Car Numbers

#1

I know numbers are fairly loose in NASA and anyone can pick what they like as long as someone else in the group doesn’t already have that number. I think the challenge is in going from region to region and getting into overlap there.

Do we as a community keep a list of active car numbers anywhere? I can get the list of what numbers are in use here in FL, but that doesn’t help me if I go to the SE region for an event, or any other.

I’ve run 53 on my Toyota for a long time now and planned to use that on the SE30, however, looking at one of the other threads, there appears to be someone in the SE region that runs 53. I was just thinking a list of all the numbers by region would be a pretty useful thing to have here.

Thoughts?

#2

There’s 2 tiers of car #'s. Most folks just slap on a number and hope for the best. Some few folks pay $30 or so each year for their number to be reserved in their home region. Those folks that paid for their number own it for the year. If someone shows up at an event in that region and they have the same number, IF registration wants someone to change their number it will be the other guy who has to change.

The last time I saw the list of paid/reserved numbers for SE region, it was pretty small, so most folks are just using their historic #'s. If two numbers conflict and neither is paid for, the first guy who registered gets it.

If you want to get a nationwide database, the only real way to get it done is for you to do it. Contact the regions that you are interested in and get their list of paid/reserved #'s. Then go to their websites and get a list of participants for the last couple of events.

Like all else in life, the way to get something done is to do it yourself.

#3

I’d be happy to start the leg work and compiling the list. I may solicit some help as I’m still the noob here to this community. Once we get the list going, could we have it posted here? Perhaps an item under the main menu?

#4

Are the numbers done per run group or class? Could you have a #11 SpecMiata and a #11 SpecE30 running in Lightning?

#5

[quote=“King Tut” post=58815]Are the numbers done per run group or class? Could you have a #11 SpecMiata and a #11 SpecE30 running in Lightning?[/quote] #'s are per region. But if two guys show up with the same #'s and they are in different run groups, often Registration will let it go.

#6

I think that is going to be the issue, it’s by group here in FL. And I’m guessing everywhere else too. Can’t have two cars with the same number on the track at the same time.

Guessing this is going to be hard to compile than thought…

#7

Normally it would be by race group. Race control doesn’t need the confusion of TWO misbehaving #410s on the track at the same time.

A decent place to start is MyLaps. At least on this side of the country, MA, SE, and FL I think all use it.

Figure out what race group SE30s run in in each region, and look at the results for this year so far. Kind of a PITA perhaps but if you have certain numbers in mind shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes to isolate if anyone has used it. 2011 is half over, so if there’s a car rotting in a garage somewhere, like 467 (cough cough ScottMC) there is that risk but odds are you’ll be OK.

After you think you’ve found one, since you started a thread already, pipe up and ask if anyone is using xyz. Somebody who is active on this board will probably recognize it “sure, that’s good old whats-his-name who helps put on IFU in 467” or whatever. (ScottMC, totally in jest, when are you coming out to race again?)

#8

In Great Lakes Region there is no fee to reserve your number for the next season so what Ranger says may only be in his region. You apply for a number and the registrar lets you know if it is available. This is a spreadsheet of the run group numbers on our website. There is a time at the beginning of the year that you can request to keep you existing number. After a deadline if you did not reserve your number it is open to others. Our run groups are not always the same so sometimes when they change the run groups we may have duplicates and if we do Lynda asks someone to add a digit to the number.

#9

BMW Club racing has this right. If you reserve a number in class you are doing so at the national level.

#10

Here is what I can find for MA. Sean Thompson might have more info.

Jason

#11

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AtO5TecrDcGQcGV6aU43ZHYtLTNXWGhxUHpPQ2FEV1E&hl=en#gid=0

#12

In FL it’s first come, first served for numbers. By now, pretty much everyone has their numbers worked out so there aren’t overlaps. It’s just when you get new cars coming in that it gets tricky.

#13

I thought about this a while ago and there really is only one way this would truly work, NASA has to require it. The reason being is that let’s say 3-4-5 guys have the same number across the country (which is going to happen), some people might be very unwilling to give up their number. If that happens, it may become a little unpleasant and to who gets that number and who is bitter about it.

Handling it by region would seem best. The way I would get around trying to change my number at an event with two of the same cars having that number is by having 3 things with me. An “X” to put after my number and/or two pairs of 1 additional number so I can make my car a three digit number or just put one over one of the numbers.

Personally, I don’t care but I think some might have a bit more of an objection. And in the long run, does all this really amount to anything or is it just an exercise in being a Type A personality?

#14

[quote=“ctbimmer” post=58820]Normally it would be by race group. Race control doesn’t need the confusion of TWO misbehaving #410s on the track at the same time.[/quote]I think you meant #401.:whistle: Nothing to see here folks, move along.