In the NW we are in the process of buying a system that is made to use with go-carts and is very reliable and durable from what we have heard from go-cart racers and others that use them. We worked with the company and received some great discounts. The tower, loop etc. was about $4,000. The transponders that each car will need are about $275 each. So we spent $5,000 for the NW system which included 3 transponders for 'rentals' at races. Then each of the teams is responsible for their own transponders plus at least one to give to the NW organization for additional rentals. These rentals are for the teams that many only come to one or two races a year and would rather pay $20-$30 to rent them at the races they come to that to buy them. This money is then used to buy more transponders or repairs/upgrades to the main system. For a team like Willamette with 17 cars plus a 'rental' that comes to about $5,000. I and our parents have worked hard for the last few weeks to find funding for this and today I was notified that we have a grant to cover the full cost. The Electrathon Foundation/Association decided that it would let each of the 4 regions (NW, NE, SE and Mid West) use up to $5000 for something for the good of all of each of the regions Electrathon organization. That could be grants to help new teams start up, portable barriers for races and a trailer to haul them with, a transponder system (or part of it), or ???. Willamette made a trailer and has about 1/3 of a mile of 2 X ^ barriers with metal stands so we went to our next need. In the NW are whole area agreed that the most beneficial for us would be the transponder system as we have a number of vehicles (over 75 total) and races (up to 17 days) and hand counting is less that accurate. At our race this coming weekend we have had as many as 76 cars on the 2 mile track at a time and there is no way to count that many cars over a two day race and not make mistakes. With the modified system we have used until it finally quit this year we have broken ties in cars in different heats that were separated by less than a second with this system--something that could never have been done with hand counting.

With you being from Nebraska the transponder system or any other use of the $5,000 would have to be shared by Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa, and any other schools that race in the 'Mid-West' region. If you can figure out a way for all of you to agree on what would be best for your area then you can apply to EA for a grant. If it is a transponder system it would need to be available for all races in that region to use and there would need to be a way to get it to each of the races.

Stan you might look into RFID as used in running events.