Years ago, sort of jokingly, we suggested having such a decision making
process (which segment would be quickest), and a guy standing close by
thought it was a terrific idea.
What it does is create two different courses, no matter how carefully it
is plotted; the name of the game is figuring out the quick way on the same
course. The optional slalom also falls into this category. The folks who've
been around a while will figure out which is the 'quick' way, where the not
so knowledgeabe won't, unless they're lucky, or watch some experienced
drivers first. Pretty soon, most everyone will be driving the fast line, and
it is no longer an optional slalom. In fact, the right line will be clean
and the wrong line will probably end up being dirty, and not so fast at all,
even, if it turns out, the right line is the wrong line, and the other way
around. :) So why bother?
--Pat Kelly
----------
>From: "Jeff Winchell" <Jeff@Winchell.Org>
>To: <ba-autox@autox.team.net>
>Subject: Re: the key west box
>Date: Sat, Apr 26, 2003, 10:51 AM
>
> I think of a slalom as something where you're turning left and right every
> 45-75 ft driving at 40-60 mph for at least 3 or 4 turns at a 5-15 g/sec
> transition rate. I can't think of any place at Pacific Raceways that
> qualifies. The turns are more gradual along the back of the course then any
> slalom I've autocrossed. They're fun, but a different kind of fun than a
> slalom. Same goes for the curves connecting the front and back "straights"
> at Portland International Raceway. I guess a chicane is a slalom, but I like
> my slaloms to have more turns, and a lot less offset<s>, but that's just my
> personal preference.
>
> The key west box looks like a novelty, interesting every once in a while,
> for an event that isn't supposed to mean much. In Washington near the
> Canadian border, they do something called a Mt Baker Box:
>
>
> x x
> X
> x x
>
> the middle cone is huge, and you only have to drive between 2 sets of gates
> (and the 2 gates can share a cone), you pick which cones form your gates.
>
> Also cute from a variety standpoint, but given the small size of their
> implied gates (that club specializes in lots of old small european cars), I
> wouldn't want to regularly compete using them.
>
> I also did one course that had a different kind of optional section... the
> course diverge into two separate paths, which we Karen Babb helped me to try
> to design to be pretty equal in time, though we forgot one thing, so it
> didn't wind up doing that. One path was a long sweeper, the other was a
> tight shorter slalom. Problem was when we timed it during setup, the timer
> was only timing the actual optional sections, not the sections before and
> after, so at the race people did figure out one course's exit resulted in
> much faster times later down the shared course. Well, it was fun to try for
> a change, and no one seemed to mind much about it messing up the series
> points.
>
> In a different vein, it might be fun to have a series where courses were a
> LOT different from standard SCCA ones. As I get better at this sport, I'm
> starting to realize a lot of it has to do with being so familiar with
> driving the same kinds of sections of courses, and less and less has to do
> with how fast I can learn a course (one of the original attractions to this
> sport for me).
>
> OK, enough rambling.<s>
>
> Jeff
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "John F. Kelly Jr." <76067.1750@compuserve.com>
> To: "Escano, Arnold (MP)" <aescano@guidant.com>;
> <Kevin_Stevens@pursued-with.net>
> Cc: <ba-autox@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Saturday, April 26, 2003 9:04 AM
> Subject: RE: the key west box
>
>
>> -------------------- Begin Original Message --------------------
>>
>> Message text written by INTERNET:Kevin_Stevens@pursued-with.net
>>
>> "> If u never see that type of setup in a Road Course it's not worth using
>> > it...
>> > no one would learn anything....unless it's WRC driving course
>> > arnold
>>
>> Not sure about that - when's the last time you saw a slalom on a road
>> course? Or should we just call them multiple chicanes? ;)
>>
>> KeS"
>>
>> -------------------- End Original Message --------------------
>>
>> On a road course, the "slalom" is called the "esses." At Sears Point they
>> are the downhill Turns 8, 9, and 10.
>> Neither Laguna Seca, Thunderhill, Willow Springs, Portland, Int'l,
>> Seattle/Pacifdic Raceway at Kent, nor Buttonwillow have an equivalent.
>> Although I suppose Laguna's "corkscrew" is sort of a slalom, "S" turn.
>> The only other "esses" I ever saw was the original Golden Gate
> Park
>> in San Francisco.
>>
>> --John Kelly
|