'd come in second by one point to my young nephew. But those guys have "gotta win" in their blood, and I guess I'm glad they do. He did accept it gracefully, once we went over all the point totals, but he clearly was having a hard time cheerfully coming in second.)

By the way, I don't think this is a dumb question, Mr.S. It's a very good question, and has led to interesting and useful discussion. :thumbsup:

-- D


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## ruralradio (Mar 11, 2011)

Paul and Neo hit it. Qualifying was a solo 1 minute run for lap and sections, and you were usually placed on a double ladder bracket, "odd" qualifiers top, "even" on bottom, consi's up to a single main, top two or 3 (depending on 4 or 6 lane track) move up each race. Consi's 2/3 min, Semi's 3/4, 5 minute main heats. I think I qualified for what seemed like the "Q" consi at the '76 Nat's and moved up to the main. Wore out a lot of parts that day....

Bob noted too, in those days we only ran 2 driver's classes (Am and Pro) and one car class (unlimited).

Neo, give Norm a swift kick for me! :wave:


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## mrstumpy (Oct 5, 2013)

The clubs I have been racing with for the last four years BOTH run 3 minute races for each round. If you have a dozen guys, and run two classes per Saturday evening, it takes quite a while. If you run three classes per evening, it's really too much. I don't do as well after Midnight!

Now, if you race from morning to late night, such as a major event, this format may make sense. 

At the other end of the scale, there is a small group who race only small sectional tracks with ten lap crash & burn format. It takes much less time to run a class, and is a Hell of a lot more fun. A good break from "serious" HO racing.

I'm thinking that there HAS to be something in between.

Stumpy in Ahia:thumbsup:


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## beast1624 (Mar 28, 2009)

Our group runs 10-lap heats during our regular Friday night races. We do the 3- minute heats for our special series races. I am partial to the 10-lap heats but I sure don't boycott the 3-minute races...racing is racing!


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## SDMedanic (Apr 21, 2011)

We did 2 or 3 min/lane for qualifying at my GLS race in January. The mains were 5 minutes/lane. The wins in each class were decided by less than two laps. Fun times!


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## mahorsc (Mar 26, 2008)

hi all 
I raced in KC for 11 or 12 years and it was always 2min heats that set up the mains then 3min mains which the winner of that main moves up to next main
there are 2 classes you can only one per night (30 to 40 racers)
since I have moved to Charleston SC I run with the Southern Sportsman group (great group)when I started with them we were running 5min heats 2 classes when running ovals at under 3 sec laps that was tough you forget to breath or blink lol 
last year we change to 4 min heats and added a class this year we dropped to three min and 4 classes (8 to 15 racers) if we are lite on racers we some times add an iroc most of the time doors open at 9am races at 12 and we are done between 4 &5 pm we only run through one time in a round robin style it seems to work very well and its a blast
the way we run if you have issues with a car or controller or just a bad race you don't have time to recover or move up 
I think timed races came from racers wanting more time on the track


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## Roddgerr (Feb 8, 2006)

Last Saturday night we ran 3 races. 3 minute heats. First race the top 5 were within 4 laps of each other. Second race the top 3 were on the same lap. Racing started at 5:30, done at 9:30. If you keep things moving along it doesn't take that long.


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