2017 Nationals Thread - Prep meeting Aug. 12 or 13

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MARKP
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Re: 2017 Nationals Thread - Prep meeting Aug. 12 or 13

Post by MARKP »

Most of the courses we have run locally that people didn't like as much were slower speed maintenance courses. With some exception on the east, that was the majority of what we had at nationals. I'm not complaining about the courses there, I'm just saying that they were different from what people have gotten used to as "fun" courses here.

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Re: 2017 Nationals Thread - Prep meeting Aug. 12 or 13

Post by steverife »

I don't even....
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Re: 2017 Nationals Thread - Prep meeting Aug. 12 or 13

Post by jcox07 »

I was just going off what most were saying that needed to be fixed. I do think the courses were better than the previous 3 years, but with this being the big show I do think they could have been better especially the west course visuals. Not ever course will get good reviews as long as they are good courses and with this not being a match tour shoot out or a pro shoot out, the west course especially could have had more than one line for the bigger cars. The problem always seems to be little car vs. bigger cars and at nats it doesn't matter cause no shootout.
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Re: 2017 Nationals Thread - Prep meeting Aug. 12 or 13

Post by steverife »

I was just shocked at the "slower" comments and the comparison to anything local. I was in the limiter in 4 places and grabbed 3rd (err, tried to grab 3rd) at the finish on the West. JRho in the SSR Viper said he hit 88 at the finish. ...and the East was on average faster. Some people in my class were rowing that course. If that is "slower", we might as well go drag racing or do track days.

I do agree with the visuals, but you are always going to get that since there aren't really points of reference in the background like we are used to around here. Personally, I had trouble picking up the gates leading into 3 cone before the last sweeper at the back of the lot before the finish.
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Re: 2017 Nationals Thread - Prep meeting Aug. 12 or 13

Post by thrdeye »

There was one place on west where the visuals were truly bad - coming out of the showcase and up through the offsets. Otherwise they were manageable. I do think that there were some places on the west that were intentionally "tricky" and I'm not sure how I feel about that, but those places were easy to deal with and didn't require any oddball strategy as long as you spotted them on your course walk.

I was rev limiter in several places on both courses and 3rd for both finishes. Ogburn said he shifted 3 times on his fastest west run.
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Re: 2017 Nationals Thread - Prep meeting Aug. 12 or 13

Post by jcox07 »

I hit the limiter at finish but IMO the west course was slower except at the finish than other recent courses at nats. It was almost like a point and try to shoot but you couldn't in a big car.
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Re: 2017 Nationals Thread - Prep meeting Aug. 12 or 13

Post by steverife »

It was probably the fastest West course I can remember. The last 2 were super busy, even in an ES car.

The East courses are generally borderline too fast imo. This one was a bit slower than past ones and more reasonable for autocross.
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Re: 2017 Nationals Thread - Prep meeting Aug. 12 or 13

Post by John Brown »

I wasnt there.. but, I have driven Harps car.. and am I correct that you only went to 3rd at the finish of both courses?? cause if thats correct.. Id hardly say either course was "fast".. lol

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Re: 2017 Nationals Thread - Prep meeting Aug. 12 or 13

Post by TedV »

My fastest run on the East side. Yes it was a lazy clean Sunday drive since I screwed the pooch every other run and had to get a clean run. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLDsYndYjwQ

Cory's fastest on East. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLCOC84wWUI

Video did not work any of my runs on West side. Probably a good thing... :|

Cory's fastest on West. Rerun that he capitalized on. Watch for the OPR from halfway thru the run tot he finish. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJRAJU8sytM

I had fun on both courses. We had to row between 2nd and 3rd a couple times on East. West just rode the rev limiter several spots until entering the long sweeper to the finish. I would have had more fun if I was in tune with the car, still enjoyed it a LOT. So far it's been the best Formula Ford I've driven. More seat time would have helped with a cranial-rectotomy. It wasn't until the last run first day that I figured out seat padding to keep my legs under control. Think I beat Cory and matched Hayward on the practice course which I feel is closer to what we have run locally in the past. Cory got the last trophy spot, Hayward was first non-trophy. At least I'm a good tire warmer and mechanic :rockon:
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Re: 2017 Nationals Thread - Prep meeting Aug. 12 or 13

Post by thrdeye »

John Brown wrote: Mon Sep 11, 2017 9:53 am I wasnt there.. but, I have driven Harps car.. and am I correct that you only went to 3rd at the finish of both courses?? cause if thats correct.. Id hardly say either course was "fast".. lol

(from a gearing perspective only)
I was in 3rd for about 10 seconds on the east course. It just so happened that I never had to go back down and that led into the finish. Could have gone to 3rd in another spot....was on limiter for 3-4 secs, but didn't want to have to try to get back to second gear.

West course was somewhat similar - a couple of places I could have shifted, but not worth it.

The average maintained speeds and input density on each course were pretty good I think. And that's really what makes a course feel fast, not the max MPH.
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Re: 2017 Nationals Thread - Prep meeting Aug. 12 or 13

Post by eunos735 »

We must be slow. We only hit 81 or 82 MPH at the lights.
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Re: 2017 Nationals Thread - Prep meeting Aug. 12 or 13

Post by John Brown »

Miatas run plum out of steam bout 80mph..

true fact.. :lol:
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Re: 2017 Nationals Thread - Prep meeting Aug. 12 or 13

Post by jcox07 »

The mustang was on the rev limiter at the west course finish but that was the only place that was fast in a big car.
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Re: 2017 Nationals Thread - Prep meeting Aug. 12 or 13

Post by MARKP »


TedV wrote: Think I beat Cory and matched Hayward on the practice course which I feel is closer to what we have run locally in the past.
Agreed... the practice course had some fast sweepers, a couple of slow turns, and a slalom that led to a fast straight if you did it right. The west course, especially, was all speed maintenance in the Mustang. You had one acceleration run at the finish and one very short one in the middle of the course.



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Re: 2017 Nationals Thread - Prep meeting Aug. 12 or 13

Post by jcox07 »

Hopefully I don't forget anyone but been too tired to post, but I would like to thank all of the ETR people who helped make this a great national event. Mark and Chasity, Chris and Mish, Robert and Kellye, Lin, Randy, Scott, Brian and Angie, Ted and also our first timers Jim and Mona. I think everyone had a great time. Also Cindy and Carol who both did a great job in ESPL and had each one not hit a cone on day 1 they would have finished 1 2 in ESPL. Also big thanks to Andrew Pallotta who took 2nd in ESP and helped me learn more about what the car is capable of.
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