For the last few years, most races in the USA--most ramp-start races at least--have used the "beep" method of starting. One notable exception was the 2004 West Virginia race (a push-start race) at which Dave Gale gave the racers a "Racers Ready!" signal and then said "Go!" sometime within five seconds after that. As Jani said, in most cases that meant three to five seconds after--not exactly random. (Wesley, you took a pretty good fall at that race, so maybe you don't remember it.)
Actually, last year's Slalom St. Louis (also a push-start race) used a similar system, although the five-second interval was never explicitly mentioned.
Personally, I don't have a problem with the "beep" method. It's a little odd compared to most other sports' starting methods (see below), but it works. And actually, I think the "double your false start" penalty is a pretty clever idea, precisely because, as Jani said, you don't have to redo a race in which somebody started too early.
Now, that raises the question again of whether a false start should be considered a DQ. Frankly, I don't care that much one way or the other. Every method has its advantages and disadvantages.
Can other sports provide a good model? I don't know enough about them to say. Off the top of my head, though, here's what I think I know:
Track & field: Most sprint races (i.e. races short enough that starting early gives an unfair advantage) use a random start signal similar to what Chris mentioned: Once all racers are in their starting blocks, they are given a "Ready" signal. The actual start can come any time after that--usually between one and three seconds, in my memory (I've watched a lot of races on TV). They allow one false start without disqualification; it's charged to the entire GROUP of racers. If someone false-starts the second race, that person only is DQ'ed (even if s/he is NOT the one who committed the first false start).
Swimming: I think (?) they use a similar system to track & field: "Ready," then the gun or beep goes off at a non-predictable time (again, seemingly usually within one to three seconds). If someone false-starts, I think it's always just the individual who's charged. Each person, theoretically, gets one false start without being DQ'ed. The second one for that person results in a DQ.
Snowboarding and/or skiing: I'm sure many of you know more about that than I do. But I think that false-starting is almost a non-issue, at least in multi-racer (2 or more) events, because they use some sort of gate system to prevent it.
Motocross/BMX: Racers get a "ready" signal, and then the gate drops at some random interval. Again, no false starts because the gate prevents it.
All of those methods are interesting. But most of the time, they have more than two racers going head-to-head. So perhaps the closest "other sport" analogy is
drag racing (and no, I don't mean Henry J in a dress). You have two racers on two (theoretically) identical courses. Faster time wins. False start is a DQ--no second chances allowed. They use a set of vertically arranged lights called a "Christmas tree" (three amber lights above a green light (for GO) at the bottom (and a red light below that). Once both racers are ready, the start signal comes at some random interval afterward, at which point the lights go on from top to bottom in very short intervals. When green is lit, it's go time. It's not quite a random start, but the light sequence is much quicker than the slalom "beep" system. See
http://www.nhra.com/streetlegal/whatisadragrace.html
FULL TREE: Used in Competition, Stock, and Super Stock, for which a handicap starting system is used to equalize competition. The three amber bulbs on the Christmas Tree flash consecutively five-tenths of a second apart, followed five-tenths later by the green starting light. A perfect reaction time on a full Tree is .000.
PRE-STAGE INDICATOR LIGHTS: Yellow bulbs warn drivers that they are approaching the startling line and the “staged” position.
STAGE INDICATOR LIGHTS: Signal drivers that they are on the starting line ready for a run. These yellow bulbs come on when the front wheels of a race car interrupt the beam from a light source to the photo cells. These same photo cells start the timing equipment.
THREE-AMBER STARTING SYSTEM: All three amber floodlights in a driver’s lane flash simultaneously before the green light comes on. This is called a “Pro start” system. Racers running in handicap categories get a countdown of one amber light at a time until the green light comes on. The Pro start system runs with a .4-second difference between amber and green lights, while the handicap system runs with a .5-second difference between bulbs.
GREEN LIGHT: This is the one that makes it happen. Once the green light is flashed, the driver in that lane is free to make a run. Any time a green light is shown in a driver’s lane it indicates that a fair start was accomplished.
RED LIGHT: When a car leaves the starting line before the green light comes on, or, in some cases, is staged too deeply into the staging beams, the red light will flash in that lane. It indicates the driver in that lane has been disqualified. During competition, only one red light will illuminate, thus eliminating only the first offender.
On the older discussion mentioned by Pat
viewtopic.php?t=1776
someone argued that we should keep this as simple as possible at races. I agree. Most races are either push-start or ramp start without gates. I think either the "beep" method or the "random/surprise" start method is OK. As TK wrote, at some point you're just going to have to deal with it. If you get smoked, then practice!
I especially like what Jack Q wrote in that previous discussion:
Jack Quarantillo wrote:My humble vote...
Left Racer Ready?
(yes)
Right Racer Ready?
(yes)
Random beep/shot whatever.
Timer starts, racers go (if they choose to.)
False start DQs. (or has proportional penalty) jbh comment: to be decided (and publicized) by the race organizers
If you wanna chase rabbits, you gotta pay the price.
No closing to the "window"... too complicated.
When the window opens, you go (assuming you choose to, and know what you are up to if you don't).
If you go before the window opens you gotta pay...
Q