code.py

import re
import datetime
from collections import OrderedDict


def create_racer_abbreviations_dict(file_name):
    """Retrieves {'abbreviation': (name, team)}" format dict from abbreviations.txt"""
    abbreviations_dict = {}
    with open(file_name, 'r') as fn:
        for line in fn:
            matchObj = re.match(r'^(\w+)_([a-zA-Z\s]+)_([a-zA-Z\s]+)$', line)
            # group(1) is abbreviation, i.e 'SVM'
            abbreviations_dict[matchObj.group(1)] = (
                matchObj.group(2),  # name of a pilot
                matchObj.group(3).rstrip(),  # team
            )
    return abbreviations_dict


# {'abbreviation of pilot': ('name of pilot, 'team')}
abbr_dict = create_racer_abbreviations_dict(
    'abbreviations.txt')


# returns timing log from start.log or end.log in {'abbreviation': time} format
def retrieve_timings_from_log(file_name):
    timing_log = {}
    with open(file_name, 'r') as fn:
        for line in fn:
            # matches 2 groups: abbreviation of a racer and time
            matchObj = re.match(r'^([A-Z]+).*(\d{2}:\d+:\d+\.\d+)$', line)
            # converts time from a string to datetime object
            lap_time = datetime.datetime.strptime(
                matchObj.group(2).rstrip(), '%H:%M:%S.%f')
            # adds key, value to a timing_log
            timing_log[matchObj.group(1)] = lap_time
    return timing_log


start_timings = retrieve_timings_from_log('start.log')
end_timings = retrieve_timings_from_log('end.log')


def sorted_individual_results(start_timings_, end_timings_, abbr_dict_, reverse_order=False):
    """ 
    Receives start and end timings and returns an OrderedDict with 
    {abbreviations:timedeltas}
    """
    # creating dict with best lap results
    lap_results = {key: end_timings_[key] - start_timings_.get(key, 0)
                   for key in start_timings_.keys()}
    sorted_results = dict(
        sorted(lap_results.items(), key=lambda x: x[1], reverse=reverse_order))
    return sorted_results


sorted_lap_results = sorted_individual_results(
    start_timings, end_timings, abbr_dict)

# prints result board to a console
def print_result_board(sorted_lap_results_):
    counter = 1
    for key, value in sorted_lap_results_.items():
        racer_name = abbr_dict[key][0]
        team_name = abbr_dict[key][1]
        best_time = str(value)[2:-3]
        print(("{: <3} {: <18} | {: <30}  | {}".format(
            str(counter)+'.', racer_name, team_name, best_time)))
        if counter == 15:
            print(
                '----------------------------------------------------------------------')
        counter += 1


print_result_board(sorted_lap_results)

Notes and suggestions:

1. L1-2 - Sort import alphabetically
2. L3 - Unused import
3. L11, L31 - Variables should be named in lowercase, e.g. user_id
4. L6, L26 - Consider specify function output/input data type with type hints instead of specifying in names and comments
5. L12-15 - Consider use variables instead of comments
6. L14-15, L20 - DRY
7. L20-22, L40-41, L57-58, L75 - Consider to create function that will perform all data preparations and get back final result
8. L26 - Use meaningful naming and type hints instead of comments
9. L33 - Importing whole module instead of needed parts of it considered as a bad practice
10. L44 - Use verbs in function naming; abbr_dict_ is not used in function, but it should actually
11. L53 - This line could be done simpler
12. L63 - Consider use enumerate instead of counter
13. L70-71 - Use multiplication
14. Add usage instructions and files samples
15. Try to avoid obvious or/and redundant comments