Course Control/Penalty Call-In Instructions

1. Make sure you know how to operate the radios (frequency selection, volume, squelch, push-to-talk, as applicable).
2. Make sure your station radio people all know how to operate the radios, and which frequency you are on.
3. Find a spot to stand in front of the timing vehicle with a clear view of the course, and also where you can easily be seen by the Time Recorder.
4. Use a clipboard and sheet of paper to note penalties if you want to; this enables you to also write down which stations called in what penalties for a particular car.
5. Establish a communication method with the time recorder in the van; hand signals, verbal, whatever. Decide whether you're going to explicitly indicate "clean" for clean runs (good), or assume that if you don't signal or tell them anything, the run was clean (not so good).
6. Communicate the penalty total to the time recorder as soon after the car leaves the exit lane as you can.
7. If your workers have trouble keeping up, communicate to the Starter that the second-car start interval needs to be increased.
8. Check in with all your stations before the first car runs. Remind them that the radio person should hold the red flag, and know how to wave it if a red-flag situation arises.
9. Have your stations check their cone placements to be sure all cones are in their boxes before the first car runs.
10. Have your stations spread their people out as applicable for their coverage areas.
11. Remind people on stations to run after cones, to watch out for multiple cars on course, to get out of the way if a car is coming even if they can't get the cones back up, to be safe first and correct after that.
12. Remind stations to call station number, penalties, and car i.d. as the car leaves their coverage area for the last time (e.g. "Station Three, 2 cones on red Rx-7 #45").
13. Acknowledge all call-ins by station number (e.g. "Two cones on 45, thank you Three").
14. Watch for cones in the exit lane; they count too. Check with the station that covers that area to be sure they know to watch it.
15. Call a red-flag situation if (a) Timing tells you to, (b) a Safety Steward tells you to, (c) a potential close encounter between cars is developing due to a spin, car breakdown, lost driver, etc. Tell the stations which car (or cars) to red flag, with some urgency.