Dennis Hale responded to Pat Kelly's comment:
>>Pin turns (turn-around) have not been used here since
>the gymkhana days which disappeared from the scene
>here over 30 years ago.
>
>Well, almost. We did have those two pin cone turns at
>the Livermore street race in 1991. 8-}
The Livermore street event was a lot of fun! It, also, required a whole lot
of effort for all who put it together (thanks Dennis, Peggy and everyone
else). Unfortunately, for one of the turns, the narrow steet width, the road
crown and curbs, made those particular "pin" turns, to say the least, very
challenging for some vehicles/drivers. However, those turns were almost a
neccessity to make the course as interesting as it was, given the area the
city allowed us to use.
Also, as recently as '97-'99 SCCA SFR courses at Oakland and, in the same
general time frame, SCCA Fresno courses, at Castle, have used "pin" turns.
One of the, several, objections I recall being voiced about "pin" turn
design was that a car's size and/or turning circle could be either a
significant advantage or disadvantage for different size cars in the same
class.
"Pin" turns can be a very challenging and enjoyable feature of course
design. It's my experience, with my, relatively large, Corvettes, that a
"pin" turn, conforming to a minimum, or greater, combined entry/exit width
of 80 feet, as defined by SCCA SFR Supps para. #19, can really reward the
best disciplined and prepared drivers/cars. Also, If either or both decent
length entry (read: higher gear entry speed) and exit (significant
full-throtle exit) sections can be included in the course design, the
challenge of the corner can "exercise" many of the skills required to "be
fast". Hard at-the-limit braking, down-shifting, pivoting technique/ no-push
car set-up, out-of-corner throttle application and upshifting timing cover a
lot of what we must learn/practice in order to be "FAST"
Don
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