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Tried something new to me this afternoon. I have just recently installed another tracmate system on my road course,and this time I wanted to add a little strategy to the game plan. I tested some software that allows fuel usage and pit stop functions.
Let me just say that it was a blast! I know the digital guys have been doing this for a while,but to have 1966 strombecker track that has this function is a little rare I would think?. We set up the first test race to be kind of an endurance race with 100 laps,and set the fuel usage function per directions. I can tell you this makes the race as real as it gets as far as strategy goes!
It is all about driving,fastest car does not always win, thinking you can make that checkered on the fuel you have left, might not be such a good idea! You can pull in and get as much or as little fuel as you think you need. this may be old news to most of you, but I am still new to the current technology. All I can say is if you have not tried this feature from one of the software race programs out there, you are really missing a thrilling sense of realism. there is also a another team race feature that we will be trying next, you can have several drivers that switch out during a fuel stop, and makes your two lane into a great track for many drivers.
Bob

Hey Bob Ive done that with our group too. Its a real blast.
if you are doing heats, the trackmate even keeps track of your fuel from the previous heat so it becomes an ongoing issue for fuel stops even when you rotate to different lanes.
Your right, it is a whole new dimension to, the racing, and it is a lot of fun.
We dont do it every race, but often enough to add a little twist.
Glad you reminded me about it.
Cheers
Bob

That sounds pretty cool! :)

It is VERY cool!, I have not even touched on all the settings and other features yet, I don't really understand them all , but I plan on setting up several different race profiles ,so all I have to do is pick from the race name to go to a pre made scenario.Like Chappy said, you can carry over (or need) fuel if you set it up that way.
I gotta tell, its hard to be on the same lap, and have to set there fueling up while your opponent goes screaming by!!

Bob

So is that part of the normal standard TracMate software, an add on, seperate program or? Would be interesting to see if the TracMate version we have at the commercial track has this capability! Would add a whoooole different dynamic to things! :)

What version of TrackMate are you running Bob? I think I'm running v6.8 and afaik there's no provision for refueling in that version. Sounds like fun. Maybe it's time to upgrade the software?
Steve

My timing system is tracmate,it is the black color interface ,USB. The software I am using/testing is Race Coordinator
One thing I did not mention is that is does not work with dead strip timing systems. I think it is because you have to park over sensors to re-fuel. http://www.racecoordinator.net
Bob

The group I race with uses SlotTrak which has a similar provision. We also use a setting that changes the length of a fuel stop based on a comparison of your qualifying times and also your lap speed. If you sandbag the qualifying and run to fast, your fuel goes down MUCH faster and you have to stop more. Also, if you are much faster than your opponent, you have a slower refueling rate. Crashes slow the lap, so you use less fuel (like a yellow flag). And yes, when you are sitting on the sensor to refuel, it's really hard to let someone go by... :lol: You have to know if you can finish on a partial tank ;)

I love it..there really is a fuel strategy element and if you miss your stop you are pretty well cooked....an entire lap (10 - 12 sec) that doesn't count is a huge penalty to overcome. It creates a "handicap" element that really evens out the racing and lets newer drivers win heats which encourages participation and return visits. I don't have timing and scoring set up yet on my track, but you can bet I will use this when I get it set....there is no better way to even things out and make analog racing more "real".

I really enjoy using the fuel function.

Update on analog fuel usage racing. Last night my son in law and I, programmed the basic configuration for our endurance race. Used 10 minutes as a practice time for a basis. The overall racing part of this scenario was very similar to the 100 lap fuel race we first tried. It was a great deal of fun as we battled it out for most laps in a givin time frame. We used the Default settings to begin with,them played with various settings to change up the refueling time,and delay from stop time.(time allowed after you pull over the sensors)
As i kind of figured,it was an absolute riot to run this way! gambling on short fuel stops to keep from loosing ground,to waiting for a full tank so you could slow your lap times down and go a little further on what fuel you had.(another gamble)
It proved to be a great time,and quite a chess game of sorts,very similar to 1to 1 racing. If i did the math correctly,we should have had about 75 laps on a perfect run of ten minutes, not counting de-slots ,or blown fuel stops. We both finished in the high 60's lap wise. He beat me pretty bad after two blown fuel stops! very hard to get back those lap seconds when they are not registering because your out of fuel! I have two other race programs yet to install,that i want to test with this feature,and i will give a review of them when i get them installed and have tested them. I think this would be a great feature to add to a Nascar type race on an Oval!

Bob

Bob, glad to read that you are enjoying the fuel function. Works great on oval racing. You can make the inside lane stop more often to level the field.

we have been racing like that since last year at our club ,very exciting racing , i use track mate with race coordinator , it is SUPER fun :dance: