Is the road course possible for the high speed autocross? It is amusing enough to make up for some of the loss of the drags. You could set it up for hot laps with pit in/out like the local club used to do using some sort of transponder set up for timing. The local club ran 30-50 participants starting in the AM and most everyone got more track time than they or their car could handle by noon so it should fit into a 1/2 day.
MrJoshua said:Is the road course possible for the high speed autocross? It is amusing enough to make up for some of the loss of the drags. You could set it up for hot laps with pit in/out like the local club used to do using some sort of transponder set up for timing. The local club ran 30-50 participants starting in the AM and most everyone got more track time than they or their car could handle by noon so it should fit into a 1/2 day.
We thought about it, but there's too many variables there as well. Get a hard week of rain leading up to the event and that area is basically useless. It also requires a lot more on-site safety and resources, not to mention moving our entire operation over there at mid-day. Not to mention it's sketchy AF, even in the best of conditions. One off (and there will be an off) could potentially end the day while we extract a car from the swamp.
TO Tell you 2 months out is kinds Rude, doesn't leave much or any time to find another venue with a dragstrip and parking lot. like daytona, atlanta speedway, road atlanta(front straight) or atlanta dragway
In reply to JG Pasterjak :
Drama doesn't really slow it down over there more than anywhere else. During one event they put a Beefy Cobra Replica into the power pole and the shed and broke all 3, Gene spun in the dirt, several others went off, etc and the event went on. During Mumpkin testing we attended an event there where everything was flooded and they just kept a 4 wheeler handy to pull everyone out who went off. Parking is ugly but it just means we all park on pavement. Formula cars managed to get through it.
The EMT thing is ugly. They were expensive and insisted on parking the ambulance in a runoff area and sitting in it despite the protests of the event coordinator.
Well good thing I have my weekend to work places squarely on this years event... While my Ranger has the largest available sway bars installed I don’t feel like testing the limits of door handle scraping...
Besides, I’m a drag racer not a cone masher....
Can we postpone the wagon class until next year? I'm (hopefully and prayerfully) bringing a Miata and a wagon but at 4500 pounds I was relying on the drag race to help the wagon on points
Dang it, don’t even know what to say.... two autocross courses, half the cars will show and the staff will have to work twice as hard. Bummer all the way around.
In reply to JG Pasterjak :
Ahhhh... just replace the evening drag race festivities with a smokey burnout contest
The one year that the event is JUST autocross for the dynamic event... Dang.
Robbie- your Fiat may win this thing, if you get it right.
I doubt my car will bark the tires.
alfadriver said:The one year that the event is JUST autocross for the dynamic event... Dang.
Robbie- your Fiat may win this thing, if you get it right.
I know - the fiat would be perfect for a double autox. Ian and I took 3 days off of work around July 4th this year simply to work on it and at that time we decided we would take the time to do it right for $2019 since we have so much in front of us on it. 2 days ago I made the commitment in my mind to run the saab truck in likely its final showing.
But now hearing this I'm like: what is the bare minimum I need to do to field the fiat!!!!
We're still playing with site plans, but we're pretty sure we're going to be able to have a nearly 1/8-mile straight to start the second autocross. We'll time that portion separately and give out a special trophy to whoever is fastest.
Still working on details, but that's at least a little bit of a chance to drag race.
Well, damn. I guess it's a good thing that I've not had the chance to get up to Cinci and buy the sets of drag tires for the Rampage... and means that I don't need to worry about getting it out to the local strip for testing. And means my AX tires will be the 'free' set, freeing up another $80 in the budget.
Will miss the drags though- that's always a lot of fun.
I suppose we have to stay within the rules of the site insurance and I suppose there are things that can't exactly be done like drag racing on the entry road of the site.
But...
I propose setting up one SCCA approved style Pro-Solo course. The course design should be such that when this first curve does come into play there will be ample room for all people running this "auto-x course" to "run-off" headed straight. It is a shame that likely all competitors will DNF for this course. However, course design would just happen to be such that the finish light happens to be straight in-line with the start line, about 1/8th of a mile from the start. This way, all these DNF'ing cars who missed the turns will still trip the lights at the end of their DNF run. At least all the DNF'ing competitors will be able to compare times.
In the morning portion of the event we will only run half of the course. The morning session will not include the straight portion of the course, just the curvy portion of the course.
Sample Pro Solo Pics:
Tom Suddard said:We're still playing with site plans, but we're pretty sure we're going to be able to have a nearly 1/8-mile straight to start the second autocross. We'll time that portion separately and give out a special trophy to whoever is fastest.
Still working on details, but that's at least a little bit of a chance to drag race.
That's pretty cool at least.
John Welsh said:I suppose we have to stay within the rules of the site insurance and I suppose there are things that can't exactly be done like drag racing on the entry road of the site.
But...
I propose setting up one SCCA approved style Pro-Solo course. However this course will probably be such that from the start light to the first turn will be more that 1/8th of a mile long. The course design should be such that when this first curve does come into play there will be ample room for all people running this "auto-x course" to "run-off" headed straight. It is a shame that likely all competitors will DNF for this course. However, course design would just happen to be such that the finish light happens to be straight in-line with the start line. This way, all these DNF'ing cars who missed the turns will still trip the lights at the end of their DNF run. At least all the DNF'ing competitors will be able to compare times.
In the morning portion of the event we will only run half of the course. The morning session will not include the straight portion of the course, just the curvy portion of the course.
Sample Pro Solo Pics:
The entry road is neither a quarter mile long nor straight. I mean, if we're going to do this why not just release a bunch of hungry leopards into the paddock? At least we'd get a few cool wildlife shots.
I have to say, this does increase my odds of placing semi-well. Still have a lot of work to do though....
So, discussing what all of this will mean in terms of changes to my plans for the car this year with another GRMer, it brought up an interesting question: With not doing the drags does this mean that some of the rules that are in place because the NHRA rules require them, for example the one that I'm looking at: requiring an externally-accessible cutoff switch for a relocated battery, will no longer be required?
I've always felt the tech guys are drag racers and they tech like drag racers. I could be wrong.
Pro solo would actually be a sweet idea all by itself.
There's the autox in the morning, participants get pro drivers if desired.
Pro solo in evening, you have to drive your own car. You can look at morning results to pair cars up for good races.
I do also like the "1/8th ish mile" (can we just call it eminem-ish?). No track prep and autox tires makes it a different ball game, but still would be cool.
Robbie said:Pro solo would actually be a sweet idea all by itself.
There's the autox in the morning, participants get pro drivers if desired.
Pro solo in evening, you have to drive your own car. You can look at morning results to pair cars up for good races.
I do also like the "1/8th ish mile" (can we just call it eminem-ish?). No track prep and autox tires makes it a different ball game, but still would be cool.
I like your thinking. Well except for the "eminem-ish" thing; my answer would be NO.
In reply to rdcyclist :
Palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy. There's vomit on his sweater already: mom's spaghetti. He's nervous but on the surface he looks calm and ready...
Not really enough room there for a Pro Solo-type of mirrored course.
But there is room for a pursuit-style course... Hmm.... I may have to investigate that a bit.
Right now the plan is for a morning autocross in the typical Challenge fashion, just a bit bigger wince we'll be using more space.
The evening course will be faster and simpler than the morning course. Tentatively we're also planning on doing a set-distance "launch straight" that will have separate timing and a separate time display. It will be a pure acceleration zone before the first corner or brake input. We're hoping to make this straight somewhere in the 300-400 foot range, but we'll have to go do a site survey to figure that out exactly.
So here's the big question: Are the times on that launch straight part of the competition or simply for bragging rights? Keep in mind that since this will be in the parking lot, burnouts will likely not be allowed.
I want the Mumpkin back.
If the "launch straight" is part of the competition (which I would like it to be), then you might still see some teams change tires/setup.
if the afternoon session is timed like autox (best run counts) I bet you will see teams running different setups, one to make the straight time and one to make the total time.
Just a consideration.
You'll need to log in to post.
