Kevin Allen wrote:
Well, hopefully we'll have a fast, open course design so you & the new monster ECM can at least give me a challenge...
So how is the grip at Laurens compared to our sites? Is it close to Laurinburg? All I know is it's supposedly really smooooth.
I'll be bringing the Pirellis, so the RS should be in 3rd gear a lot, unless the course is pretty tight. Maybe I can get used to the upshift/downshift with the new clutch by Saturday? Guess I'll have to hit all the 20mph exit ramps on the way there - oh, wait, those would actually be 70mph in reality, which would be top of 3rd gear... nevermind.

Remember, the Laurens site is the Michellin TIRE PROVING GROUNDS! This isn't a parking lot, it's a huge piece of Michellin's test track where they and the car manufacturers develop and test their new tires for OEM contracts. It is the skid pad area, an obscenely widened 500x1500' front stretch of their road course. The asphalt is specifically designed for traction! There are no seams, dips or bumps in the entire surface (think black pool table for the gods) it is flawless! The SEDiv course last year was a full scale replica of the 2001 Nationals South course, and didn't use but ~ 1/2 the area.
Jon K. is the course designer and drives a GS Honda Civic, so I'd expect a course that includes a lot of handling manuevers with room thru the gates. I'm not at all implying that Jon would deliberately try to stack the deck (against his class competition?

), but it's only natural for a course designer to set up a course that he will enjoy running.
Weather looks GREAT! See y'all there!