When I drew the original Mirror Khana course in 1974 it was considered a
really fast course. It had a 6-cone slalom on 60-foot centers, lane changes
you could take flat out, a pair of 120-degree turns 50 feet wide, a 900 foot
straight, a 750-foot straight, a flat-out chicane you took "on faith,"
another that was juuuuuust not quite flat.
Today it seems about average.
We did an event recently that had a slalom on the rulebook-minimum 45-foot
centers and people -- even in small cars -- complaining it was too tight
(when Mirror Khana was invented, the rulebook minimum on slaloms was 25
feet!).
Unfortunately, IMHO, the more open courses seen today put a greater emphasis
on cubic dollars (how much engine do YOU have?) than on driving skill. Don't
think I dislike the fast, open courses, because they are a hoot. But I also
enjoy the technical challenges of a tighter course. Ultimately, I want to
see some of both during the season.
--Rocky
-----Original Message-----
From: Larry Steckel <lorenzoscribe@hotmail.com>
To: bthatch@juno.com <bthatch@juno.com>; solo2atlanta@topica.com
<solo2atlanta@topica.com>; autox@autox.team.net <autox@autox.team.net>;
bspvette@topica.com <bspvette@topica.com>
Date: Wednesday, September 06, 2000 7:52 PM
Subject: Re: The HP nationals trend
>Ben,
>
>I see two reasons why you are noticing the trend to big torque/HP cars.
>First, the C-4 Corvettes can now be had at or below $10K for a really
>competent car. The Datsun Z's, the RX-7's and the Nissan 300's are also
>coming down in price. What was a near exotic ten years ago, is now about
the
>same price as an econobox. Which would you rather race?
>
>Second. Go try and put down a "TECHNICAL" course sometime and prepare to
>leave town before the competitors find the tar and feathers.
>
>The big, fast, "God I was deep into third gear" courses have become so
>accepted as the norm that our car selection has moved to the big cars that
>can use all that horespower even in the slaloms. The larger Solo II
courses
>are now probably faster than the Solo I courses were ten years ago. Is
this
>still really an autocross?
>
>Larry Steckel
>
>>From: Ben Thatcher <bthatch@juno.com>
>>Reply-To: Ben Thatcher <bthatch@juno.com>
>>To: solo2atlanta@topica.com, autox@autox.team.net, bspvette@topica.com
>>Subject: The HP nationals trend
>>Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2000 23:09:39 -0400
>>
>>It seems that autocrossers are increasingly falling in love with big
>>torque and big cars. Take a look at the entries for Nationals in 2000.
>>
>>As of 9/4/2000 there are 1108 entries. Of those 374 are in classes
>>dominated by V8s or big HP cars. That's 33.75% of all the entries.
>>
>>In the Stock classes the biggest class is BS/BSL (Miata spec class) with
>>70 drivers. However, SS/SSL (Corvettes and RX7s) are in 2nd with 69 and
>>FS/FSL (Pony cars) in 3rd with 65. The SS and FS crowd makes up nearly
>>29% of all stock drivers.
>>
>>Go to Street Prepared and we find even more of a shift to big cars.
>>BSP/BSPL (Corvettes, Datsun 2xxZs, and Nissan 300 turbos) has risen from
>>the dead with 51 drivers and ESP/ESPL (Pony cars with a strong stirring
>>in of the BMW M3s)has 47. This makes a total of 41% of open class Street
>>Prepared and 46% of ladies class Street Prepared are driving the big
>>cars.
>>
>>Prepared is totally dominated by CP/CPL (Pony cars) with 77 drivers. Add
>>in BP/BPL (19 drivers mostly in Corvettes or Turbo Nissans and Turbo
>>Rotaries) then the big motored cars make up an astounding 55% of open
>>Prepared drivers and 45% of the lady Prepared drivers.
>>
>>Modified is a bit fuzzy as EM is the only class that is really close to
>>the concept of a big motor in a big car. With a 1500 lb. minimum weight
>>these cars aren't exactly large. However, 46 mod cars are in EM which
>>makes up 24% of open class drivers and 19% of Ladies class drivers.
>>
>>What this shows to me is that even though many in SCCA think of our sport
>>is ideal for the tiny car nimbly dancing through the cones while, in
>>fact, a large number of us prefer the brute force a high horsepowered car
>>lets us play with. There's no substitute for massive torque!
>>
>>
>>Ben Thatcher
>>Apex Benefit Services & Motorsports
>>Stockbridge, GA
>
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