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Well we seem to have found the limits on the SO4's. Sunday's event was runs #40-48 on our 1st set. A 65 sec course on asphalt: start, full loop around a 150' circle, couple off sets leading into a 6 cone 20pace slalom, 90* left into a tight Chicago box, hard uphill run to a 45* left to 3/4 of a 60' circle, matted downhill run to a broad off camber sweeper, 90* left, offset, hard 90* right, left blind sweeper (only entry and exit gate), 90* right to the finish, dead stop stop box (course worker removed the end cone to let you proceed out of the box back to grid). Except for the 90 into the tight CB which didn't have a good braking zone made it more painful than needed, it was an excellent fun course. The club had a novice school the day before (we instructed) so they wanted to include all the elements from the school into the course.
To make a long story longer, Donna ran in the second run group. Her first run was a fast one 65.6, 3 sec faster than the quickest GS in group 1, but she coned in the slalom. (we had decided to practice nationals style, only counting the first 3 runs out of the event's 4)
The second run she ran another second quicker 64.4, but was called offcourse for going on the wrong side of the pointer coming out of the first circle, a novice mistake she kicked herself for over and over (see why in a moment). She was careful to not miss it again on her third run, but as we found later the tires started to go away and she posted a 65.1 clean. She wanted to get back into the 64's on her 4th run, but the tires said no! and she slowed down to a 65.3.
I ran in the 3rd run group, the outside temp had come up another 5* or so. My first run I pushed it, went sideways thru the CB, gathered it up and finished the run with a disappointing but understandable 67.2 +2. Second run was clean, but only a 67.1, 2 sec slower than Donna's official best run WTF? I decided I must be braking more than she did after we talked, so I puckered up and used lifts instead of brakes wherever she said she did. I was sure it was a much faster run, it was but still only a 66.4, and the car was pushing badly in places it shouldn't have. I adjusted the shocks to loosen the back end more for my last run, but it didn't help, it wouldn't turn and I missed the first slalom cone OCing the run. I still went for it just to see, but the car was a pig! The tires had given up badly, probably after Donna's second run. Had we brought a water bottle to spray them down between runs they may have been better longer? That set will only be used for practice now.
The reason Donna kicked herself so for OCing her second run? Her third and quickest clean run, .6 sec slower than her 2nd run raw time won GS open by .8 sec, and she PAXed 5th just behind Cortney Cormier, Rod McGeorge (FTD!), Marc Portenova, and Richard West, some real fast company for sure, but that quicker raw time would have put her #2 PAX.
I only managed a 4th in GS going down to people I usually beat, but still PAXed 11th. A lesson learned tho.
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SPIN or WIN!
there's no glory for going slow.
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