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Big Bend Schedule

 

ARRA’s Big Bend Two-Step Open Road Race

Fort Stockton to Sanderson, TX – April 4, 5, 6, and 7, 2001

US Highway 285     Closed April 7, 2001 ONLY

 

 

Event Traffic and Safety Plan

 

Event date – April 4, 5, 6, and 7, 2001

 

Contents:

 

  1. Communications and Safety Equipment

2.   Road Closure Signs and Course Flag Placements

  1. US 285 North Traffic Plans
  2. US 285 South Traffic Plans
  3. FM 2886 Traffic Plan
  4. FM 2400 Traffic Plan
  5. Course Control Official Locations

 

At all times it should be remembered that the safety of the participants, crews, officials and spectators is of paramount importance.

                                   


COMMUNICATIONS AND SAFETY EQUIPMENT

 

The following communications, safety equipment, and procedures shall be used:

 

1.       VHF or UHF walkie-talkies, or their equivalent, shall be issued to all

Course Control Officials.  These will form the basis of the official           communications network of the race.

A.     The Course Control Officials shall be instructed in the workings

of the radio as well as proper race radio and/or flagging procedures.

 

2.      Approximately every five miles along the racecourse there will be established Flag Stations consisting of a Course Control Official equipped with a walkie-talkie and the appropriate flags.

A.     Course Control Officials assigned to these stations shall be

Instructed in proper race flagging procedures and will be supplied an official Course Control Official t-shirt for identification.

B.     Approximately every ten miles along the race course there will be established a Communication Station consisting of a Ham Radio Operator and a Course Control Official equipped with a walkie-talkie and the appropriate flags.  The Ham Radio Network will be considered the Official Race Control Network and all communications will be coordinated with this network through the Race Director and the designated Race Control Ham Radio Operator

i.                    It shall be the responsibility of these stations to establish communications with the Course Control Officials and act as a relay to the Race Director if a suitable VHF/UHF relay network has not been established and/or the relay fails.  It is to be remembered that this is the primary form of communications for the race.

C.    At the starting line and approximately one-third and two-thirds of the course distance from the starting line, Safety Stations will be established.  These Safety Stations will consist of a law enforcement officer, EMT, Firefighter, and Tow Truck Operator, with appropriate vehicles, and a Course Control Official and Ham Radio Operator.

 

 

3.      Race Control shall be established at the starting line (s) using the Ham Radio Network as the primary contact.

A.     All communications and decisions pertaining to the operation and safety of the race shall be issued through this station via the Race Director and/or his assigned representative.

B.     All communications and decisions concerning the operation and safety of the race, when in operation, shall come from the Race Director.

C.    Representatives of law enforcement, medical, fire, and any other emergency services deemed necessary, shall be present at the Starting Line(s) and establish a communications link with Race Control.

D.    No emergency vehicle (law enforcement, ambulance, fire, tow, etc.) may enter the designated race course without the express permission of Race Control.

E.     The Race Director and his appropriate staff shall be equipped with proper radios.

F.     The Race Director or his representative shall remain in contact with Race Control at all times.

G.    A Ham Station shall be located at the Finish Line(s) in direct contact with Timing and Scoring and the proper Finish Line(s) authorities.

 

4.      No vehicles, other than racecars and properly equipped emergency vehicles, shall be allowed on the course when the race is in operation.

A.     The emergency vehicles shall be equipped with proper communications.

 

5.      When possible, aircraft shall be used to fly safety cover for the race.

A.     Each Flag/Communications Station shall be equipped with a ground “banner” denoting the number of the station: i.e., 1, 2, 3, etc.  The “banner” must be large enough to be visible to the aircraft.

B.     All participants shall affix the number of their race vehicle to the top of the vehicle.

 

6.      Prior to the start of the race a “safety and communications sweep” shall be made of the course by a properly assigned American Road Racing Association (ARRA) staff member.  This “sweep” shall be accomplished by driving the length of the course prior to the start and completing a communications check to insure the following:

A.     A Course Control Official staffs all readily available access and appropriate gates and or roads.

B.     All radios are functioning properly.

C.    All proper safety equipment is in place.

D.    The Course is cleared of all traffic.

 

Road Closure Notice, Special Yellow Flag & Red Flag Locations

 

The following are the Road Closure Notices to be posted prior to the race.

1.      Three weeks prior to the race:

A.     Publish in newspapers in Fort Stockton, Sanderson (and others

That TxDOT deems necessary), at least once per week prior to the race, a notice of road closure.

 

2.      Two weeks prior to the race:

A.     Notices will be posted at prominent places in the local communities near the event course and all residents along and adjoining the event course will be notified by mail of the events exact road closure and time.

B.     ARRA will cause the appropriate TxDOT road signs to be posted at both ends of the designated race course on US Hwy 285 to clearly indicate the date and time of the road closure. A temporary road closure information sign will be placed at:

                                                                          i.            The west side of US 285 at the south intersection of Gonzales Road.

                                                                        ii.            The east side of US 285 just north of US 90 junction.

                                                                      iii.            The west side of FM 2886 just south of Interstate 10.

                                                                       iv.            The north side of FM 2400 just west of SH 349.

C.    The road closure information signs will be four feet by eight feet in size, with a yellow engineering grade reflective background and black vinyl letters, mounted seven feet off the ground with the following inscription:

US Hwy. 285

Will Be Closed

 

Saturday, April 7, 2001

Between 6:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

 

3.      Day of the Race

A.     Orange cones or orange barrels will be placed as advance-warning barriers on the morning of the race by ARRA staff and/or appropriate law enforcement officer at the following road closed locations.

                                                                          i.            Mockingbird Lane and US 285 in Pecos County (Fort Stockton)

                                                                        ii.            Mile post 489.9 in Terrell County (approximately the last driveway on the west side of US 285 prior to the Downie Rodeo Arena, Sanderson)

                                                                      iii.            On FM 2400 at the intersection of US 285

                                                                       iv.            One Thousand (1,000) feet from the barricades will be posted a “Road Closed 1,000 Ft.” (or Road Closed Ahead”) three feet by three feet diamond sign with orange background and black lettering.

                                                                         v.            Five Hundred (500) feet from the barricades will be posted a “Flagman” three feet by three feet diamond sign with orange background and black figure.

B.     A 48” diamond “Road Closed” sign placed on temporary mounts at US 285 at the north junction of BI 10 (Dickinson Road).

C.    Special Yellow Flag Caution areas will be erected, where appropriate, on the race course by placing large orange safety cones on both sides of the race course containing a bright yellow flag.  These flags are to be placed well in advance of the possible caution areas (see Course Control Official Location attached).

D.    Special Red Flag Danger areas will be erected, where appropriate, on the racecourse by placing large orange safety cones on both sides of the racecourse containing a bright red flag.  These flags are to be placed well in advance of the possible danger areas (see Course Control Official Location attached).

 

 

 

 

                              

 

 

Director of Operations

Odessa District Office

Texas Dept. of Transportation

 

Re:  Big Bend Two-Step Open Road Race Practice and Qualifying Sessions

 

 

The following is an attachment to our Temporary Road Closure Permit.

 

The Big Bend Two-Step open road race practice and qualifying site will use a portion of U.S. Highway 285 just north of the Downey Rodeo Arena on the outskirts of Sanderson.  The session will be held on Thursday and Friday, April 5 and 6, 2001.  The course will cover between five and eight miles of the highway just north of the arena.  The exact distance determination will be set after a survey before the event begins.

 

The format of the school is a very simple traffic delay procedure.  All non-race related traffic will be handed a flyer explaining why traffic is being delayed.  Local traffic always has the advantage.  Our plan (the same as was used at three other races) is to stage the race cars just off the highway in a single line (or use an off-highway parking area if one is available).  When the course is clear of local traffic, we allow the race cars to run to the end of the designated course and stop.  This usually takes less than ten minutes.  County Sheriff’s will be used to control the ends of the course, monitor time, and hold traffic while our staff conducts the session.  Once the racecars have finished their run, we open the road to local traffic and re-stage the race cars.  Our goal is to delay local traffic as little as possible while giving the racers as much time for practice as possible.  We are very careful not to overly delay or offend anyone.

 

The course sets up at 9 a.m. and is open for practice at 10 a.m.  Each car is given a technical inspection before it is allowed on the course.  We will finish up at 4 p.m. or earlier.

 

We will treat the Practice and Qualifying Sessions much as we do the race itself.  All the necessary access areas are guarded and the course workers have walkie-talkies for communication.  We have a dedicated standby ambulance as well as the sheriff’s for added safety.  A safety sweep is often used after each run to determine that all the local traffic has cleared the course.  If the entire course can not be monitored from the starting line, we will undoubtedly use a sweep here as well.

 

Our approach is to keep the Practice and Qualifying Sessions as simple and safe as possible.  Providing the racers a place to test their cars and new drivers a place to qualify adds a measure of safety that is invaluable to the integrity of the event.  It adds to the enjoyment of the event for the racers and benefits the local community.  A schedule is attached below.

 

Tentative Practice and Qualifying

 

Thursday and Friday

 

8:00a.m. to 9:00a.m.                 Student Registration and Student Pre-Tech Inspection

9:00a.m. to 4:00p.m.                 Registration

9:00a.m. to 2:00p.m.                 Pre-Tech Inspection

9:00a.m. to 11:00a.m.               Driver’s school for new drivers in Sanderson

9:00a.m. to 10:00a.m.               Practice course set up

10:00a.m. to 4:00p.m.               Open practice and qualifying.