Yet another interesting weekend of Hill climbing.
I managed my first FSTD and my first OC (off course) on a hill climb (nothing losing the ass of the car over 75 mph!).
This is one of the oldest racing events in the country.
It started in 1906 ... the first driver to do this 1 mile hill climb in under a minute was Caroll Shelby. Roger Penske has also run this hill aloing with many other famous drivers. Next year will obviously be the 100th anniversay of this event.
Anyway, there were over 90 cars entered and I actually ended the event Saturday with the FSTD (second fastest time of the day). It's cool, I have the newspaper coverage to prove it
There are 2 runs groups and the 2nd group includes all of the insanely fast open wheel cars ... and it just happened to only rain on their runs. hee hee ... So Gordon Wise, the fast guy in his TT RX7 was FTD on Saturday and I was SFTD. wooohooo.
Anyway, this is a very fast hill with lots of straights, but serious grades.
The first 1/4 mile and the last 1/4 mile are basically dead straight but at a huge inclune. My drag experinnece paid off. The last 1/4 mile is at a 22.5 degrees grade!! ... the steepest part of Pike's Peak is only 18 degress!
Fabio had set the hill record last year in his CT26 MR2 (he usually races his TD06 MR2) at a 55.XX. We both new the record would fall since he was bringing his TD06 car and we both figured Hyde would be very happy on this hill. He kept telling me I could do a 47 or 48 in Hyde and I thought he was completely cuts
My first run up the hill I managed a 49.8 ! .... I could not believe it.
I overly broke for the first "curve" because I was well into triple digits and got nervous. (it happens
). Fabio had his TD06 car on
very old street tires and was running in the 55-56 range.
I had been playing around with the idea that I could do this entire hill without
using any brakes since it is so steep. If I used well timed throttle lifts, the steepness of the hill was plenty to slow me down even from triple digits.
So with bravery and a bit of stupidity I went into my 3rd attemp at the hill.
Flying up the first 1/4 mile straight I topped 110 mph, lifted, glided into the "curve", down shifted into 3rd and punched it around "the devil's elbow" into a short, quick left hander and I lifted to slow down for the very healthy S-turn that starts with a right.
Enjoying the ignorance I had of this hill, I proudly entered the S without ever touching the brake ... and made the mistake of diving into and nailing the apex as you would want to drive it in an ideal world.
Unfortunately, this is not an ideal world. It is a hill climb with unusual, unexpected bumps, curves, divets, camber and other unwelcomed guests.
As I drove the mythical perfect line while on throttle I started to realize that I was having one amazing exit speed ... which would be great since I was heading into the last straight and carrying that speed would have been wonderful.
As life would have it, I was carrying too much speed and the rear end started to come around in a rather healthy way ... and I did my "normal correction" for this kind of a thing. This normally wouldn't even fluster me, but ... but I was dealing with healthy oversteer on really sticky, really wide tires for the first time and I did not realize you do not have to correct as much since they hook up.
So I entered the land of overcorrection, which I corrected for and promptly swung the ass back where originally wanted togo and I flew off course. Normally this would be devasting at a hill climb, but luckingly this hill has a rather wide stone-, rubble-, rock-filled shoulder. I wish I could attribute it to some amazing driving skill, but I managed to go off
between a rather large reflector and the fast approaching speed limit sign.
Amazingly I did not contact anything hard other than the crap on the ground ... as the car slowed I put it into 2nd and drove to the finish.
I did manage to do the whole run with no brakes.
I did not try it again though
Anyway, on that same run, Fabio went off at the same spot.
I think he had a little more contact than I did. I'll let him tell his tale if he wishes as I do not know all of the details.
I never bettered my 49.8. I managed three runs at 50.x and today I hit a 49.9. The off course run was a 56 and my first run today was a 52.X, but I was taking it easy to make sure nothing was broke from going off course.
I'm still uncertain about that. Hyde is going to beed to be checked out since I do have an interesting clunk now.
On Sunday, Fabio came back with his race tires and was in the 53s and 54s.
This really was a horsepower track and I concede that is where a lot of my time came from. Fabio and I have drag raced each other enough to know, understand and appreciate the difference in the HP of cars.
Anyway, that was another win for Jekyl Hyde Racing and another hill record.
I'm not sure how I did overall, but I know at least 2 door cars beat me. Gordon in his RX7 TT went 47.2! (we are alternating beating each other and he is up 2:1). There was a guy there in a Z06 running in ASP that I was beating all weekend since he was running low 50s, but he pulled a 48 out of his butt on one of his last runs! Great driving!
... and I'll state for the record, that I really do not expect to win this weeknd at the IDRC event at Maple Grove.
The streak is about to come to and end
Forum for every generation Toyota MR2. Including the AW11 and SW20.
and , don't count yourself out yet....I'm not
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