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Re: Course design/speed limits

To: "John Lieberman" <johnlee@softdisk.com>,
Subject: Re: Course design/speed limits
From: "David Hawkins" <otgrouch@twosrus.com>
Date: Tue, 30 Mar 1999 21:22:14 -0600
>Simple!  You ask the drivers of the fastest Stock and
>Street Prepared cars that have rev limiters at what speed those rev
>limiters kick in in second gear!!!  Then you monitor those cars while
>they're on course.  If a given car's rev limiter kicks in at 63mph in
>second gear, and that car bumps the rev limiter a couple of times on
>course without going into third, you know you're within limits.

While I agree that this will tell you what speed you have, I think that
during the course of the event is the wrong time to find out.  If that
car is running in third for a good amount of time, the course really
needs to be changed, and if you change it halfway through the event
it's not very fair to the competitors.

What I've seen done is to have one of the faster cars do a test run
with a safety steward on board.  This gives a second set of eyes
to watch the speedo on top of hearing the rev limiter.  After setting
up our course this past week, I ran it in my 93 Mr2 Turbo (ASP car
which I no longer run, and which is putting out about 40HP more than
when I ran it thanks to boost control...so I guess it's really an EM car :).
There was one place where I hit 75, we stopped the car and put in
another gate.  That slowed the course by 15mph.  With two additional
gates, we went from a 75-80mph course to one that was just as much
fun and challenging while not going above 65mph.  There's probably
only one car in my region that could run that course faster than I was
in the Mr2, and I don't think he was THAT much faster.

David Hawkins
93 Mr2 Turbo  ASP retired
85 Mr2 CSP/ITA
TLS #15
Gulf Coast Region Solo II Co-Chairman



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