Purpose and Scope

Checkered Past was created out of my anxiety at the prospect of posting race schedules, race results, season points and driver records promptly after each event. Before I could post all this information on our website, the keeper of club records would have to compile it and send it to me. In addition, I knew that I would have to buy an expensive database or spreadsheet program to organize and archive all this data on my PC.

However, based on my experience in a previous life, I also knew that these tasks could be handled very efficiently by a web server with database and scripting capability, things our current account didn't have. So, we switched accounts, configured a database, wrote about 60 scripts, and here we are today with an interactive internet process that:

• Permits the Tower crew to register drivers for each class
• Creates Heat line-up sheets from Pill numbers
• Accepts race results via web-forms
• Calculates Main race starting positions from Heat results and Pill numbers
• Creates public web pages of race results, individual driver's records, and season points
• Does all of the above without typing a single name once drivers are in the database

Checkered Past was intended from the beginning to be portable. That is, we want it to be used by other clubs. To that end we need a few clubs willing to participate in the development process. When completed, Checkered Past will be free to all clubs with the possible exception of the set-up effort needed to get them started. We prefer to work with other clubs who have accounts on the same Internet Service Provider we use. The current price for an account with database and scripting capability is about $50 per year. If you're interested in joining the Checkered Past development effort, please contact me by using the email link at the bottom of the main menu.

Interface

The database interface, shown below, is a web page that resides on a self-starting CD (not an internet server). Embedded in the page are the user id and password needed to change the database. The good news is you won't have to login and remember a password. The down side is that anyone in possession of the disk can alter the club's internet pages. If a disk is lost, I will change the password and re-issue new disks making the old disks useless.

Process for entering race day data:

• A local racing event must be scheduled
  (non-racing or national events won't work)
• Add drivers if they are not in the database already
• Register drivers in their respective classes.
• For standard race format (2 Heats + B & A Mains):
  • select 'Std Heat Line-up' to get calculated starting positions.
  • When all Heats of each class are completed and recorded,
    select 'Audit Sheet' and verify that Heat data was entered correctly.
  • Click on 'Today's Mains' to get the calculated Main line-ups.
    (the A-Main line-up will change when the B-Main results are recorded)
• For non-standard race formats:
  • select 'Generic Race Line-up' to set starting positions.
• Enter the results of all races using 'Record Race Results'.
• Verify race results by clicking on 'Race Results'

Editing Configuration

The maintenance menu item 'Edit Current Configuration' needs a little explanation. These forms let you customize your list of car classes, and the clubs that are participating, and the names of races being run. The 'Car Classes' button also permits you to change the maximum number of cars in a race. Maximum number of cars is only used for the standard race format. (When you exceed the maximum number of cars for an A Main, a B Main is automatically created. When you exceed the maximum number of cars for a Heat, each Heat is split into A and B Heats.)

Care is required when creating the names for car classes. The names should be one word (no spaces). Slight differences in spelling, capitalization or punctuation will create a unique class.

Audit Sheet (use only with standard race format)

Shown below is an example of an Audit Sheet. Its purpose is to catch data entry errors. The drivers are listed in order of their Main race line-up priority. Using the Audit Sheet, you can verify that this order is correct.

Reading down you can see that each place is listed without duplication. Reading across you can see that each driver raced in 2 Heats, and you can see how ties are affected by the Pill draw. Pill numbers should not improve a drivers place. They are used only as tie breakers. So the Pill numbers are divided by 1000 and added to the sum of two Heats.

Public Internet Pages

The main reason for using a database was to get race results onto the internet. But having a database provides additional opportunities for creating useful web pages. For example, we keep the boilerplate info for web pages in the database because changing one record changes all pages. Another by-product of the database is the ability to create race line-up lists for posting on race day and permanent records.

On the day of a race you will see a menu item on our web pages with a red background titled 'Race Day'. That button takes you to this page. The links on the Race Day page are only useful on the first and second day of a race event.

Race results of events past are available anytime from the 'Schedule and Results' menu item and season points are available from the 'Season Points' menu button. The race results and season points pages have links to drivers' records.