Feb. 17th SCCA - Back In The Game...

I was taking these "focus factor" pills before last Sunday's SCCA race and...they must have helped...I finally got back to #1.


Although the day started out rainy, our class lucked out and ran in the 2nd heat, and by that time, the track was getting reasonably dry. Running in the 1st heat must have been about 2 to 4 seconds slower than in the drier conditions.

Mazda 6 Wagon - about 2/10ths behind on a ragged run.


BMW 325 Wagon - at full throttle heading towards the bottom sweeper.

Last Sunday's course was a wide open and high speed track that really favored the high powered cars. Even my car got up to about 40mph or faster at about 4 points on the track. So I would think the high powered cars got up to over 50mph!

Compared to my last several races, my course vision was a LOT better as I was looking way ahead on all except for one run. The problem with that run was that I got behind on one section, and once you get "behind the course," you'll never catch up!

But even if you're looking ahead, the other BIGGER key was that I picked a fast line, especially on the last run.

It seems that for my car, on this course (maybe most autox courses?) I need to take a line which really "opens up the course" and lets me exit the turns set up on the quickest straightest lines allowing full gas asap for the next section. And, in the slaloms and transitions, my brother reminded me to "attack the back" of the cones, which really keeps you ahead of the course.

Well...that's what worked last week, at least. Hopefully it works in next weeks Hawaii SCCA Championship Runoffs...

STS
Steven BMW 325it 35.609 39.002 1 35.121 34.602 34.602
Gregg Mazda 6-Wagon 35.861 35.037 35.591 34.853 34.853
Aaron Lexus IS300 DNF 35.812 35.737 38.132 1 35.737
Ryan Lexus IS300 40.269 1 37.767 36.966 38.857 1 36.966

Full Results: http://www.sccahawaii.org/2-17-08.pdf