MJ writes:
>There are some really interesting dynamics that take place about the end of
>set-up. Not just at the Tour but on lots of mornings. In theory someone
>designs the course, a bunch of people help rough out the cones and the
>designer finishes/ fine tunes it, safety inspects it and then it gets
>marked and lined. In practice there are people who feel it is within their
>purview to walk course late in the process and "adjust" almost any aspect
>of courses even after it has been approved for safety. I personally suspect
>that this happened on Sat. morning at the Tour as Bryan, Chris and I walked
>and discussed that section together. At the run group three walk the course
>was clearly less restricted than it had been Friday night and earlier in the
>morning BUT the cones were placed within grease pencil markings. Exactly
>when it changed I can not say. That it was changed I can attest to.I think
>we might have all driven the same course, but some folks may have had a
>better idea what to expect on their first pass.
>MJ
In retrospect and without challenging MJs more perceptive observations, My
"take" is that Saturday's fast left-hander on the outgoing leg was the same,
or very close to the same, each time I (we) walked Friday afternoon,
Saturday morning and at the Saturday break. From the beginning I was
expecting, with a relatively powerful car, to be able to be full throtle
from the first right, through that turn without rev-limiting (75mph, 2nd)
before lifting for the left-right kink. However, it wasn't until my third
run, after making five separate "desperation" set-up changes between runs,
that I was able to overcome/adjust-for on-throttle push and negotiate that
turn full-throttle. Although rain started falling part way through our 5th
group, all my single-driver runs were on the cleanest course of the day and
completely dry. BTW, even though I'd seen/heard some of the more powerful
class SS Z06's (3rd run group) rev-limit (approximately 68mph) near the end
of that section , I didn't rev-limit and didn't feel I was close to the
limit on that last run.
In regard to some earlier posts on the nature of the courses, not only did I
throughly enjoy the challenge of Frank's courses but, I feel both their
design and implementation were within the spirit, if not the absolute
"letter" of paragraphs 1.3 and 2.1 of the rules. I say "spirit" because this
"fast" section, although faster for the "fastest stock and street prepared
catagory cars" than "the low 60's", was safely compatible with the
requirement "The fastest portions of the course shall be those most remote
from spectators and property". Run-off (to the concrete pad edge) in that
area, in the event of an "incident", was both adequate and greater than the
fast sections of some of the "National" level, just-as-fast, courses I've
experienced and enjoyed over the years.
Don
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