Glenn Ellingson wrote:
> What about SFR courses? Personally I have yet to get to an AAS
> course, but I have needed to use third gear at every Oakland course
> I have attended (the last 4 events now).
Yes, which gear you are in is also car dependent. For SCCA
courses (not AAS):
"Courses must be tight enough so that cars run the
entire course in their lower gears. Speeds on straight
stretches should not normally exceed the low 60's (mph)
for the fastest Stock and Street Prepared category cars."
If we interpret 2nd gear as the highest permissible "lower"
gear and use my car as a bench mark, top speed would
have to drop below 55mph.
> My rule of thumb: if the course is under a minute, increase the net
> seat time by slowing it down :).
My car has the most advantage on tight courses. However, I think
having a variety of course styles is far more fair, interesting, and
fun.
> PS: without addressing sunday's incident (about which I know nothing),
> slower courses are safer, too
There are many other considerations besides attainable speed
which have more effect on course safety. Proximity to barriers,
course overlaps, tight decreasing radius turns at the end of a
straight, gravel, bumps, slaloms, and positioning of worker
stations are just a few that come to mind.
Rich Urschel
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