The car was so light it behaved very differently from anything i've experienced before. The basic rules of hypermiling did not apply to the Centurion. Today i would realize the true virtues of "lightweight and aerodynamics." And i quickly realized the driver knew best.
Driving uphill, only a small amount of kinetic energy converted to potential energy. It was so bizarre it was as if the Centurion was cruising on a level grade while going up a gentle positive grade. And it seemed like it didn't scrub off speed no matter what racing line it took. The dreaded turn one was a piece of cake. There was no body roll, and the car turned in effortlessly exactly, "like a slot car!"
The Centurion pulled itself around the track on it's 17hp with ease. My understanding after much thought, is that it's torque to weight ratio was really high given it's 1,200lbs. And i sensed what little power to the wheels moved the car efficiently forward. This car was just on a different scale!
Now this is how every other car went around the track: Every car 2,000lbs and up was beholden to conservation of momentum and had to manage throwing their weight around the curves. The steep descent into turn 1 and the steep uphill out of it was a massive gravity well. Efficiently converting that 2-3,000+lbs to kinetic energy downhill would exceed their tire grip around the corner. (The more mass you have, the worse your handling). And so their slower speed at the bottom, meant the climb up (with hybrid batteries, lithium battery packs, airconditioning, power everything, 2,000+lbs of steel vehicle accerory add-on bloat) was all wasted fuel.
The Centurions ideal speed around Watkins Glen was then much faster than the "Hybrid solution." And so we passed quite a few vehicles going uphill while getting 300% better fuel economy!
Automakers, please take notice!