Super duper car rating database

redlinederby Friday, 6/4/2010
Site manager

So I'm already thinking ahead to the next project, which actually ties a bit into what we're doing over in the Fantasy League.

In short, I want RDR to become a super database of car racing ratings. I want it to go beyond the racing I'm doing solo for RDR and allow everyone to submit race results for cars. Shy of the verification concerns that crop up (which I don't think can be avoided), one major thing has to be considered when logging stats - conditions.

I run RDR races on a short 18-foot track, 2 lanes. Some people have longer, shorter, along with different degrees of downhills, angles, etc. All of this needs to be looked at when rating cars so things can be made as fair and accurate as possible.

So one of the first things that needs to happen is all the types of conditions need to be determined, and that's where I need everyone's help. Here is a list of variables that need to be considered:

* Total length of track
* Jointed track or single piece
* Length of downhill
* Angle of downhill
* Outdoors or indoors

Lets not worry about car brands yet. I'm going to start with Hot Wheels anyway and expand from there if things work out.

This database would also be exclude variations of models, nobody needs to worry about that when tracking/logging results. Plus, it will all average out over time in case the green car happens to be much faster than the blue version of the same car. But the database would denote differences like FTE cars since they are technically built differently.

Maybe no one will be interested in submitting results from their own races, I dunno, but I'll have a bunch of rated cars from RDR races and figured expanding that would be pretty straight forward.

Thoughts, suggestions, additions?


Discussion

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Bandeezee 6/4/10

I would love to submit results, but would we just be submitting results of what car beat what car? Submitting times? Or something else that I'm not thinking of? That smalldiecastcorvettes website is all I really have to go by when comparing cars.

Also, would I be able to submit results even if I'm now using blutrack? It's a little wider like you said and might be a little faster of a track. I'm going to wait until I can build a proper starting gate and finish line before anything, but I was just curious.

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redlinederby 6/4/10
Site manager

In order for the ratings to work best, you would be submitting one-on-one results...but even a tournament is made up of just 1-on-1 races, just many of them in a row. You would just submit which car beat which car. No times, or speeds, or anything else because not everyone has that data.

The things like Blutrack is info that would need to be part of the submission process. Basically, when you submit results, you select all the conditions you raced under. I want to make it available to all racers that are racing on downhill tracks, regardless of your available resources.

But thinking more now, maybe all the tracking variables don't matter in the long run...hmmmm...maybe just a global rating would be enough, regardless of track conditions. We could still log result conditions, but I'm not sure how ratings could be calculated across race types. But knowing that the rating for the Cougar is mostly Blutrack races would be important for people to know...stuff like that. Statistically speaking, as more and more data was submitted the ratings would even out...kind of like in baseball. A loss is a loss but there are stats for losses in domes, wins in rain, etc.

However, this database would NOT get integrated into the Fantasy League. The league would maintain its own ratings for cars since that's all the same track and used in a game setting. The database would just be a database...at least to start.

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slash288 6/4/10

I think its a great idea! And I would be a constant contributor also. I hold my own races with my daughter or just by myself with about 120 cars currently. And I have been documenting the wins and losses for all of the tourney's I have held on the RDR Track I built.

I just need the official angle if thats what you use or not. But I think the conditions would only vary greatly if the track is long, short, or midget (6 ft downhill track) Because I have noticed a huge difference between the 6ft track and the 18ft track. Im talking worst to first type differences.

This could be potentially huge in the Hotwheels world and also bring many more visitors to your site.

For me, an example......I would have never looked to buy a Land Rover, after seeing its domination from your forums, I have now considered it. This would be a great tool to the community.

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Bandeezee 6/6/10

I agree, this is something I would love to contribute too. Also, now that we have the Blutrack, my contributions will all have raced on the same length track. I also have kept some of the tournament results, but before this current tournament, all racing conditions varied based on how much track we used.

From now on, I'll try to remember what angle the track is at and any other track details I can think of. We had a tight final race with a Covelight (from 2009) and a Ferrari F40 (from 1999 with 5dot wheels). Covelight just ran too good to lose, it's nice long wheel base let it run straight as an arrow. The F40 got squirly about mid way down the track (possibly from the track laying on pavers). The first race was too close to call, so we had to run it again. The Covelight won the next two races, didn't even have to go to the third race tie breaker. I think next race we'll have it on a smoother surface.

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