How to Create an Event

[eLapsRaceTiming]

To create an event, on the Race Setup page (2nd Menu item) either choose a pre-configured one from the Event drop down, or click the small button next to the Event drop down in order to enter a new event (or to rename the default event).



Set the start and end dates for the event. These dates will determine if the event spans multiple days in the Race Schedule (explained further in this How To guide).

Choose existing track or click the small button next to the Track drop down in order to enter a new track (or to rename the default track).

Choose the event Qualify Mode... currently there are two qualifying modes supported:

Top Qualifier - a qualifying mode that determines a racer's Finals position by their best qualifying round (most number of laps, and lowest total time).

IFMAR Points - a qualifying mode that determines a racer's Finals position by calculating an accumulated point score over a specific number of qualifying rounds.

Choose the Event Final Mode... currently there are two final modes supported:

Xmas Tree - a final mode in which racers are placed in a specific final determined by the qualifying mode (described above), and are then promoted through a number of finals (e.g. 1/4 Final, 1/2 Final etc) in order to make up the Main Final grid. All finals except the Main Final consist of two A and B 'legs'. For example the 1/2 Final will consist of 1/2 Final A and 1/2 Final B. For further information on the "Christmas Tree" System, see the attached PDF.

ABC Finals - a final mode in which racers are placed in a final determined by the qualifying mode (described above). The finals are named A, B, C etc. and by default there is no promotion from these finals. However this can be overridden by setting the Promote and Next Best values if required (see # Promote and # Next Best below for further explanation).

Choose the Event Categories (or classes) that will participate in the event, or click the small button next to the Event Categories list in order to enter new categories (or to rename the default category).



Once you have chosen the event categories, click the Save Event button. This will automatically populate the event 'session list'. The session list is populated with a Practice item, a Qualifying item, and Finals for each category chosen. For example, the below screen shot shows two selected event categories:



This results in an event session list as shown in the following screen shot:



Each of the session items can be individually configured as required. The above screen shot shows a Main Final selected, and the item details that can be configured.

The following configurable items are applied to INDIVIDUALLY SELECTED session items.

Race length can be set as time or laps.

When Count First Lap is selected, the first time a racer crosses the timing loop, assuming the lap is valid (e.g. not below minimum lap time), a lap will be added for the racer. This feature is selected by default for a grid start race (explained below). If Count First Lap is not selected, a racer's first lap is used to 'initialise' them, and their lap count will begin the second time they cross the timing loop.

Ignore First Minimum Lap is available when Count First Lap is being used. This feature allows a racer's first lap time to be below the set minimum lap time. This is particularly useful when a race has a grid start, and the grid location is 'behind' or crosses the timing loop.

Currently there are four Start Modes supported:

Auto Staggered - a start mode that allows racers to continue circulating around the track as the race starts. After the race starts, as each racer crosses the timing loop, an individual timer starts. This ensures that each racer is allocated the total race time on the track. This is the default start mode for Practice and Qualifying.

Manual Staggered - a start mode that requires racers to start a race after they are called by race control. When a race is ready to start, racers are required to queue behind the start line. Then each racer is called to begin the race in a specific order (described below). As each racer crosses the timing loop, an individual timer starts. This ensures that each racer is allocated the total race time on the track.

Manual Staggered race order is determined as follows:

Race #1 car order = 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
Race #2 car order = 3,4,5,67,8,9,10,1,2
Race #3 car order = 5,6,7,8,9,10,1,2,3,4
Race #4 car order = 7,8,9,10,1,2,3,4,5,6
Race #5 car order = 9,10,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
Race #6 car order = 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1

These race orders are automatically controlled by e-Laps, and will advance to the next race order at the end of each round.

NOTE: If racers do not cross the timing loop before the first car on the track crosses the loop for the second time (completing their first lap), then a 'late start' is applied to all racers that haven't yet crossed the timing loop. Their individual race timers also start at this time, and are set to match the remaining time of the first car. This means that 'late starters' do not get the total race time on the track.

Grid (Stationary) - a start mode that requires all racers to start a race from a stationary grid position. When Grid (Stationary) is selected and a race is started, the race timing system will count down from 10 to 4 at one second intervals, then a start siren will sound at a random time between 3 and 0 seconds.

Grid (Rolling) - a start mode that requires all racers to start a race in a rolling grid formation. When Grid (Rolling) is selected and a race is started, the race timing system will count down from 10 at one second intervals, then a start siren will sound when the first grid row crosses the line.

# Entries per Session is the number of racers that are automatically placed in a given session during finals progress. For example in the above screen shot with the Main Final selected, this value is set to 4. This value also corresponds to the value in the Entry column of the session list table. This means that the top 4 racers will be automatically placed in this final. The remaining number of entries in this main final will be determined by the finals progress (see # Promote and # Next Best described below) prior to the main final being run.

# Promote is the number of racers that will be promoted from the selected final through to the next final. For example, in the above screen shot, the selected main final has this value set to 0. This means no racers will be promoted through from the main final (as the main final is the last race run). However if we take note of the 1/2 Final session item, a value of 2 is displayed in the Promote column. This means that the fastest 2 racers in the 1/2 Final will be promoted through to the next final (the Main Final).

# Next Best is the number of racers that will make up the second group to be promoted from the selected final through to the next final. For example, in the above screen shot, again if we take note of the 1/2 Final session item, a value of 2 is displayed in the Next column. This means that the next 2 fastest racers (after the top fastest as specified by the # Promote described above) in the 1/2 Final will be promoted through to the next final (the Main Final).

The following configurable items are applied to ALL session items in an event.

Warm up Time is the time that counts down before a race starts. The race timing system will announce "X minutes, X seconds before the start of this race", (where X is a value set using this feature).

Minimum Lap Time is the setting that determines the minimum lap time cut off. If a racer crosses the timing loop with a time less than this value, then the lap will be ignored. This feature provides the ability to protect against racers short cutting the track.

Last Lap Time is the time that counts down after the first racer crosses the line at the end of a race. This feature provides a race time cut off that will end all racers regardless of whether they cross the timing loop or not at the end of a race. The last lap time is only applicable to Practice and Qualifying sessions.