Interesting thoughts.
One thing that can be changed but is currently a rule is that numbers have to be on a white background (and I think the number is supposed to be black). This is USAC any way.
A new rule for this year is that promoters are responsible for getting results. Not just posting them, actually getting them. This means officials won't care about leading or trailing numbers as long as they can keep straight who is lapped, who got a free lap, etc. The results are all up to the promoter. If the promoter thinks that having a 9 digit number is fine then it's fine - it'll be the promoter's responsibility to get results.
I've never used chips, basically scared off by the buy in (just like I've been scared by the buy in for a FinishLynx system). What is the chip system in FL?
I pay about $1200-1500 for a 7 week series with 6 fields, two fields with 125 field limits (but one field of 50). I issue new numbers each week after having some riders try to jump in races with prior weeks' numbers. For liability reasons I can't have that so therefore new numbers weekly (and I try and mix up the leading number each week).
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"...during the Lance years, being fit became the No. 1 thing. Totally the only thing. It’s a big part of what we do, but fitness is not the only thing. There’s skills, there’s tactics … there’s all kinds of stuff..." Tim Johnson