Perfect-N Type Scheduling

General

This chart generator interface uses a driver to produce racing charts which satisfy the Partial Perfect-N (PPN) criteria. Where numbers permit, the charts also satisfy the Perfect-N criteria or the Complimentary Perfect-N criteria.

PPN Charts are a concept expounded to Stan Pope by Cory Young, under the name "Enhanced Lane Rotation". They are "final standing" charts, which span the gaps in Perfect-N charts. They satisfy most of the Perfect-N criteria.

A PPN chart is one which satisfies these conditions:

1. Each vehicle races the same number of times in each lane (which implies that the number of heats is a multiple of the number of vehicles)
2. Equality of opposition is optimized, i.e., no head-to-head match up count exceeds another by more than 1.

Note: There are no known PPN (or better) charts for the following cases: 5 lanes: 20 and 22 vehicles; 6 lanes: 16, 17, 29, 30, 32, 33, and 34 vehicles. (Many of these cases fall near Perfect-N charts ... which seems to be a complicating factor.) Lower quality charts, labeled "Miscellaneous", are produced for these options. Whether the chart is used for awarding trophies or screening for a more accurate finals, more accurate results will be accomplished by running byes in a PPN chart constructed for a slightly larger number of vehicles.

Note: Accuracy of the PPN charts ranks below Perfect-N and above Stearns and Double Elimination.

Note: This chart generator produces Perfect-N and Complementary Perfect-N charts when the chart selection parameters allow. Otherwise, it generates Partial Perfect-N charts or, as a last resort "Miscellaneous" charts. The title above the generated chart tells the type.

Advantages/Disadvantages

PPN Charts have their advantages and disadvantages that you should be aware of, so you should examine them before deciding on this type of scheduling for your race.

• Advantages:
  1. Race in Each Track Lane - This is one of the criteria that PPN charts must meet. Each racer has the same advantage/disadvantage when it comes to the lane assignments, so "slow" or "fast" lanes will not determine the outcome of the race.
  2. Equal Number of Heats - This is one of the other criteria that PPN charts must meet. The race is made more fair by allowing the racers an equal chance to compete by racing an equal number of times.
  3. High Number of Opponents - PPN Charts do a good job of maximizing the number of opponents for each racer without yielding as many heats as some other scheduling methods like the Stearns Method do. These charts are suitable for use when scoring by points due to the high number of opponents.
  4. Heats Spread Out for Each Racer - Though it is possible for a racer to race in back to back heats, PPN charts generally spread out the heats for each racer. This will keep the racers more into the race and less likely to get into mischief.
• Disadvantages:
  1. Heat Randomness - Though there are mathematical algorithms that determine when the racers will race, it can appear to be random to the lay person. This can be a bit confusing since racers can be unsure when they will be racing and in which lane. This confusion can slow down a race unless countermeasures are put in place (posting schedules, displaying On Deck racers) to make sure that the appropriate racers get to the start gate when they should.
  2. Some Charts Cannot be Generated - It is not possible to generate charts for all possible combinations of lanes, racers and number of runs per lane since the mathematical algorithms to create them have not yet been found. This problem increases with higher numbers of lanes and number of runs per lane.

Lane Rotation Scheduling

General

This chart generator produces four varieties of Lane Rotation charts (Normal, Phase Shifted, Modified, and Clustered). Basically, with each of these, vehicles will rotate through each lane of the track.

• Normal - These charts line up the first set of racers for the first heat. For the next heat, the racers are shifted over a lane. One racer will be dropped out and the next racer brought in. The rotation is kept up until all racers have raced in each lane.
• Phase Shifted - These charts are basically regular lane rotation charts, but a "phase shift" has been applied to the assignments for lanes 2 and on. This shifting greatly improves the number of opponents that each racer will face. If you wish to use a Lane Rotation chart, this is the recommended type to use, due to the better number of opponents.
• Modified - These charts allow each racer to race once before the lane assignments are then rotated. This makes sure that racers don't just race bam-bam-bam and are done (like with Normal and Clustered Lane Rotation charts).
• Clustered - These charts will take a set of racers and rotate them through each of the lanes until they have raced in every lane. The next set or racers will then do the same thing. This will continue until all racers have raced in each lane.

All Lane Rotation Charts satisfy these conditions:

1. Each vehicle races the same number of times in each lane (which implies that the number of heats is a multiple of the number of vehicles).
2. The next time a vehicle races, it will move into a different lane.

Advantages/Disadvantages

Lane Rotation Charts are very simple and have their advantages and disadvantages that you should be aware of, so you should examine them before deciding on this type of scheduling for your race.

• Advantages:
  1. Race in Each Lane - This is one of the criteria that lane rotation charts must meet. Each racer has the same advantage/disadvantage when it comes to the lane assignments, so "slow" or "fast" lanes will not determine the outcome of the race.
  2. Equal Number of Heats - This is one of the other criteria that Lane Rotation charts must meet. The race is made more fair by allowing the racers an equal chance to compete by racing an equal number of times.
  3. Easy to Understand - There is no complex math used in generating the charts, so it is easier for racers to know when they will race.
  4. Easy to Pre-Stage Cars - It is easy to figure out which cars are needed in the next heat.
  5. Quick Heat Turnaround Times (Phase Shifted and Modified Charts Only) - Chances are reduced that racers will run in consecutive heats, and since it is easy to determine which cars are up next, cars can be pre-staged rather quickly. This can help keep cars flowing to the start line and reduce the overall time it takes to run the races.
  6. Heats Spread Out (Phase Shifted and Modified Charts Only) - Phase Shifted and Modified Lane Rotation Charts spread out the heats for each racer, which will keep the racers more into the race and less likely to get into mischief.
• Disadvantages:
  1. Low Number of Opponents - Each racer competes against mostly the same competitors every time. Phase Shifted Lane Rotation charts do a better job at giving racers a variety of opponents, but in many case are not as good as Perfect-N Type charts in that regard. A fast car may come in first place against some racers, but if it is almost always matched with the top car, then it will not place as well. If you are using times scoring then in the big picture, this doesn't really matter since the overall standings are based on the times, not the finish order. If you are using points scoring this type of chart may very well end up with some of the fastest cars not even getting awards, since points are based on finish order.
     

     Note: It is NOT recommended to use any type of Lane Rotation charts if you are scoring by Points. This is due to the few numbers of opponents for each racer. One of the faster cars could finish out of the trophies, if they mostly go up against the fastest car.

  2. Lots of Lag Time (Normal and Clustered Charts Only) - With Normal and Clustered Lane Rotation Charts most all of the racers run all of their heats back to back, so they have a lot of open time on their hands and that may lead to mischief. Phase Shifted and Modified Lane Rotation Charts eliminate this problem by spreading out the heats for each racer, which will keep the racers more into the race.

Dynamic Scheduling

General

Basically, the goal of Dynamic scheduling is to maximize the number of racers to win at least one heat. Dynamic schedules are built over the course of the race, based on how each vehicle performs during each "phase" of racing. This does produce some very tight heats, since vehicles are matched based on their performance in the previous phases.

• Phase 1 - Each racer will be randomly assigned to a heat and lane.
• Phase 2, 3, etc. - Seeding for all other phases will be based on:
  1. Each racer's heat win count (the number of times they received 1st Place in a heat)
  2. Lowest total number of points (based on their finish order for each heat). 1st Place = 1 Point, 2nd Place = 2 Points, etc.
• Racers are matched up based on the above two performance measures. Racers will be scheduled to race in each lane of the track, as much as possible, however it cannot be guaranteed that each vehicle will run in each lane.
• At the end of each phase you will be asked if you wish to start a new phase.
• You can run as many phases as you wish, up to a maximum of 8 phases. It all depends on how much time you have dedicated to racing. You should run at least the same number of phases as you have track lanes. That will ensure that the majority of all racers will have run in each lane of the track.

Advantages/Disadvantages

Dynamic scheduling has its advantages and disadvantages that you should be aware of, so you should examine them before deciding on this type of scheduling for your race.

• Advantages:
  1. Maximum Number of Heat Winners - You will have more racers walk away with at least one heat win, compared to all other race scheduling methods. It is usually not possible for all racers to walk away with a heat win, unless you deliberately introduce some slow "turtle" vehicles.
  2. More Competitive Heats - Since racers are seeded for each phase based on their vehicle's performance during the previous phases, you will have a higher number of close heats (at all levels of vehicle performance), compared to most other scheduling methods.
  3. Equal Number of Heats - The race is made more fair by allowing the racers an equal chance to compete by racing an equal number of times.
  4. Use Points or Times Scoring - Even though seedings are based on win count and total points, you can base the final standings on either total points or on times.
  5. No Timer Required - Since you can score by points (based on finish order) and enter results manually, you do not need a timer with this scheduling method.

• Disadvantages:
  1. Makes Strong Vehicles Look Less Strong - Maximizing heat winners does have a cost. A vehicle that may have won all of its heats using another scheduling method likely will not fare as well with Dynamic scheduling. However, strong performing vehicles will still end up at the top of the final standings.
  2. Lane Equity is Not Assured - The scheduler will do its best to schedule each racer to run in each lane and do so an equal number of times, but this is not always possible in order to maximize heat winners.
  3. Lower Number of Opponents - Compared to other race methods (like Perfect-N Type charts), racers will not have as many opponents, since seedings are performance based.
  4. Finish Order Doesn't Reflect Final Standings - You can have a situation where a weaker performing vehicle wins all or most of its heats but does not win an award. You can also have a stronger car that comes in with less wins but ends up with an award.

Each of the supported serial port timers will work with GrandPrix Race Manager and Derby Car Tracker for basic timing and reporting of the results, however, not all of the timers support some of the more advanced features of these software packages. Below is a matrix showing what features that each of the timers do support.

Feature	Timer
	Fast Track (K1, K2 and K3), (Q1 and Q2)	NewBold Timers	RaceMaster	SmartLine	The Champ	The Judge
Send Finish Times
Reverse Lanes
Reset by Computer
Force Results
Mask Lanes			(Note 1)			(Note 1)
Indicate Timing Started	(K2F, K3F, Q1 and Q2 only)				(Single Sided Timer Only)
Start Gate Open Check
Photo Finish Trigger					(Double Sided Timer Only)
Count Down Clock	(K2/K2F, K3/K3F, Q1, and Q2 only)
	Micro Wizard	NewBold Products	Interact MT (Note 2)	eTekGadget	Best Track	New Directions

Note 1: These timers send lane results to the computer as each lane finishes, so the software will only wait for results from lanes that are in use, not any results from Bye lanes.

Note 2: The manufacturer for RaceMaster timers is no longer in business.