Well, I just completed my first National Tour event (actually my first
official Solo2 competition). What a blast! The course was awesome --
really made you think. I have a few questions for you more experienced
out there:
For NT and Nationals regulars:
1) I noticed numerous top drivers were driving illegal cars. Weenie
illegalities -- but illegal. Things in Street Prepared like
holes cut in the interior panels to give access to the rear shocks,
interior carpet missing or relocated to the center floorboard of
the car, tiny little front passenger seats, intake ducting run to
holes in the brake duct, etc.
I expect that at regional events, or even from the locals attending
the NTs; but I was kind of expecting the top NT regulars would be
more "proper". My question: Is that typical? Are these things
typically ignored even at Nationals? at ProSolos?
(If so, why not just declare them legal?)
Such blatant illegalities certainly make you wonder
if there's lots more stuff illegal that is not so easy to see.
2) I noticed some people spraying liquid on their tires between runs.
What is that? What rules are there regarding that?
For example, can I spray my tires with sticky stuff?
How about with 180'F water? How about with 180'F sticky stuff?
Is that kind of thing in the rulebook?
3) The Sunday course was a lot faster than it looked (to me) while
driving it. I'd drive it a little faster each time, but each
time realize I could've gone even more. With just 3 run on each
course, and each event having different courses and different
surfaces, how do you learn how fast you can take different course
elements? If I had five runs, I'd burn the first two going too
fast in each section to figure it out -- and then perfect the run
with the remaining three. But with just three runs, its hard to
waste one. But if at every event you never find the edge and do
some serious sliding, it seems that it would be a really slow
process to learn how fast you can take a large variety of curves
on a large variety of surfaces. Suggestions for a newbie?
(I know I need seat time; and I have taken McKamey schools and
plan to take others; but besides that, are there ways to get the
most learning out of 3- and 4-run events??)
For those that attended the Texas event:
4) How about that optional slalom on Saturday? Which way was better?
Most people started on the left, only a few on the right -- but
several of those few won their classes. Starting on the right
made the slalom one cone longer and made the left after the
slalom much tighter. However, it was the shorter path and one
less braking zone. Starting on the left allowed you to carry
your speed longer before braking to start the slalom, and allowed
you a better line for the following left -- but you still had to
brake to set up for the left. Anyone care to analyze their choice
now with hindsight?
5) How about that optional slalom on Sunday? (The same optional
slalom, but now in reverse.) In this case, most people switched
the side of the slalom they attacked. Is that because they
changed their mind based on Saturday? Or because the differences
of the right entry before the slalom or the short straight into
the finish at the end of the slalom?? Anyone care to analyze
their choice now with hindsight?
6) I forgot to hit my tripometer before a run -- did anyone measure
how long (distance) the course was?
7) Is there always a practice course on Friday? Is it always so puny
and slow? And lop-sided (worked right tires much harder than left).
(My M3 definitely did not like the practice course --
had me worried going into Saturday. ;^)
8) What things were different about the Texas NT vs. most others?
Any peculiarities?
Thanks,
Brian
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