Congratulations to Steven (UltArc) for his best-in-class win, driving a 2014 Porsche 911, achieving 42.6 mpg on the track.
The EPA "combined" estimate for 2014 911 is 21 and 22 mpg for various versions using a standard transmission. So either way, Steven more than doubled the EPA estimate. Steven, I hope you two are done being under the weather! Or, will be done very soon.
My brother Steve (navigating) and I achieved 75.9 mpg in my 2000 Honda Insight. That was a best-in-class, but as has happened before, we were iin a class of one. Hopefully, next year, Jonathan or Juha or somebody, anybody, will join us in the Modified Hybrid category!
Temperatures were warm enough (50s as I recall) that snow and ice were not part of the scene this year. We did have rain. Rain began the evening before and continued through about the first third of the track time. The track was dry for the second half of the track time, so we were able to take the turns a bit faster, as long as that was safe and within the rules (no passing in some areas, speed limits, etc). We used the short track this year, due to the wet start. The target average speed per lap was 45 mph.
My car had no new modifications for this year, beyond a suction cup windshield mount for the phone, and a charging cable that I'd threaded through under the dash, to keep it charged. So that avoided the pre-event stress of triple checking changes that might need tweaks. Of course, with no new mods, we also didn't expect any dramatic improvement in the Insight's mpg.
So far as I know, the new app-based transponder tool worked as intended. It needs no actual transponder; it detects when you cross the finish line using GPS data. Pretty amazing. It had some real benefits for the teams, and it looks like also very fast and clear scoring data for the organizers. The GGP posted the full results on Tuesday, which I believe is faster than iin previous years - so it appears to have served their needs well.
For the teams, we were able to see our final lap time on the phone screen as it clicked over to begin timing the new lap. The lap time didn't stay on the screen, so noting the time needed quick eyes. And after the event concluded, we were able to see our full list of lap times, noted down to thousands of a second. Also, we were able to see our current time for the current lap, at whatever marker points we wanted, along the course. So for example, if we passed the "bus stop" chicane earlier or later than usual, we'd know we were running the lap faster or slower, and could compensate.
I saw no real glitches in the app from our end. The final instructions for the app were handed out with the driver's packets - which meant the I, and probably many driver-navigator teams, did not read them. So we had to take an extra minute or two, to unregister our "test" registrations and re-register into the app for the actual competition. That didn't take long, but it seemed we frustrated the organizers by not reading the page of Transponder App instructions that we received around 8 or 8:30 am that day.
Another change this year, was to a simple Awards Meeting at 4:30, instead of an Awards Dinner. So the event concluded earlier than with a hot dinner being served. Many people headed home immediately. My brother and I both have long drives back home, so we stayed in the area one more night and enjoyed a nice breakfast before returning home on Saturday.
I give this event a huge thumbs up.
Thank you to Bob Gillespie and the GGP Board of Directors, and all the many volunteers, who made it happen.