The NASTAR Timing Solution calculates Par Time and racer handicaps. These formulas explain the relationship between a race time and its handicap. Use handicaps as ordinary numbers, such as 10 or 6.45, in the formulas below.
Calculate Par Time
Par Time = pacesetter's time ÷ (1 + pacesetter's handicap ÷ 100)
Joe Fast has an established pacesetter handicap of 6.45 and skis the course in 29.63 seconds. His time is 106.45 percent of Par Time, so divide 29.63 by 1.0645. The result is approximately 27.83 seconds.
Calculate a racer's handicap
Racer's handicap = (racer's time ÷ Par Time − 1) × 100
Using a Par Time of 27.83 seconds, a racer finishing in 36.48 seconds earns a handicap of 31.08 when truncated to two decimal places. The racer took about 31 percent longer than Par Time.
Find the time for a target handicap
Target time = Par Time × (1 + target handicap ÷ 100)
With a Par Time of 27.83 seconds, a handicap of 20 corresponds to 33.396 seconds. The timing software handles the calculations and displayed precision during racing.
Read more about Par Time and local pacesetting.