Originally Posted by
mollusk
Chips are great for 99.9% of the time, but the chip is never placed at the leading edge of the tire crossing the line. You still need numbers and cameras for that when it is really close. Until the winner of the race is defined as having the first chip to cross the line we will need the conventional things as well.
Having a number pinned on helps the officials with DQ'ing riders that are breaking rules. The official on the moto can't read your chip number.
In 8 years of chip timing, we've yet to have anyone complain that their chip was placed badly on their bike. They accept the result. We have had a few ties, down to the 1/1000th of a second. And if you looked at a camera, when it is that close, you'd not be able to tell anyway. Timing systems have made a HUGE difference in scoring. It is
immediate, correct and can place every single person.
Yes numbers are still important, for line judges and moto-officials and back-up to what the chip says. Also, a chip could have gone bad and having the rider scored by the s/f judge gives us a better chance of getting results 100% correct. Not something we could ever say in the days before transponders!
I hope Jamie can find a solution for Michigan. If I think of any ideas, I'll post.