QUOTE(Borderline @ Aug 12 2011, 09:10 AM)
I think it's the nature of the beast. On a race track you have a limited number of turns that you memorize and run repetitively. You learn the course and become smooth. On a hill climb the course is too long and you don't get enough runs to really learn the course and become smooth. I think the guy was just making minor course corrections while driving close to the limit. FWIW
You have it exactly right Bill.
In the post above there is a great hill climb video over a very long course. Maybe someone could memorize it (in 10 years) and have smooth inputs all over, but tough. Also the nature of the road is that it's really a change up course; very difficult to get any rhythm going(*). Also there are very few slow corners, so corners are coming at you fast and there in lies the challenge. Going off just about anywhere would destroy a car.
I didn't count the number of corners, but that run has a huge number. Makes me laugh when I think about Cascade Lakes having say 15 real corners and knowing how long it will take to start stepping up to 9 tenths anywhere.
If you could work up to 8 tenths on that (video) course then you'd be doing some excellent driving. To start playing with 9 tenths would take unbelievable talent and car set up. IMHO it would take a huge number of runs to get really fast on that course.
(*) If you've done Thunderhill, more than 4 laps, you can plan your lines and steering inputs way in advance and make it seem smooth, unless you get in trouble and miss your lines then all bets are off.