2018 Green Grand Prix - Watkins Glen - Friday Apr. 13
 

2018 Green Grand Prix
Watkins Glen
Friday Apr. 13

This is always a great event.
Hypermile on the way up and back for personal satisfaction.
Hypermile to the max on the world class track to demonstrate what CAN be done!
Cars of all classes have scored very impressive mpg in this competition.
Target average speed of 45 mph allows superb mpg, and still enables some speedy fun in the the turns.

Green Grand Prix - Home

Who's in this year?
I plan to be there.

It's scheduled for one week later than it was last year. Hopefully it won't snow!

I got the email from Bob last week. I was going to start this year's thread shortly, but it looks like you got to it!!
I'll be there, for certain.


-ryan s.

There's a good chance I'll be able to make it this year. I got roped into singing with one of the university choirs, and they're doing a concert Apr. 14 in NYC for UI's 150th, with a free day on the 13th. I should be able to drive up after our concert in Pittsburgh Apr. 12 and have all day to spend at Watkins Glen!

I enjoyed working the event last year wind, snow, and all. I don't own a hyper mile car and aero mopeds have no class. Maybe I could run the family minivan as a baseline vehicle and put the bike on display.

I plan to be there, but I don't think I'll have anything to compete in.

I'm thinking of coming this year (finally). Where do the out of towners stay? I was going to bring the motorhome but a couple of the campgrounds that I checked weren't even open for the season yet! If I make it, I'll probably enter the MINI in the stock 4 cyl catagory.

ANYONE, can you help a noob out?? Registration sent. Where to stay? Any tips or tricks to prepare? Any thoughts on dinner on the 12th? Here I go moving at the speed of :turtle:!

Sorry for the delayed response. I haven't checked in for a while, as you can see.

I'm impressed - driving up from Kentucky? I don't remember seeing a Mini at the Green Grand Prix last year. Maybe none in recent years?

The last few years, some ecomodders have stayed at Seneca Lodge. I think it should come up if you google the name.

My brother and I are staying at Fairfield Inn Corning (actually located on Rt 64 in Horseheads) because I have loyalty points I can use there.

I'm sure if you're interested in lower prices spreads, there should be Motel 6, EconoLodge, etc. not too far away.

Dinner - we've had some gatherings at Seneca Lodge In recent years when someone had a cabin there. If one or more of us stay there and would like to host a dinner, that would be very fine. Speak up here, please!

I have some notes from past years, on driving this competition. I'll send you a pm here, we need to move to email for that stuff.

Well, it's official--I'm coming this year. I'll be driving up late Thursday night from Pittsburgh and camping in the car somewhere. The autocross portion should be fun.

I will need a navigator for the fuel economy rally, if anyone knows of someone who might volunteer.

Excellent! Hopefully one of our people who won't be driving this year will be available to navigate with you.

I'll send you a pm.

Hmmm. This is interesting.
I've been hoping we EcoModders would cover as many classes as possible in the GGP, so has to have the best chances of winning classes. I think in 2016 we had three Insights running, all competing against each other. We did well, but we likely can do better if we cover more classes. So this year ... I think we're going to be in good shape, thanks in part to our new drivers.

I believe Vman455 will be driving his '13 Prius. It's been modified.

Looking at last year's GGP results, I see NO modified Prius listed.
I don't recall EVER seeing any modded Priuses at the GGP - aside from plug-in conversions, which removes them from a Prius class into a Plug-In class.

So - - - very likely Vman455 will be driving in a class by himself. No competition. I like that!
Vman, you might want to have some documentation that the exterior mirror removal mod leaves your car fully road legal in your state. GGP rules say
"modifications are unrestricted but the vehicle must be street legal, with all safety devices retained". :-)
(The GGP rules page has a link on the GGP home page)

Now, we also have Goofy1 (Garth) driving a modded Mini. The results sheet from last year shows no modded 4-cyl gas vehicles in the GGP. I think that's a bit surprising, but that's what I saw. So Garth may also be in a class by himself.

Speaking of modded cars vs. stock -
Tire pressures:

Tire pressure is checked in the tech inspection. I've been allowed a couple psi over the max, based on the inspector recognizing that they were at 50 when cold, before I started driving, which upped the pressure a bit. Good to know.

GGP rules are that stock cars are limited to 40 psi tire pressure, more if the original spec is higher than 40.

Modified cars are limited to 50 psi.

Last year Bob Gillespie told me my interior sideview mirror (not legal in NY) would be fine. But I'd double-check to make sure that is still true. And it wouldn't hurt to bring the mirror(s) along just in case, if they're easy to reinstall.

I'm watching NASCAR so I can learn how to "rub"!! Just Kidding!!!

Thanks Bruce for getting some great information to me so quickly. It will definitely be a totally different experience. I'm still not sure how many of my mods will be on the car as we aren't sure if we will drive the car there or tow it. Guess you guys will be as surprised as me when I show up! :thumbup:

I don't want to be surprised when you show up - I'm counting on you!
But I will indeed be impressed.

Do you have some kind of real time mpg computer??
I doubt the GGP will accept any aftermarket add-on as documentation of anything - but it sure helps in getting better mpg.

Ya know, my wife's been bothering me to move to Rochester for years now. If at some point I give in, I might be a regular at Watkins Glen as a way to keep my sanity. And this event would be one I won't miss.

Quote from Bruce: Do you have some kind of real time mpg computer??
I doubt the GGP will accept any aftermarket add-on as documentation of anything - but it sure helps in getting better mpg.[/QUOTE]

The MINI is blessed with an instant read MPG display straight from BMW. As most, it is a love/hate relationship. I want it to read higher but it wants to stay lower than I think it should! :confused:

jcp123--It's only miles from Tyler! This would be a great weekend to check out the Rochester area.

Well, I've so far struck out on a navigator--if anyone know someone who will be at GGP with nothing to do, send them my way.

I've been there a few times. Honestly, as a west coast boy, I'm not that enamored. I'm happiest and feel the lightest and most unshakably optimistic when I'm around or west of the Rockies. The wife will eventually win the argument, though. I feel Watkins Glen and events such as this will help me keep my sanity, however, and maybe the occasional trip to Canada or Letchworth too. This sounds really interesting, and as someone with a foot in both the hypermiling and more traditional car enthusiast arenas, I really am enamored with this take on car culture and competition.

I cannot make it this year.
My boss just told me that I have to go to Pittsburgh for work and I cannot get out of it.
I am sorry. I was so ready for a repeat this year!
Go get some hardware, boys!


-ryan s.

We're packing the car in anticipation of leaving home Tuesday morning for a trip up thru Canada as the Smart one of the team has never been. We should be in The Glen on Thursday with time to prep.

Sadly, the weather here has been so miserable that I've not gotten many of the new mods completed. But I don't like leaving on a 1600 mile adventure with unproven mods so maybe it's a good thing in disguise.

Look forward to meeting all that will be at the event.

Garth
"Goofy1"
:turtle:

I'm sorry to see this, Ryan. You will be missed.
Maybe next year...

Not many mods done?
Some mods done?
Will you be entering as modified?

Remember, if it's modded, you can up your tire pressure to 50 psi in this competition. I believe there's no specific definition of what constitutes modified. I'd say, if you've done anything to it that's meant to improve mpg or performance, it's not stock any longer. And if modifications are easily visible, I think it certainly has to be entered as modified.

I have no way of guessing whether you'll face more competition within 4-cyl gasoline, choosing between stock or modded.

It has a K&N air filter and a couple of other mods that will for sure put it in the MOD category. And I'm OK with that. :thumbup:

I've got wheel fences, a diffuser and skirts in the works but unproven so far. Things to work on for next year!

Look forward to meeting the EcoModder gang there!

Do you have pictures?

Well, I think I'm as done as I'm going to be with the car--the tail is on, the solar panel is connected, smooth closeout panel underneath, but no gap fillers.

Per Bob's last email, my official class is Mod. 4 hybrid, which probably puts this car in a class by itself. We'll see if I can beat last year's best Gen 3 Prius showing of 52.0mpg.

Friday weather forecast:
Morning showers, then overcast later in the day, with a high of 73°.

At least they're not forecasting snow like we had at last year's White Grand Prix!

Prep well, friends, and travel safely.

Looking at the rules and results, I think I'd fare decently well. I look forward to participating when I'm living in the area.

We EcoModders had a very good day at the track yesterday at the 2018 Green Grand Prix.

I took first in class (modified three cylinder hybrid) at 88.3 mpg.
Garth Vinson took first in class (modded 4-cyl gas) in his Mini Cooper at 62.x mpg.
Jonathan Young (Jon) won first in class (modded 4-cyl hybrid) at 62.x mpg.
The numbers I posted for the two other EcoModders are approximate, guys please post here or contact me and I'll post the exact results.

Truth be told, I believe each of us is in a class by ourselves, literally. We won't see the full list of competing cars until later this month, but I'm pretty sure each of our cars had no competition in the same class. We brought three unique cars to the event and so "added value" to the event. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Garth's Mini had an air dam but if I recall correctly, it was sacrificed to a pothole in Detroit en route to the GGP. I think his biggest mod present was a K&N Vortex filter. But it has a six speed stick, and I think Garth pulse-and-glided it for all it was worth.

Jon built a fiberglass boat tail for the Prius. Earlier the car had coroplast underbody panels but I think they were sacrificed to snow. A boat tail Prius is a rare beast, even at the GGP. A boat tail anything is a rare beast.

My Gen 1 Insight is a gradually progressing mod project. It's most recent mod is the coroplast belly pan, completed this past Thursday morning prior to driving six hours to the event.

Garth came up from Kentucky, via Detroit and a tour through Canada. Jon lives in Illinois. Road warriors all.

A Prius boat tail?! I will believe it when I see it!

Yes, it's true. I should have gotten some photos. Hopefully Jon (Vman455) will send some in.

It's fiberglass, attached to a tow hitch, and stabilized by a pair of scissor-arm assemblies, one on each side. It has a solar panel on the top that feeds into the 12V system, and also a hatch for access to the storage bin inside the boat tail.

Xist, here ya go!

https://scontent.fbed1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...ce&oe=5B69EA2F

Was that gap necessary for hatch clearance? Is it lowered?

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1523828934

Jon is in NYC and will be back on here soon to fill in all the details. It was too cool and he's done a ton of work on it. Jon clocked in at 64.X MPG if I remember correctly.

My mileage in the MINI was officially 59.8 but when we came off the track at the end of ~80 miles we had 60.6 mpg on the computer. We missed the checkered flag and put in an extra lap which put us at the end of the queue and had to sit for a number of minutes till we got up to the scoring block

https://image.ibb.co/eSJVWn/MPG_results.jpg

What a blast to be there and prove that our mods do indeed work. I had a couple of the students from Alfred State Auto Tech program that were interested and grilled me about the car and what we do. I'd encourage anyone that can make it there to participate next year. As much as I like Watkins Glen raceway I did put in a vote to have the event or a very similar one in a more southernly track like Road Atlanta or Daytona!

2018 Green Grand Prix Official Results Posted
 

Reviewing the 2018 MPGs by Class sheet, link in changzuki's post above, shows that my modded Insight beat everything there that didn't make use of electrical power from the grid.

Team Ecomodder's scores:
brucepick - 2000 Honda Insight - 88.3 mpg - EPA: 53 mpg combined
goofy1 (Garth V) - 2011 Mini Cooper - 59.6/60.6 mpg - EPA: about 52
Jonathan Young - 2013 Prius - 62.8 mpg - EPA: about 52

I saw it too.

I'm finally back!

The Prius and brucepick's Insight:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-vm...413-114020.jpg

The front straight and pit lane:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-vm...413-114129.jpg

It really was a blast. I drove way too fast, ~20 seconds faster per lap than ideal, so lots to improve on next year. I'm also starting a new build on the car, focusing on weight reduction. That long uphill on turns 2 and 3 and the back straight killed my MPG; I'm going to ditch the current tail in favor of a lighter design (the hitch and carrier alone are more than a hundred pounds), add front wheel air curtains and wheel arch vents front and rear, and see if I can take a few hundred pounds out of the car. 51 weeks to go!

Looking ahead to next year, here are a couple of graphics with track specifications.

http://image.superstreetonline.com/f...vation-map.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/8d/ec...387fbb7057.jpg

I have them saved on my computer, so if the links disappear I can repost them. I'll drag them out again when we start the thread for next year's event.

The 6-cyl class would be easy pickings to anyone with a Mazda MX-3 GS.

It has a 1.8L V6 and I've done 60MPG+ individual trips in mine.