Saturday October 28

Last event of the season....
I have been asked to design the course for our Halloween event....

I have submitted a design, and am waiting to hear back from the "group of four" to see if it is going to be approved.

Hopefully this course will strike everyone as a "Treat" and not a " Trick"

I have tried to address some of the suggestions and complaints that have been aired over the last few months, here and elsewhere.
It will be wider than the courses of late and will avoid the 180deg switchback turns we have been seeing of late. Oh and NO loops and a lot less cones.

I will post it as soon as I get approval...

Dan,

I am sure it will be great. I will try to be there... I think we have an event the day before but I haven't checked my schedule.

Rob

If our agressive build schedule goes as planned Randal and I will be there for the inaugural AX of "Lucille".

Bill P.

Man...I don't miss those days...

Do you get to fly business class? I was lucky enough that my company allowed me the biz class option due to my amount of time over in Asia. When I traveled coach....that blew chow....

Bill P.

Can't wait to see it.

I'll try to make this one , too.
I'll run the 710's all day as well.


KT

Thanks Chris,

It should be fun. The Boxster can't compete for TTOD against you folks as it will be too heavy. The car is being built to a track spec, so we'll see how it goes. Ken Jones and Boris Elpiner are the only two Boxster drivers consistently finishing in the top 15 at the AX's and Ken has several top 10's. That will most likely be our target for success. Good day if we grab a top 15, great day if we grab a top 10. For this first AX, I have no idea what to expect from the car. It may be fun to stick around for fun runs and have Andrew drive it as well and give us his impressions....

Next year we will try to give you a run for your money with BPR's Raby monster. And Fritz may make an appearance or two next year as well.

Bill P.

"Treat and not a Trick"..... You would bring that up.

I trust that the imbecile move made at the Monster Park Halloween course, a few years ago, doesn't get repeated.

Not everyone, including myself, was told that there was a major course change made at lunch. Actually there were two.

I ended up going off the course at about 60mph when I came to a broad "sweeper" that had been changed into a 90 degree corner; on the fastest part of the course.

That little exercise gets my vote for the stupidest thing I ever seen done at a GGR event. Someone could have been hurt.

think they'd take a shifter kart?

Why don't you e-mail Bill.

At the very least you'd think he'd let you run during the fun run time. Just show up late and run. You probably want to offer to help clean up, the track that is as we know your time would shine.

Do you need his e-mail address?

OT, but responding to Grant’s comments:

Having traveled to Asia about as much as anyone alive I have strong opinions on "business class travel." If a company doesn't support this they are simply putting their people into a mental/physical deficit that will cost them business.

We were pretty lucky in the 90's as our company paid for business class, but we always secured upgrades to first. My last three years traveling to Asia was all first class.

Of course going west is a lot easier than east. It is extremely important, when heading east to sleep as much as possible to keep the dreaded “Jet Lag” syndrome away. The three things that guarantee you'll have huge jet lag are booze, lack of sleep and dehydration. Put those three together, in a different time zone and you just lost 20% of your brain.

OK....here is the course in rudimentary status...

I like to make my final decisions and adjustments on the ground....

But the course should be very similar to what you see here...
Minimum width is 30', it will be even wider if the area allows...I am going to try to also have at least 30' at the gates and boxes also....no narrow stuff if possible.



Nomex on

Looks like a fun course.

Only observation, if the course isn't lined there are parts that will become, "sea of cones."

What is the plan?

Yes Grant but the right side of the course should favor the HP cars...

Randal, course will be lined.

Why do you line course again??

My instructors tell me to look "ahead"

I dont follow the white lines on a road course, why would I follow them on an AutoX course.

Honestly.. I have never seen them while running a course. I must be focusing on something else??



B

Brad, GGR/zone7 rules mandate the course to be lined....we also do it to make it more newbie friendly.

Are there girls at the Alaemda AX?
JK - but I am hoping to go this time and find out for myself. Straight line is the fastest , right?

I'm looking foward to this one, Dan.


KT

Good, at least there will be a few914s this time...last time it was just me and the Smurf.

No kidding? You're looking forward to this one Trekkor? AS IF there was an autocross or track event you dreaded!!!!

I'm in. Hope I remember how to drive.

Demick

I know it is the rule, but do you honestly *believe* it helps the newbies? Your professional opinion

My personal opinion: waste of time


B

Guess it depends upon whether or not you want the drivers looking for better lines or just looking for cones.

They use a taller apex cone down here and "semi" place it in the right spots. There is NO way you will line a course down here. It would take 3 50lb bags of white powder to cover a 1.3 mile course..LOL

The white lines GGR uses reminds me of a "handicap" or a crutch for the newbies. Make them learn. I dont even look at the lines when I'm watching someone elses video!!! LOL


B

I like the lines, always have.

Even if the course is a filthy sea of cones, at least you can still find you way.


KT

We had a small problem at our last AX....no map/s.
They were still in the copying machine, I heard....
So, I laid out the start half and my co-worker laid out the finish half....one of them back of a napkin deals.
I got done & figured I'd beter walk it. I got about 1/3rd of the way thru the finish half
& got lost This is gonna need some work, I sez to myself.
We use pointer arrows in the center of the lane where where things get "iffy" and laydown wall cones meaning "don't go this way".

At ORPCA, the course shown would use about 25% of the cones shown on the map, would prolly be a bit faster for the fast guys, would have a lot less running for the cone chasers.....and wouldn't need any lines as it is pretty simple....maybe an arrow or 2.

Here's a smaple of one of our courses. The long direction is 1000/1200 feet....WAG.
Not necessarly better than GGR, but we are firm believers in KISS.

If you read Roger Johnson's SCCA booklet at:

http://www.houscca.com/solo/courses/coursedesign.zip one can learn how-to design a proper course that flows like the video, which is a good example.

BTW if you read Roger's booklet and seriously attempt to build a course, based upon the education you received therein, Roger will critique your design (great feedback).

All in all a good way to keep yourself, as a course designer honest, not designing a 914 or 911 course, but a real autox course that hopefully flows well, isn't a sea of cones, one that allows for lots of driver input and is safe.

Getting a course to flow well at the Marina is always a challenge, especially if you start designing with the safety of the course workers in mind, while Alameda is much easier.

Glad to hear Demick and possibly Grant will be in attendance....

Damn,, that means I will be at least two places down the overall standings. And if Trekkor shows....oh well

And if BillP shows with the spec Box.....this is starting to make me sad....
Oh, thats right....I need to teach Bill how to drive the Boxster first....you know...what is the word...oh yea....momentum No more 3.6Ls worth of torque for him.

At least the 914s can end the season kicking some hiney

I only need a 5th or better to win AX 11 for the season....and that is with only 5 attended events out of 9.

Oh, I'll be there...

Will you ride along and offer some instruction?


Thanks,

KT

We'll get together sometime during the day for sure

Will you sign me up for A.M. course set-up?


KT

Not my call....that is up to the AX series chairs.

They send out a notification thru the GGR website.

If you aren't signed up to get GGR announcements, you should do that.
The AX chairs send out a notice about a week before the event
You need to respond almost immediately. the jobs fill up fast because it counts as your days work assignment.
They do about 6-8 for course set up, 3-4 for tech and 2 for morning security.

Yes, I'm already primed for the notifications. I've signed up many times in the past.

I'll be standing by.


KT

Oh well Grant, just think of that nice fresh motor in your lightened car for next season.

update: might be in driving my 'other car' (me and the future-brother-in-law and his firehawk).

Cool! It will be a big fast sedan shoot out. I just got my fatter tires 235/40/18 BFG KDW2's on BBS replicas for the Mazdaspeed.

cool.....sedan racing

should be ineresting with all those transitions at speed

Let's see 3000#s, rear wheel drive, 300+ HP,,,,,can you say snap spin

3400#s, 275+HP, all wheel drive....can you say PUSH

This should be interesting

Finally got 914AROO back from the shop - this will be my first autox in this car - should be "interesting".
Later,

Tom, does that response mean you will be at Alameda?
If so that will be great. It will be great to see your car and see how it runs...

Dan:
Yep - I'm planning on attending. Drove the car at PCA parade laps at Laguna today - great time, but boy it seems slicker than the last time I drove there!! Must be that re-paving for MotoGP.
Later,

I won't run out of gas this time.


KT

It's OK, I have my "secret Sweeper splitter" now.

Oooooooh....


KT

Tires look a bit larger now too

Grant, what camera system do you use?

I cant beleive you posted a picture of Zip ties...LOL


B

So what do you use to give you this?

okay, Vladimir and I are confirmed! 3400#s, 350 hp, and a live axle on crappy street tires. should be quite a handful at an AX.

should be good for a nice 360 at the far end on the out leg