JSG1901 Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 At this year's Nationals, I had a number of friends who came to watch the festivities on one or more days. With no exceptions I can remember, they all said it was really fun to watch but they couldn't really tell who was racing whom. I can see how they have this problem. Although we're all supposed to have the yellow numbers on our cars, I find there are a lot of cars out there that either (a) don't have them, or (b) have somehow put them on the car in a way they're really hard to find. This has me thinking about whether we ought to consider something a bit easier to pick out, both for our own and for our (few) spectators' benefit. It seems to me like the easiest solution would be to have a different color assigned to each GTS1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 and to require that color to be used somehow consistently. We might, for instance, all have windshield banners (or stripes UNDER the banners) of our color. We could paint the bottom couple of inches of the front spoiler. I'm sure there are other ways to implement this but it would be nice if it was easy to tell from, say, the top of the hill in Madness, which cars were racing which. That would also make it a lot easier to tell when somebody's coming up in your mirrors whether you need to be worried about them or not (before they are close enough to read the yellow number). What does everyone else think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikew968 Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 Maybe that would help with racing out of class or with cars that are faster down the straight holding up cars faster thru the corners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rscheiring Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 I'm all for better identification. I added the backwards "2" for GTS2 on my windshield this year, as was previously required. Also a big "GTS2" on my rear. The clearer the better if you ask me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Crawford Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 I'm all for better identification. I added the backwards "2" for GTS2 on my windshield this year, as was previously required. Also a big "GTS2" on my rear. The clearer the better if you ask me.[/quote We are doing this in the southeast... works dang well Fc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSG1901 Posted September 24, 2008 Author Share Posted September 24, 2008 I'm afraid maybe I didn't make my point. I'm all for the orange numbers on the windows--I've had them for 2 years--but the problem is they are hard to see in the mirror (unless the other car is so close it is a PROBLEM) and impossible to see from any spectator area. Also, even at this year's Nationals, I had some cars pass me that I was never able to identify as to class. I won, so they must have been a different class, but I can't say which. I'd like to see us add a distinct marker of some kind (windshield banners in different color or SOMETHING) that makes the 5 GTS classes easy to tell from one another. In 944 Cup and 944 SuperCup you can tell the difference from windshield banners...944 Cup's are white on black while the SuperCup banners are black on white. In their case, the windshield banners are provided by the series sponsor (and required) and, although we don't currently have a series sponsor, we could pretty easily do substantially the same thing. [attachment=0]WindshieldBanner.jpg[/attachment] The image I've attached is obviously a simulation, as all three of us are GTS2 cars in real life, but shows how we might handle the colors both for people who do and don't already have windshield banners and also how much easier they might be to distinguish, as compared to the orange numbers, one of which can be "seen" on the red car (Is that a "2" or a "3"? Better not let him by just in case). As a point to argue, I would suggest the color should be at least 3" tall and cross the entire windshield. Colors should be defined in terms of vinyl colors that are readily available at places like FastSigns and the like and should be easily distinguishable from one another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ELEPHANT1 Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 I know the classes and many of the cars/drivers and I had some difficulty watching it all weekend. I would definitely be up for some improved visibility. I like the idea of a strip across the front windscreen. I run a banner which I'd prefer to not interfere with - as I'm sure many do - so the idea of a strip underneath would work out really well. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 How about everyone in GTS2 paint their cars red?? Just kidding - I like the stripe under the windshield banner idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssburns Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 I notice that several car swith rear wings had their yellow numbers at the top of the rear windows so I couldn't see them from behind. I assume that the same applies for them seeing the number at the top of my winshield through their wing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingDog Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 How about color-coded side mirrors? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ELEPHANT1 Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 How about color-coded side mirrors? While I would imagine there would be opposition from those with specific paint schemes (myself being one of them) I do think it's a fabulous idea from a visibility standpoint. I'd probably accept it with little to no whining. ; ) Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottbm3 Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 How about color-coded side mirrors? While I would imagine there would be opposition from those with specific paint schemes (myself being one of them) I do think it's a fabulous idea from a visibility standpoint. I'd probably accept it with little to no whining. ; ) Cheers. Make GTS3 Red and I'm right there with you..... -Scott B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSCoupe Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 Black for GTS4 would be perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CARVAL Motorsports Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 Either one of these are a great idea. The mirrors would probably be the easiest to deal with simply because of so many differing colors on windshield banners in existence currently. Simply though, except for the dedicated road racing fan, most casual observers will not, no matter what, get, what is going on when multi class racing is ongoing. I always make sure that friends attending get at minimum, the entry numbers of the specific cars I am racing against. (Scott G., that was why all those people were throwing them oranges and rotten tomatoes at you going through thunder valley ) Hell, it is very confusing. But I agree. And for sure, we have known for a longtime, our regular class decals are far to small. I was holding out for a key sponsor to provide number plates (Like SSF or Grassroots) and each class would then run a different color number, red blue, green, black and of course pink for GTS2. But then, when you are racing a sleek sportscar like a 944, (as opposed to one of them big sh..barge sedans and coupes )there isn't much room for a big 'ol number plate anyway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CARVAL Motorsports Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 Hey Scotty, Check out them post numbers.... finally, runnin' pretty even with the man! BTW, mail arrived, thanks again!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSG1901 Posted September 25, 2008 Author Share Posted September 25, 2008 While I have no problem adding the mirrors as an additional point of color, I have two concerns about them. First, because of the contours, they would probably have to be painted (as opposed to using vinyl). Second, and the bigger concern, is whether they would be visible enough. My mirrors, for instance, and Carl's for that matter, are quite small. Either in the mirror or from the grandstands, they are going to be hard to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
911.racer Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 I like the idea of the windshild banner. Maybe we get a GTS sponsor that we all run the banner with thier name on it. I am not hot on the side view mirror thing because it would be hard to see the color of the mirror if you are an approcing car. Also, the windshild banner would be easy to see at a glance. Even the cars with well displayed numbers, you had to really look for them instead of just a glance. Also, a 5 looks like a 3 when you are in the heat of battle. Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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