Ascutney 2009

[KevinGale]

I watched the clock closely throughout the day because me and Chris were discussing # of runs per event... Workers were back on the hill and the first car ran at 1:43 after lunch. The bringdown of the wrecker crew, double drivers, and Alex was at 3:15. So, with some mishaps and delays, it took 1.5 hours to run everyone up and down. Another run should have been in the forecast.

I can back that up. Alex crossed the finish line at 3:14 by the computer's clock and it took 90 minutes and 6 seconds to complete the run.

[KevinGale]

We were actually talking about lunch delivery service to the checkpoint workers.

It's been tried in the past, and while it is possible, it's really bad for worker moral. Almost everyone wants a break. Also the use of a bathroom at least once during the day is a big deal. Not everyone is willing to use the woods. While drivers pay the bills, nothing happens without workers.

We have however worked on making the lunch break shorter in the past. Seems like we can keep it down to about 45 minutes if we work at it. One problem is it takes almost 10 minutes to get down the hill from finish. A minute to pick up stuff and get going, another minute to pick up workers on the way down and sereral minutes to idle down in the truck in low gear to avoid A) burning up the brakes and B) dumping workers off the tailgate. Going up is also 10 minutes including the trip, dropping off workers and setting up the computer again.

So during a 45 min break Finish workers get about 25 minutes time at the bottom of the hill. (And out of that time I take more time to print and post results and handle other timing and scoring duties. I've had days I only got lunch because someone else went at got it for me and I still only had time to wolf it down.)

So the short story is 45 mins for a lunch break is about the minumum.

[KevinGale]

The best thing we can do to get more runs is to get an eariler start. We had rain on Sunday at Ascutney and there isn't much we can do about that but at all the NEHA hills we start later than we should. It's actually rare that we start the first car before 9 am and common that it isn't until after 9:30. I've got the data to prove that. (I like sleeping, so I haven't been pushing this. )

[jkale]

I can understand them wanting to get home early, but the satisfaction and completeness of the event SHOULD be the number one concern. Especially if they want to keep people coming.

I think we should definitely push for earlier starts... and later finishes. I dont even get warmed up in my car until after a couple runs... especially after growler after growler the night before.hehe..

1st launch at 8am would be perfect.

[KevinGale]

1st launch at 8am would be perfect.

The closest thing we have to an official schedule is a doc John Reed and I created. That has the start of the FAM run at 8 am. That would get our first timed run going about an hour earlier than we normally do. However it requires Equipment people to get up at 6 am.

The begining of the timeline looks like this.

6:00 AM
Equipment Setup and Phone Testing: 2-3 people, 1-½ hours

6:30 AM aprox
Registration Opens: 1-2 people (Must be drivers or non-hill workers)
Tech: 1-2 people (Must be drivers or non hill workers), 2-3 hours

7:15 AM
Setup Crew Sets up last station and tests the last phone.
Setup Control relays via radio that the hill is setup to Chief Steward
Chief Steward announces worker and driver meeting in 15 minutes. A few people should be sent out to
spread the word.
If they have not already Group A drivers should start lining up for their fam run.

7:30 AM
Combined Worker and Driver Meeting, All the people, 15 mins

7:45 AM
Workers head up the hill (This includes Group B driver-workers)

8:00 AM
Close the hill to non-race traffic (Okemo and Bolton)
Begin group A fam run once the hill is clear.

[sciroccohp]

I don't know these hillclimbs seem to run better then most national level SCCA races. For the runoffs for example you spend tens of thousands of dollars on a car, tow it 1500 miles pay like 500 dollars then you end up with 3 15 minute practices (usually with another class of cars) and go forbid is spec miata or spec racer ford where their clean up time eats your track time and a 45 minute race to determine the NATIONAL championship. 15 minutes may sound like a lot but usually works out to 3-4 laps at speed. Plus you have all the infighting about the rules and the politics. I personally am not much of a volunteer and really appreciate the people that are and if that means 2 runs versus 3 then I am happy. I personally can't afford to pay 400 dollars a hillclimb to pay people to work the corners and registration etc etc. But reading Kevins list if there is anything I could do on saturday or sunday morning to help and maybe just drive in the B group let me know, I was up at 5 anyways (sleeping in the truck is not that comfy). staying late on sunday can be difficult with the drive back to New Haven CT.

[sachilles]

I think you might find 8am to be a tough sale from the worker prospective.
I think you are dependent on workers who aren't necessarily there with a driver. So they get there on their own schedule.
For the first car to go up the hill at 8am, that means the workers have to start going up close to 7am. You need the worker meeting before that.
If I'm going to work, don't plan on me getting to the hill before 7am. I enjoy watching the cars run up the hill, but not enough to give up some precious ZZZZZ's on the weekend. I'll also have to get home before my wife kills me.

First events of a season, always have some efficiency issues, it's the nature of the beast, no matter how well you prepare. I've worked a fair amount of events, and it seems that off course excursions and mechanical issues tend to be the biggest time wasters. I don't think it would be a bad idea to have some sort of punitive measure for these events. Whether it means the offending driver offers up a beer donation to the workers, or submit themselves to some sort of hazing ritual.
I'd say the next up is the interaction between control, and the checkpoint workers. With the VARIOUS personalities on the hill on any given day, I think control has a job similar to herding cats. Invariably, you'll have a worker spacing out(or watering the daisies) on a course check. It just goes with the territory. I'm not entirely sure how you correct that with a volunteer staff. That time does add up.

I honestly think that hillclimbing is back on the upswing, and attendance will improve. As that happens, we'll need to be mindful of maximizing our time on the hill.

I think you also need to be mindful of attracting new workers and doing things to retain them. I think that TSD on saturday was a FANTASTIC idea.
I think you have two types of worker. First is the spouse/friend of a racer. You find them at every event, and they tend to do a bit more than just work on the hill. You also have the potential racer/race fan. These folks haven't met a car event they don't like, but it doesn't mean they can go to every one. Motivating them to come work is definitely a challenge.
Free lunch is nice, worker beer after the event is nice. One thing that I think would be a nice touch is to have some sort of work loyalty program. Give a worker a punch card. You work a day, you punch a hole in the card. After x number of punches, they get some sort of reward (a waived entry fee, maybe a nice fleece or sweatshirt that identifies them as a loyal worker). Expecting a non spouse worker to commit to two days of working the hill is expecting an awful lot. You still have those few that do it, but don't think it should be the standard.
Either that, or you require every driver to provide a worker or an additional fee(swag) if they don't bring one.

[jkale]

The punch card is a great idea. That would definitely get more workers on the hill, especially if they get a free entry out of it...

[RALLY200SX]

One thing that I think would be a nice touch is to have some sort of work loyalty program. Give a worker a punch card. You work a day, you punch a hole in the card. After x number of punches, they get some sort of reward (a waived entry fee, maybe a nice fleece or sweatshirt that identifies them as a loyal worker). .

Excellent idea

[KevinGale]

.. that means the workers have to start going up close to 7am ...

Actually it would be closer to 7:30 if you are willing to show up just as the worker meeting starts. But that still means getting up and going pretty early.

I'm not nearly so ambitious as to try for 8 am. Our average start time for the first car is about 9:30. That means the fam is starting about 9:10 or so. I'd be happy if we could start the fam run at 8:30. That still adds 40 minutes to our day. If you add 30 mins to the schedule to get an 8:30 start time it looks like this

6:30 AM
Equipment Setup and Phone Testing: 2-3 people, 1-½ hours

7:00AM aprox
Registration Opens: 1-2 people (Must be drivers or non-hill workers)
Tech: 1-2 people (Must be drivers or non hill workers), 2-3 hours

7:45 AM
Setup Crew Sets up last station and tests the last phone.
Setup Control relays via radio that the hill is setup to Chief Steward
Chief Steward announces worker and driver meeting in 15 minutes. A few people should be sent out to
spread the word.
If they have not already Group A drivers should start lining up for their fam run.

8:00 AM
Combined Worker and Driver Meeting, All the people, 15 mins

8:15 AM
Workers head up the hill (This includes Group B driver-workers)

8:30 AM
Close the hill to non-race traffic (Okemo and Bolton)
Begin group A fam run once the hill is clear.