Philosophically, optional slaloms or turn-arounds actually offer two or
three different courses and become an I.Q. test, appealing to some. The
tendency here is to offer courses that are the same for all, as we will all
travel the same road. :) It's a fine line between finding the fastest line
on the same course, and finding the best way through optionals. Usually the
choice of line depends on what follows: if it requires speed, you want to
enter so you have speed at the finish.
A minor problem with optionals (and slaloms) is that it is possible, and can
happen, where a driver skips a cone and no one notices because the worker's
attention is drawn somewhere else--fortunately not often. Or a driver can
run the slalom correctly, but the worker calls it in as a DNF. That can
happen and has.
Pin turns (turn-around) have not been used here since the gymkhana days
which disappeared from the scene here over 30 years ago.
We (collectively) discovered that once the courses were lined, the
participation levels climbed. If we go back to those 'olden days' gymkahan
courses, we will definitely not have a problem with too many drivers. :)
It all depends on what kind of game you want to play and being able to pay
site rental costs, in a sense. None of our lots are free.
--Pat Kelly
----------
>From: "geewiz@mac.com" <geewiz@mac.com>
>To: ba-autox@autox.team.net
>Subject: SFR courses
>Date: Fri, Oct 5, 2001, 9:39 AM
>
>On Friday, October 5, 2001, at 09:12 AM, Darren Madams wrote:
>
>> Don't make courses deliberately confusing, that's a given. Don't
>> make them overly simple. Don't make them fast because fast does
>> not always mean fun. Don't make them quirky or awkward. But do
>> make them challenging to find the smooth way through. The north
>> course from last year was like that. If you did everything right,
>> it was an easy course. If you fell behind, you had a tough time
>> making up time.
>
>Well put, Darren. Variety is definitely a good thing, as is challenge
>-- not "where am I" challenge, but "where do I want to place my car
>through here" challenge. Courses that offer (lure?) drivers with
>choices between different lines... although as an earlier poster
>said, that pretty much only applies to the first run group at GGF --
>I have never seen a site with that much tire pill / gravel / whatever.
>
>I am a relative newcomer to SFR. I can't say much about "National"
>courses, such experience limited to 1 Prosolo -- in my former region,
>central florida, and the course was laid out by one of our frequent
>course-builders, Danny Shields.
>
>The three SFR courses I have seen have all been fun to drive, and none
>particularly confusing to me, personally. (No offense to those who
>have had an issue -- it happens, no matter how hard somone works to
>lay it out clearly or how carefully people walk; things just won't
>"gel" for every driver every day).
>
>One difference I note here in SFR: In Florida we definitely used a lot
>fewer cones! We generally used "walls" of cones only to keep a lost
>driver away from hazards; other than that we had gates and pointer
>cones, except for the occasional box.
>
>I would say, variety is good. If someone doesn't understand a new
>element, they should ask. Let's just keep mixing it up, and everyone
>will be happy -- sometimes :-).
>
>-- Glenn
>
>PS: a favorite of mine is optional sections, such as optional slaloms
>or a turnabout that could be taken in either direction, especially
>where the slow/hard entrance makes the easier exit.... makes ya
>think on the course walk, and then think some more when you blow the
>entry and have to do it "backwards".....
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