From: Travis Lane <gofastlane@yahoo.com>
>2) Will you be using 1st or 2nd gear primarily?
> -Do you have a very tall first gear (Viper, Ferrari, etc.)...
> -or a very short one (*blinks*, sorry, can't think of one)
I can think of two: My (former) Midget and my Lotus Europa. On some
courses, I am in second before the start-timing line.
>In my Eagle Talon in DC region, I would shift into first at most events,
but
>almost never in SF region.
I can't think of any course where I would shift into first in the Lotus.
>a) You'll want to keep the car in the powerband as much as possible, of
course
>(perhaps more of a concern with Turbos)
>
>b) It's OK to bang off the limiter (although I wouldn't recommend 1st gear
in
>a Geo Metro through the whole course)
I had a good limiter in the Midget: Valve size. It is not possible to
over-rev a legal Street-Prepared Midget. I rather doubt it is possible to
over-rev a Midget even with a hot cam if the valves are stock-size.
The Lotus will have to depend on driver discipline. I have no limiter, and
it seems clear to me that a stock Europa engine with header and side-draft
Weber is more than capable of hurting itself.
>c) Generically speaking, it's probably best to go a little taller on fast
>courses (where you'll be limiting) and a bit smaller on tight courses
(where
>you'll be U-turning) and maybe taller and use 1st on the U-turns if the
course
>has both.
>d) Most importantly! You'll want to take a full pit crew and three rear
ends
>with you so you can swap after you walk the course.
Better idea: Phantom.
Phil Ethier Saint Paul Minnesota USA
1970 Lotus Europa, 1992 Saturn SL2, 1986 Chev Suburban
LOON, MAC
pethier@isd.net http://www.visi.com/mac/
"If I can do it, it's not art" - Red Green
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