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brucepick · 04-20-2016, 11:46 AM

I drove in this year's Green Grand Prix. Having been there every year but one, since 2010, I'd say their level of organization was similar to recent years - and still gradually improving every year. I'm convinced it has to be one of the top mpg contests on the East Coast, possibly in the country. It has an excellent road rally on local roads, and the two hours on the WGI track, where you drive about 90 miles at 45 mph average. Yes there's "traffic" on the track, but if they can get back to splitting off the Priuses and Exhibition cars to run at a separate time, that problem will go away again.

It's all done by volunteers. I'd love for the event to be "stronger" than it is, but it is what it is. Unfortunately we have no mpg scoring for the Time-Speed-Distance event - I'm sure this is partially due to a lack of volunteers and available time in the day.

There's a "Drivers' Meeting" before the first event, and there's an instructional meeting where they go over the rudiments of Time-Speed-Distance rallying. THAT is always a cluster. The reason is that TSD is a fairly specialized sport. People get to the GGP and have no clue about it, or maybe half a clue - and some guy with years of experience tries to explain it in 5-10 minutes. He starts in the middle, maybe goes back to the beginning, and ends with a sort-of joke. Anyone trying to learn how to do a TSD from that meeting is hopeless. On the other hand, if you arrive without a pretty good understanding, and WITHOUT a GPS-based tool (or other dedicated rally equipment) to track average speed over a stretch of road, you're pretty much hopeless, I think. No ten minute meeting is going to help you.

I think the weakest point is the GGP leadership's weakness on math and logic (for scoring, class bracketing, etc). I'm convinced the chief organizer just can't wrap his head around those skills. But find me a math person who knows how to organize a non profit motor sports event like this one and keep it funded and sponsored. Not going to happen. This event straddles the "greenie" world, motor sports, TSD, young adult education, and non-profit organizing and fund sourcing. It's a unique combination.

04-20-2016, 11:46 AM	#90 (permalink)
brucepick OCD Master EcoModder Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Eastern CT, USA Posts: 1,936 Outasight - '00 Honda Insight Team Honda Gen-1 Insights 90 day: 54.18 mpg (US) Thanks: 431 Thanked 396 Times in 264 Posts	I drove in this year's Green Grand Prix. Having been there every year but one, since 2010, I'd say their level of organization was similar to recent years - and still gradually improving every year. I'm convinced it has to be one of the top mpg contests on the East Coast, possibly in the country. It has an excellent road rally on local roads, and the two hours on the WGI track, where you drive about 90 miles at 45 mph average. Yes there's "traffic" on the track, but if they can get back to splitting off the Priuses and Exhibition cars to run at a separate time, that problem will go away again. It's all done by volunteers. I'd love for the event to be "stronger" than it is, but it is what it is. Unfortunately we have no mpg scoring for the Time-Speed-Distance event - I'm sure this is partially due to a lack of volunteers and available time in the day. There's a "Drivers' Meeting" before the first event, and there's an instructional meeting where they go over the rudiments of Time-Speed-Distance rallying. THAT is always a cluster. The reason is that TSD is a fairly specialized sport. People get to the GGP and have no clue about it, or maybe half a clue - and some guy with years of experience tries to explain it in 5-10 minutes. He starts in the middle, maybe goes back to the beginning, and ends with a sort-of joke. Anyone trying to learn how to do a TSD from that meeting is hopeless. On the other hand, if you arrive without a pretty good understanding, and WITHOUT a GPS-based tool (or other dedicated rally equipment) to track average speed over a stretch of road, you're pretty much hopeless, I think. No ten minute meeting is going to help you. I think the weakest point is the GGP leadership's weakness on math and logic (for scoring, class bracketing, etc). I'm convinced the chief organizer just can't wrap his head around those skills. But find me a math person who knows how to organize a non profit motor sports event like this one and keep it funded and sponsored. Not going to happen. This event straddles the "greenie" world, motor sports, TSD, young adult education, and non-profit organizing and fund sourcing. It's a unique combination.