On July 14th we put together another autocross classic in Verona. We had 34 racers and a collection of new cars and old. We designed the course to maximize the lot for speed and challenge. The track was a little more advanced than normal, but still yielded a sub-1 minute run for the very fastest of the groups. Six runs and a few minutes of fun runs allowed everyone to get their fill of the event.
We had a strong ladies class showing, with Cristina McCann leading the pack again. The father/son team of Roger and Colm Reynolds brought out their 1973 914 for a few hot laps and a close competition between them. Our SCCA friends brought out some well-driven Miatas to challenge for first spot, and secured third and fourth place overall. Don Coleman continues to bring out his 1999 996 and puts on a good show. That is a strong car. Another good battle ensued between Mike Kilmer and the rest of the 911 class, winning again over John Schmidt and Eric Huggins. The top spots fell to Jeffrey Elmore and me in the 57 second range. It was another close battle with the last run of the day pushing me to the lead. It is always good to see Porsches well represented in the final standings, with five of the top ten spots. Good job group.
As a course designer, it is always important to make a fair and balanced course for all cars. Each group of cars, big muscle (newer Porsches and Corvettes), light and nimble( Miatas), and vintage (old and slow) should show well for a course that has tight technical areas and big power straight-aways. The top five spots had all three groups if you look at the results, and I believe a course that flows is a fun course for all. A lot of times you will see me set the course up, run the course, and adjust the course for functionality. That allows us to have the best event possible without the course getting in the way. I have run on poorly designed courses and made a few myself; it just ruins the day for everyone.
Our next event will have more of the same technical attributes you saw in this track. I will look to add a big straight away again for those of you who like to struggle with gear selection. I also should have the 914 back together for this running, we’ll see. Thanks for all those who helped and run with us. The great people who come make this event something to look forward to each and every month.
