Title: Timing system

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Abstract: Method and apparatus for timing a plurality of participants or their vehicles to complete a designated course, and for automatically starting the participants at spaced time intervals derived in part from respective sample times taken by the immediately preceding participants to cover a selected portion of the course. Sensors at start, finish, and intermediate positions monitor the progress of each participant on the course; a crystal oscillator is selectively connected to a plurality of electronic counters to accumulate an elapsed time for each of a plurality of participants; and a digital display device displays the times of participants as they complete the course. When each participant starts, a program counter is counted upwardly from zero until a selected time delay is reached, is then reset to zero and counted upwardly again until the participant reaches the intermediate position, and is then counted downwardly to zero at a different counting rate before a starting sequence is initiated to signal the next participant to start. "Foul starts" are also detected and indicated by the system, and manual controls are included to adjust, test, or override automatic starting operations.


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