2015 Packwood NT - this weekend! July 10-12

[Reijo]

A number of locals and Edmonton folks are going to be down there.

Test 'n Tune and welcoming party are today, Day 1 of competition is tomorrow - Sat. July 11 and Day 2 of comp is Sunday, July 12.

Here's the info you need:

Entries:
http://www.motorsportreg.com/index.cfm/event/event.status/uidEvent/C061470F-D2BB-EAD4-D1901AFA98177A1C#.VZ_5q_lrzD4

General information, run order, supps, etc.:

http://www.scca.com/events/1967592-2015-tire-rack-packwood-champ-tour

Live/continuously updated results:

http://sololive.scca.com/

Live streaming video:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/sccasolo

Cheers,

Reijo

[E6Cueman]

What a show. Looking not to be DFL.  Wayne and Sean and I have a nicely filled class.

[Reijo]

What a show. Looking not to be DFL.  Wayne and Sean and I have a nicely filled class.

Yeah, pretty cool stuff, eh?  Words cannot convey the experience, you have to go down there to see it all and experience it to gather it all in.  Great car preparation, great way they run the event (big learning experience even there!), and some pretty precise driving I'm sure you will see!

And, then there is an event with almost 1200 entries ...

However don't let it all get to you!  They are all people and not all are great drivers ... plenty of novices etc.  You have done well locally lately and I think you can run with the best of them or close to them ... just pretend it is you and course ... nothing else exists!     And have fun!

Looking and expecting some good results from you all!  You CAN do it!

Reijo

[Reijo]

runs @10 am

[Reijo]

Video is actually here:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/solo-nationals-west

[Reijo]

video is here

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/solo-nationals-west

[Reijo]

Quentin managed to pull out a good final run after coning his first two for a 4th place finish for Day 1 - good enough for the last trophy spot.  1st place is a scant 0.359 ahead of Quentin (55.593 vs 55.952).... so the first 4 places are 1/3 of a second apart!   Is that close or what?   Wayne is about 1.2 seconds behind the leader in 8th place.  He can easily improve since there are only 10ths between him and 5th!

[Reijo]

Quite a few of our locals are running right now after the break for the course walk after the 2nd heat ... 3rd heat running.

SSR - Ryan Clark/Cam Withell
BS - Murray/Jo Peterson, Tom Kerns (Edmonton)
DM - Alan Rae in his Caterham
SS - Jim Withlaws (Edm)

[Terry Johns]

Well done guys 

[Stuart]

Looks like the guys are in good position going into day two.  Keep it up tomorrow!

[E6Cueman]

Some frustrating close running.

Ryan and Cam fighting cones. I believe my raw times fast enough for first as well... But cones.

Jim lost first in the final run of the group.

BS very intense as well.  Murray and Tom in a fight.

Good fun course though. If I can move up one spot tomorrow I'll be overjoyed.

[MurrayPeterson]

I am a solid .6 seconds out of the trophies, which is a huge deficit in this crowd.  The course today (and tomorrow) is not AP1 friendly -- I only hit vtec once, and I was going through an amazing amount of the course with my foot to the floor.  On the plus side, the weather is wonderful, the course is a joy to drive, and the beer is really good

[Reijo]

I am a solid .6 seconds out of the trophies, which is a huge deficit in this crowd.  The course today (and tomorrow) is not AP1 friendly -- I only hit vtec once, and I was going through an amazing amount of the course with my foot to the floor.  On the plus side, the weather is wonderful, the course is a joy to drive, and the beer is really good

In other words, you are inbetween gears without vtec?  Interesting.  I have noticed over the last few years that it seems that the SCCA has "purposely" slowed/tightened solo courses which has resulted in this scenario.  The AP1 has been rendered uncompetitive by these "tight" courses and played exactly into the hands of the AP2's and Miatas which would geared almost exactly for these speeds.

Apparently this course was designed by Roger "the real" Johnson but he could not make it so probably Karen Babb laid it out based on Roger's design.  I have noted exactly the same thing happen with Karen's courses:   They are slower now than they used to be, say, 10 years ago.  I have not mentioned this before anywhere, but have been thinking that for many years now; that there has been a conscious effort to slow the courses down ... which, ironically enough, has rendered the AP1 ineffective.  That was not the purpose, of course, but perhaps one unintended consequence.  Mind you, even in STR trim where you can lower the VTEC, the AP1 still cannot keep up with the AP2's and Miatas.  Yep, time to retire it.   

Perhaps, if you see Karen around you can ask about this course design philosophy?  Sometimes I wonder if they buckled under to pressure to lower speeds due to being "politically correct"?  Anyway, if you have a chance ...   Wish I was there ...

Anyway, in any case, it is a fun event and worthwhile doing!

Reijo

[Reijo]

Q just picked up a 3rd place trophy - well done Q!

The rest are about to run now ... the streaming video seems to be working better today ... just finishing the course walk after the 2nd heat and about to start running the 3rd heat (BS, SS, SSR, DM are the classes for us to look for for local content).  Jim Daniels is announcing (DP - Oregon).

R

[Reijo]

Seems like a lot of DNF's and cones again today ...  must be running hot into a tight spot or something?

Does one of you have a course map to post or bring back with you.  I'm curious to see what Roger Johnson cooked up for Packwood.  The commentary has been that it is a really different course to anything they have seen at Packwood before.

R