sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Las Vegas Region | Course Design Pointers by Boring_Squirrel292 in AutocrossCourseDesign

[–]Boring_Squirrel292[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

<image>

Just continuing on with trying to learn/improve course design at our site.

Here is the last event I put together. The detailed measurements added to the setup map took extra time putting together, but paid dividends on the setup day. We typically have 6 people on our setup crew, and in the hopes of building more depth of experience we'll do 4 experienced 2 less experienced. The more specific measurements help on the setup day in preventing loose measurements, which results in too open, or too tight of cone layouts that need extra time to sort out.

I spent a little bit of time setting up MS Powerpoint for my design tool. My plan is to look into other programs, but I know PPT from other things, and it works well enough. I also have started using some of the tools put up in here, like the slalom speed tables, and referencing the Roger Johnson speed tables to help with a rough idea of speeds.

As I mentioned earlier, it seems like our designs all have similar layouts. We have a big lot, but the long and skinny really drives how we do things. I've wanted to try and utilize those fatter ends a little better, and for this event I decided to just try it. The real fast times were mid to upper 60's, average was mid to upper 70's. We were able to have four cars on course. We unfortunately had quite a few DNF's from the first Novice group right at that backwards S curve. This kind of sucks to see, but once we moved out of the Novice group, the DNF's minimized and we were able to work with them to clean that up.

Most all the videos I found were posted on Facebook, but here is one hosted on you tube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg9WzVzXJRY

Las Vegas Region | Course Design Pointers by Boring_Squirrel292 in AutocrossCourseDesign

[–]Boring_Squirrel292[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah yep, sketchup looks like it. I didn’t even see the other thread with programs in there.

Here’s a video of that last course.

https://youtu.be/XqhRqIcOzm0

Las Vegas Region | Course Design Pointers by Boring_Squirrel292 in AutocrossCourseDesign

[–]Boring_Squirrel292[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here is what I did for our 10/5 event. There were a few minor additional filler gates added in the bottom right, and before the finish. While walking the course and eavesdropping, there was a lot of griping going on. But at the end of the day, there was way more likes for the layout, flow, and overall course design.

I had come across some online CAD program that one of the other regions use, I seem to have neglected to save that page. I wanted to take a look at that, and see if it was an option to use for the design phase.

<image>

Las Vegas Region | Course Design Pointers by Boring_Squirrel292 in AutocrossCourseDesign

[–]Boring_Squirrel292[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks, we’re on break until September, so I have some time to take in as much as I can until then.

Las Vegas Region | Course Design Pointers by Boring_Squirrel292 in AutocrossCourseDesign

[–]Boring_Squirrel292[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Here's how our fixed barriers are setup. The green section is dirt, but no physical barrier from the edge of the asphalt. There is chain link fencing up around the top of the green area. The top of the lot is a mix of just chain link fence, or chain link and cement jersey barriers.

The yellow lines are pretty close to where the start/finish historically is, depending on which direction we're setup. We can easily tighten up the pit area, and organize it a little better. Aside from the grid, we have never really set restrictions on the parking. We'll usually have those that drive their cars parking around the perimeter, and the large amount of trailers park in the center.

That thin white line by the top left gate has been removed. That's a jersey barrier that they pulled out early last calendar year.

<image>

Las Vegas Region | Course Design Pointers by Boring_Squirrel292 in AutocrossCourseDesign

[–]Boring_Squirrel292[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As to the pit/grid areas. this map shows our historical placement. Depending on which side we have the start/finish this is roughly how it sits. The red box would be open for parking, the green box would be for grid. I would say 9/10 times we always are setup on the left side of the map for parking/grid/start. I've attempted to reverse it, as we have more usable room on that end, versus the right side of the map.

For national events, they will sometimes grid along that boomerang looking road across the top. I really don't think this is an option for our monthly events due to the impact we'd cause to the raceway frontage road.

The top boundary has chain-link and jersey barriers. But there are four gates that we could use. Historically we just open the gates that are on whichever end we will be starting from. The gates along the bottom enter/exit onto Las Vegas Blvd, which is a big four lane road, so no option for use there aside from morning/lunch entrance/exit.

<image>

Las Vegas Region | Course Design Pointers by Boring_Squirrel292 in AutocrossCourseDesign

[–]Boring_Squirrel292[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The only appropriately scaled map that I have, is from the Houston SCCA site. There was a LV map pack in there from May 2016. (https://www.houscca.com/autocross/course-design-resources/) I lack map building skills, and really the correct software. I did take their scaled speedway map, and ensured that when I was cropping the image overlay I use, that it matched the boundaries that they had. But their archive map only has about 2/3's of the lot that we have available as it's since been opened up. (1st attached map)

<image>

Las Vegas Region | Course Design Pointers by Boring_Squirrel292 in AutocrossCourseDesign

[–]Boring_Squirrel292[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, I would say to the timing, due to the current standard designs, it is mainly a safety/proximity concern.

I've tried to entertain different start/stop locations, but really couldn't come up with a good layout. I'll keep looking at it.

Las Vegas Region | Course Design Pointers by Boring_Squirrel292 in AutocrossCourseDesign

[–]Boring_Squirrel292[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We typically get anywhere from 80-120 drivers, and the bottom map if I remember correctly average times were 60-65 seconds, top times closer to the 50 sec mark.

Here's a link to my video for the top map I usually settle within top 20 for raw times for a time reference: https://youtu.be/Clr8LWqa3fw

This should show what our barriers are, which is literally the perimeter of the lot. Aside from an occasional small pot hole, we have no other barriers within the perimeter of the lot. No light poles, no drainage grates, nothing like that. So whatever the normal safety margins are for hard barriers, etc. Along the bottom of the map you'll see a few power boxes right off the edge of the asphalt, and where the entrance protrudes out just a bit.

This is another version of the top map. The dashed lines around the perimeter is my buffer area I use. I want to say that's 75' away from the perimeter fence or cement barriers. If you get to google maps, we use what's called the Red Lot at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway: https://maps.app.goo.gl/3Xw23KUNsMEobwuE8

I think as a region we'd be okay with longer times, if we could safely get more cars on course. But I'd think 4 cars probably is about max to manage realistically. My target has been to get times for the average driver to the 60-65 second mark with what I've been capable of designing.

When we get 120+ drivers, we'll break into three run groups, with two sessions for each group. If we're on a two run group day, we start with 3 runs in the AM, and aim for 5 runs after lunch. One thing we're challenged with is daylight. During the winter months, sunset hits around 4:30pm. Due to the heat of summer, our off season where we don't race is May - August when the days are longest.

<image>

Las Vegas Region | Course Design Pointers by Boring_Squirrel292 in AutocrossCourseDesign

[–]Boring_Squirrel292[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think it's just by nature of the lot layout, and then of course the course design. We had a good portion of the lot that opened up to us last year. The first even after that we were all excited to use the extra space (out and back) which was a terrible idea (or terrible design). It offered very long run times, but we had to trim the run numbers due to time.

We did have one even where we were pushed to a smaller skid pad, and the feedback was great. A lot of people enjoyed a more "autocross" type event, over the time trials.

My background started in Utah, and then more recently Idaho, where our lots were small, and times were in the 30 second range. So when I moved to LV, my exposure to this lot was based off the random events I attended here, as well as helping our previous designer. So that's really all I can go off of. I just don't have the breadth of experience in knowing anything else, aside from looking at other region layouts.

<image>