What do you guys think, are PCA autocross courses typically faster than BMW's in your area? I have often heard that Porsche owners like their autocross courses faster and that they usually drive like mini road courses. BMW owners, on the other hand, prefer slightly tighter courses that favor balance over power. Does your experience confirm this as well?
In Texas, BMWCCA uses part of the PCA Time Trial course at some events. First AX we ran here we topped 100 MPH in the M3! PCA decided to separate the fast AX and regular AX with Time Trials on Saturday and AX on Sunday. The Time Trial courses are about 1.5 to 1.7 miles with 9 to 11 turns, very fast. The AX the next day is pretty quick, but a lot more turns. We also have a 1/2 mile square place to do this so turn radius can be varied a lot more than with runways.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see some videos of your runs from the PCA events in Texas. Since the site has no speed limit restrictions, curious what's the fastest the M3 goes at the AX.
ReplyDeleteHey Mark. I guess everything really is bigger in Texas, faster too.
ReplyDeleteChristo
Most people think technical means slow. That course combined technical (slow) sections with fast sections. I usually do a slightly more momentum course for the Porsche clubs but it was time. If you got the technical areas right then you were rewarded with a fairly fast section after it. It also played well for the really experienced drivers in low HP cars like the Miatas. The faster cars like Kermit in the video made heavy use of the brakes to enter the slow sections.
I took FTD by .04 to finish the season in the AM runs. In the PM team runs I managed to run over a full second faster than that same driver.
BMW courses are a different challenge. I need to allow for all of those BMWs with the engines in the wrong place. ;-)
Scruffy
"... those BMWs with the engines in the wrong place"? You mean it's easier to design courses for cars that have all that weight sticking outside the rear axle? Ah but it takes a lot of skill for a fat ass to dance well, got it ;o)
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