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

[ProDarwin]

Originally Posted by sendler

Big march up and down into town adds only 10 miles off of the track and would be good for publicity.

Yes, but when you have a killer economy run, then some bad traffic/an accident/idiot drivers in town wreck your average (but not that of all competitors equally), it sucks. Competitions should even the playing field and minimize errors due to chance.

I feel like it wouldn't be too hard to construct a home pump that shut off at top of the neck with good precision. Just put a ball float valve at the end of the nozzle with a flange a precise difference behind it. Then you could place the ~1 gallon gas can on a very accurate scale (only has to measure ~9lbs, so +/-1g should be easily achievable) to measure the pre/post fill.

[sendler]

I don't see the Green Grand Prix getting involved with handling any fuel at the track. We have to be realistic. The pumps in town are the best and easiest way. 10 miles round trip from and to the pumps twice is only 8% of the total trip mileage for the event. Traffic, lights, (accident??). These are supposed to be road worthy and street legal vehicles.
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Originally Posted by ProDarwin

Yes, but when you have a killer economy run, then some bad traffic/an accident/idiot drivers in town wreck your average (but not that of all competitors equally), it sucks. Competitions should even the playing field and minimize errors due to chance.

I feel like it wouldn't be too hard to construct a home pump that shut off at top of the neck with good precision. Just put a ball float valve at the end of the nozzle with a flange a precise difference behind it. Then you could place the ~1 gallon gas can on a very accurate scale (only has to measure ~9lbs, so +/-1g should be easily achievable) to measure the pre/post fill.

[ProDarwin]

Originally Posted by sendler

10 miles round trip from and to the pumps twice is only 8% of the total trip mileage for the event. Traffic, lights, (accident??). These are supposed to be road worthy and street legal vehicles.

Eh, you are still talking about introducing random variables to the competition. That 4% (only the trip from/to the pumps would be counted) is still enough to screw someone's results should something happen in those 10 miles.

I agree that for now it is a better option than the scales. In the future it would be best to come up with a method of measurement that is both accurate and does not involve leaving the controlled track.

[sendler]

8% real road mileage on top of the on track performance isn't going to make or break anyone's numbers if we use the pumps just like on Saturday. We all have it the same. We need to think this through before we start bombarding Bob with unrealistic suggestions. He is already frazzled by trying to administrate the fuel economy portion of the event as it is. The track has strict regulations about everything. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that some of the people that did carry fuel cans into the event were already in violation. They don't even let the electrathons charge their batteries on the grounds! So they force the top teams to charge in a less safe location of their hotel room and call on the cell phone for their race battery to brought up still warm just before the start!

[Nerys]

damn I can't believe I did not notice this till TODAY. Grrrr I could have made this event.

with E0 I am pushing 61-62mpg lately and not trying hard just my general driving back and forth to work etc..

Grrrrr

are their any other NE events in the works this year?

[brucepick]

Originally Posted by Nerys

damn I can't believe I did not notice this till TODAY. Grrrr I could have made this event.

with E0 I am pushing 61-62mpg lately and not trying hard just my general driving back and forth to work etc..

Grrrrr

are their any other NE events in the works this year?

There's usually one at the Acton Toyota dealership in MA some time in summer or spring. A bit of googling should find them, just call the dealership and start asking questions. Plus the Montreal event, there's already a thread on that one under "Meetups" here.

Nothing is as big as the GGP, but others certainly can be fun. So far I've only competed in the GGP.

[Nerys]

yeah MA is a bit too far and I don't think I can get a passport in time for the montreal event. :-)

[brucepick]

Originally Posted by Nerys

yeah MA is a bit too far and I don't think I can get a passport in time for the montreal event. :-)

Duh, you're in PA. There was this in far western MA last September:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...1-a-18575.html. I'd say, worth it to find Williamstown MA on a google map just to see if it's within reach for you. I can't recall if it's in the northwest or southwest corner of MA.

I thought I remembered something in NJ but I couldn't find it in a quick scroll through the "Events & Meet-ups" subforum.

[JethroBodine]

Nerys- Contact blownb310(Mike) He runs a couple during the summer/fall. If I do hear of any others in the area, I'll let you know.

Bruce- Western MA. I didn't think Acton was having on this year. I didn't see it mentioned on the website, anyway. NeilBlanchard brought it up last year. Maybe he knows something. I'll PM him.

[NeilBlanchard]

I have not heard of any economy event at Acton Toyota for this year.