The Green Grand Prix!
My copilot and I have spent the last few weeks just sending pointless messages to one another about excitement/anxiety for this event.
Since I started with the Mustang in May of 2012, getting it as a fuel efficient vehicle, I have been told it was a poor decision. From my family saying "just because it can get 29 on the highway, doesn't mean you're going to get that good of fuel economy" and my rebuttal quenched with "you can't do that to a brand new car, let alone a Mustang!" I have had a lot to prove.
My goal has always been 30 mpg, and in a way, still is. I wanted to just get 30 mpg per tank. Then, 30 mpg all year. Now, my goal is 30 just on the SCii (with the engine on).
I feel I have done decent to above average with the vehicle- and others believe I have done the impossible. Regardless of my detailed tracking, fill ups, average speeds, driving techniques, and documentation of everything (photos), people secretly question or outright say I am full of crap.
Well, the GGP has helped me prove otherwise.
Leaving for the GGP, we finally got on the road around 1600. I filled up just before, and I saw 37.64 mpg. Driving there, we managed 45.89 mpg for the 350+ mile trip.
To the competition from our fill up in NY, we got 39.85 mpg.
And the competition...
The first hill is a monster. All the way, holding as efficiently as possible, to get to the track. It was terrible seeing the mileage when we finally made it to the top. I've tried to push it from memory, but it was teens. Teens.
I am not going to go over my technique on the track. We may be one team, but I used our basic techniques to get there, and you'll learn your own technique for the track next year
So how'd team UltArc/underscore_22 do?
49.42 MILES PER GALLON
This is corrected from the difference in tire diameter, the GGP number is 48+, topping my old record of 46+.
The rally...
Bob described it as being high way like- he may have meant just the speeds, but even that was a bit off. I feel terrible for any cars commuting down this road daily!
As sheepdog will attest, it was a brutal ride. Underbody tearing, slippery, road debris, and right when one caught momentum-
STOP SIGN. But as bad as it was, somehow we managed 36.76 mpg, using the same Valero, pump, and fill style. Although "fuel economy would be taken into consideration," it was not. Although we would have actually tried on the rally if we knew this, it would not have changed what happened to the underbody. Approximately 60% through, the main support bar capable of holding 150 lbs per side, was taken out. An error on my part did even more damage to, almost paralyzing us on the final leg. Combined with our excitement from the FE portion blinding our care in research, we started to get very tired of this portion, and just wanted it to be over.
Our grand total for the event, was 228.888 miles with 5.35 gallons, coming to an event total of 42.78 mpg.
As we wait for the grand scores to see the ranking of the Mustang amongst the other vehicles, we are happy knowing we won our class, and beat many others in other classes.
And now, the work for next year and 50+ begins!