THSCC Forums

Ok, who went into a lower gear on the second turn around?

I think I saw some of the Subarus going into a lower gear as they braked for the chicago box, used that same gear going into and exiting the turn around and then upshifting prior to the lane change.

I think I saw Mike or Kendra Whitney do at least one run without downshifting in the second turn around, but then try a downshift later? My best raw time was with no downshift, but I felt that maybe I could benefit (got to try something different if you want to go faster) by being in first on the exit and tried that on my last two runs (whch I think hurt me)

_________________
Richard Casto
1972 Porsche 914
2013 Honda Fit Sport
2015 Honda Fit EX
http://motorsport.zyyz.com
Money can't buy happiness, but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than a Kia.

I was going from 3rd to 2nd into the Chicago box and maintaining 2nd through the lane changes after the second turnaround. I tried a shift to third prior to the lane changes once and it felt too slow to me. Actually, my time showed it slowed me down.

_________________
Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.

F Stock, too. I can safely say that is the closest I've ever been to a trophy -- 0.030 seconds. In fact, if David Ekstrom in the new Mustang had been running FS instead of Novice, 2nd through 4th would have been covered by 0.070 seconds!

Great fun.

_________________
Martyn Wheeler
AXing Kit's '05 Mazda 3, #29 HStock
(when The Gonzo Symphonic allows)

Hmm, well I only paced it once so I could be wrong, but I thought I paced it at 21-23-25 or maybe 19-21-23. It sure drove uneven, as I had no trouble staying floored going in toward the turnaround, but I just barely was able to stay floored on the way back out.

_________________
Carl Fisher

Be Cool to the Pizza Dude:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... Id=4651531

I took 1st every run at both turnarounds. I'm faster that way. Kendra left it in 2nd on all but one of her runs. She totally botched the run where she downshfted. She's much faster leaving it in 2nd.

Different strokes, different folks. It's all dependent on how good you are at downshifting into 1st and how little you let it and the subsequent 1-2 shift upset the car. It takes a LOT of practice!

_________________
Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

I thought it opened up on the end closest to the turnaround as well. I had 20-20-22.

Interesting...oh well. I guess no way to know for sure now.

_________________
Stephen Westerfield
2009 Infiniti M35 | 2007 Honda Fit Sport | 2005 Ford Mustang GT |2000 GMC Sierra |1992 Acura Integra LS | Super Westerfield Bros Acura Integra

I believe it did open up as you got closer to the turn around. I paced it and I think I still have my notes in my car. I think it was something like 27, 28, 29, 40 (last was distance to turn around). Each was just a bit longer than the previous. When I pace, my steps are small considering how long my normal stride is.

_________________
Richard Casto
1972 Porsche 914
2013 Honda Fit Sport
2015 Honda Fit EX
http://motorsport.zyyz.com
Money can't buy happiness, but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than a Kia.

I swear some day I am going to get my car into 3rd at an autocross. Even at the finish I think I was just "maybe" getting close to the rev limiter in 2nd which is 60+ MPH. I need more POWER!! I am currently pedaling as fast as I can!

_________________
Richard Casto
1972 Porsche 914
2013 Honda Fit Sport
2015 Honda Fit EX
http://motorsport.zyyz.com
Money can't buy happiness, but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than a Kia.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!


i'd say that was right on, Brice. i expected more of it

I think all y'alls leg calibration is off. Do some of the others do what Richard here does and try to change your stride? That might be the problem. In the process of trying to use an unnatural stride you throw off the consistency. I just use my normal natural stride, making me more accurate. At least thats my story and I'm sticking to it.

re: turn around direction

Carl & I both decided on counterclockwise in the MINI. In that direction:
1) It was close to flat for us all the way from the 1-2 shift after the start to the braking point for the turnaround.
2) Once we got turned around, we could go flat for the slalom, but we still had to come off the throttle early for the sweeper; so more speed on the return trip through that slalom would have been useless to us. As soon as I got turned around, I was pretty much on it in the MINI, so I don't think my beginning acceleration point would have been much earlier going clockwise, therefore meaning I would have needed to see benefit at the far end, which I didn't.

So, our assessment was that, in the MINI, the extra momentum we could carry *up to* the turnaround seemed to be an obvious plus. Neither of us tried it clockwise, so it's still theory for us; but it seemed to work out OK.

re: down-shift at the 2nd turn around

I went to 1st on my first run, but Carl was riding with me on that run and thought I lost time in the 1-2 upshift on the way out. So, I stayed in 2nd for all the rest, but I suspect a downshift done faster would have been the better way in the MINI since there's not much going on in the MINI coming out of a relatively slow feature in 2nd gear (pedal faster!). I think Carl said he went to 1st on his last couple of runs.

_________________
The person with too many names...
Mary E./ME/Emmie Fisher/Daniel/Daniel-Fisher
(& some others not suitable for posting!).
Help support our habits; BUY http://virginiabreeze.us !

I found my notes. I had it as 24, 27, 29, 40. Les, my strides are pretty repeatable.

_________________
Richard Casto
1972 Porsche 914
2013 Honda Fit Sport
2015 Honda Fit EX
http://motorsport.zyyz.com
Money can't buy happiness, but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than a Kia.

I got 20, 21, and 23 for the spacing, going TOWARDS the turn around. I've got big strides (I'm 6'5").

_________________
2012 MX-5 Sport SUV

Damn. I missed a good one.

_________________
Not spectacular just decent.
I'm not sure what I'm driving.
Maybe an ITR in DS.
Or half-assed STX prepped 330.