Green Grand Prix, Watkins Glenn, NY USA - April 20-21, 2012

[sendler]

Originally Posted by JethroBodine

There was a thread on this run last year here . It has an elevation map and a description of the fueling process.

One huge hill! Great elevation map posted. Not much feedback on driving management of the course. Lots of talk about the draw backs and accuracy limitations of using total lost vehicle weight to determine the fuel consumption. Maybe this is why the Vespa only showed 80 mpg. I will have to bring a graduated container to do my own tank fill method for a more accurate, unofficial result of what I really get.

[JethroBodine]

Brucepick may have some insight as to any rule/procedure changes for this year.

I see it's on Friday again this year. 600 miles/12 hours round trip for me. Not sure about the timing, but I'm going to be doing a LOT of driving that weekend.

[sendler]

Originally Posted by JethroBodine

Brucepick may have some insight as to any rule/procedure changes for this year.

I see it's on Friday again this year. 600 miles/12 hours round trip for me. Not sure about the timing, but I'm going to be doing a LOT of driving that weekend.

I'm only 2 hours away.

[ProDarwin]

Very interesting. I talked to my roommates about building a vehicle for this. Sounds like a fun competition. I do have a few questions though:

1) Is the EPA combined rating the *new* EPA combined rating? I.E. if you choose a car that was built before the new ratings were implemented, are you classed using the original ratings or the converted new rating?

2) Are there going to be silly speed limits per corner as there appear to have been in the past? How strictly are these enforced?

3) I see the elevation map, but what approx % grade is the steepest hill? This may effect the gearing we would select and/or the cam timing we would use.

[JethroBodine]

1) They use the new ratings for older cars.

2) NFI (no idea)

3) NFI

[sendler]

Originally Posted by ProDarwin

Are there going to be silly speed limits per corner as there appear to have been in the past? How strictly are these enforced?

It is a rally not a race so you must average between 49 and 54 miles per hour for the event or face a penalty. A couple corners have speed limits of 40 and 45mph but you would want to be gliding through them anyway and that is not far from the 49mph limit that you want to match. The slowest possible time wins on air resistance.

[sendler]

Here's a new elevation map with some numbers. I guesstimate the hill at 1100 feet of distance for 180 feet of rise. Ratio of .16. Which is 9.3 degrees, 16.4% grade!

[sendler]

Might be more like 180 feet gained in 1600. 6.4 degrees , 11.3% grade.

[brucepick]

Originally Posted by sendler

Did you have room drive your own game with EOC? It looks pretty crowded out there.

Heh-heh. Yes it was crowded at first. There were times when I had to drive to accommodate the traffic. Was a bit frustrating occasionally but it happens in real-world driving too, so there's nothing unrealistic about it.

Last year it was a 2-hour run, about 35 laps, but about half the field chose to run the shorter option of 17 laps. So for the first 17 laps it was a bit crowded, depending on where you were on the track at any given moment.

I'm not sure of the exact details of this year's event. I think the organizers noted that it was a bit crowded during the first half (in 2011) so I wouldn't be surprised to see some change to the setup for this year, to reduce crowding.

[ProDarwin]

Originally Posted by sendler

It is a rally not a race so you must average between 49 and 54 miles per hour for the event or face a penalty. A couple corners have speed limits of 40 and 45mph but you would want to be gliding through them anyway and that is not far from the 49mph limit that you want to match. The slowest possible time wins on air resistance.

I haven't driven the track, but I was more concerned about a speed-limited corner at the bottom of a grade. With grades as steep as your map shows, it would be easy to be coasting and still exceed 45mph. I'd rather just drive through the corner vs. scrub off speed with my brakes.

Thanks for the grade info though... 11% is pretty steep. That would likely require a downshift unless I could cut out a whole bunch of weight from the car.