Excellent event. I loved the course, which illustrated just how rusty I was at driving hard. Then working Grid illustrated just how rusty I was at walking.
Went right on the optional every time. On the walkthrough it looked like the element before it was kind of tight and wouldn't have much speed coming out of it to carry, and going left would choke the exit at the last cone and require a speed drop through the slalom which isn't good for stability and transitions.
Going right had a tighter entrance but flowed well from the fairly slow previous element, and the exit set up the car much better for the following elements.
As for taking out the single cone in the chicago box, I'm the person who did that at Sanford last year. But then it wasn't in line with the other two significant cones, it was set a few feet out and could be straightlined under full acceleration (in a muscle car on all-seasons, I could accelerate but not turn).
On that occasion, straightlining it *just may* have been worth it. Without datalogging I'll never know. On that special case with the specific combination of cars and tyres, I think it was worth it. However, in all the time I've autocrossed, I think it's the *only* one that *might* have been worth it. It's a major exception.
But I would make a sweeping statement that if you have to turn at all, however slightly, to hit that center cone you'd be better off doing the box properly. Likewise if you can't turn the section into a long drag strip and are in a car that's built for that, you're better off doing the box.
And Art just simply rocked.
_________________
Martyn Wheeler
AXing Kit's '05 Mazda 3, #29 HStock
(when
The Gonzo Symphonic allows)
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