A kart crosses the loop, and the lap shows up on the track-side leaderboard, in race control and in the guest’s results. VenueChief’s kart timing system reads MyLaps X2 through your X2 Server and runs the whole heat around it.
A kart timing system that runs the whole heat
Heat 6. Twelve drivers, three flags thrown, one penalty to hand out and a party in the next heat asking where their results are. Without one system, that is several tools and a lot of shouting.
A kart timing system, or go-kart timing software if that is what you call it, is only as useful as everything it feeds. That is why VenueChief reads MyLaps X2 timing and keeps going: heats, race control, penalties, results, the fleet and the leagues all use the same laps.
What is new: MyLaps X2 integration, end to end
A small, always-on Windows PC at the track runs VenueChief Edge. It reads your X2 Server through the official MyLaps SDK and sends passings to the cloud over an authenticated, outbound-only connection. That is the MyLaps X2 integration, and it needs no inbound ports.
- Transponders. Keep an inventory with one code per kart. A passing from an unknown transponder is held, and you assign it in one click.
- Dropped connections. If the internet goes out, Edge holds the passings and sends them in order once it is back, without duplicates.
- Manual timing. If a loop fails, staff can enter laps by hand.
Book a demo and we will walk through a heat from transponder to results.
Heat scheduling and race control software
Heats. Build templates with duration, drivers, price, days, interval, check-in cutoff and auto-cancel. Heat scheduling previews a week of heats and writes nothing until you accept. A daily job keeps the look-ahead filled. Heat types cover Standard, Practice, Qualifying, Race, Private, Corporate and League.
Race control. This is the race control software your marshals use during the heat. Seven flags, several operators at once who can see each other, and a conflict dialog if two people send clashing commands. Penalties can cost time, laps, best lap, positions or points, or disqualify a driver. Staff can add a missed passing, correct a lap, move a driver to another heat, change or randomize karts and re-seat a heat. Every action is logged.
Classes and the fleet. Kart classes carry age, height and weight limits or an eligibility profile, enforced at check-in. Karts have states such as Available, Charging, Turnaround and Maintenance, and only Available karts can be placed in a heat.
Timing and scoring that guests can use
Results are Live, then Provisional, then Official, and Amended if the stewards change a penalty. A walk-in with no account gets a link to claim their laps later, and those transponder lap times are attached to the new profile. This timing and scoring flows on to the leaderboards, the kiosk and your group events.
For leagues, a series has five scoring schemes, including a custom points table, with drop rounds, bonuses and tie-breaks. Standings and registration can be public. Each round reserves track time and can release unsold time at a cutoff you set.
A heat from start to finish
Walk through one heat. It starts as Scheduled, generated from a template with a check-in cutoff. Staff move it to Staging as drivers are called, then Briefing, then Racing, and finally Cooldown and Completed, and it can be canceled at any point. During the race, laps flow in from the X2 and appear on the track-side leaderboard and in race control. The result goes from Live to Provisional, and staff make it Official after review. If the stewards change a penalty afterward, the heat becomes Amended and the series points are re-scored. A kart timing system should make all of that boring, and the heat should be the exciting part.
Who it suits
Indoor and outdoor tracks that already run MyLaps X2, and tracks that want heats, race control and online booking in one place. Typical words: heats, transponders, loops, flags, arrive-and-drive, league night.
What it changes on a busy day
- The lap appears on the leaderboard without re-keying.
- If the internet drops, passings wait on the Edge PC and are sent in order when the connection returns.
- A penalty change re-scores the heat and the series.
Availability and fine print
Karting is an add-on to the Platform plan, priced by the size of your fleet. Sanctioned competition features are a separate option. See pricing.
X2 is the supported timing system today. AMB, RFID, infrared and video can be chosen in the track editor, but they run as manual timing. Charge and cooldown times can be stored for karts, but heat scheduling does not use them today. You need one Edge install per X2 Server.