Downshifting on the straight...of course...no problems that way!
I was not thinking....

I wonder if autocrossers in the MCSa (if there are any) have to paddle shift during a turn...? I have found shifting during a sharp turn on the street a little difficult.(which means I probably should not shift during a turn!)

I wonder at what percent throttle the car is in when you reach the "bump" before kick-down? It would be so nice to just "floor it"...and have it remain in gear. Oh well... They may have added the kick-down in "manual" to prevent "unknowledgeables" from lugging the car to death. I just don't know...

Ah... I thought that braking before the carousel might be hard on brakes. I guess I never went down the hill fast enough to find out!

What did they teach you about entering turn 3 and going down the hill to the carousel....I never did understand that part of the course.

It is interesting that the "stock" tire pressures worked so well.

For some reason I don't mind using the " auto sport mode" in traffic.... but I know there are many members that dislike using the "auto sport mode" during traffic.

Yes...I agree with you. The "auto sport mode" must have been programed for "track-like" performance driving. I do enjoy the way it downshifts at just the right time, and how long it stays in gear at part throttle. I wonder if the auto. trans. is "linked" to the DSC sensors, as I notice it will down shift during braking, and before coming out of hard turns. (in auto-sport mode)
As an example; (for those who have never driven a MCSa)
you approach the turn in 4th, when you hit the brakes it goes to 3rd, and some where during the turn it is already in 2nd before you exit at WOT.

If we could only get rid of that nasty kick-down!

I hope you enjoy "how quick it shifts" at WOT as much as I do. Perfect shifts at WOT...I can't always do that with my manuals!

Steve

 

wooo, I can't wait to head up to Summit Point. Going to be there for a Driver's School in September. (potentially on my b-day at that)

 

Go to Summit Point's site, they have a thing on the interactive track map how to take turns 3-5. (By the way, I meant turn 4 going flat out, not 3 I said before). You brake before 3, then get on the gas and power through 3, then power all the way through 4 without braking (up and down the hill), then instead of swinging out for turn 5 you just stay on the inside and 'sacrifice' turn 5 because you can stay on the gas much longer and faster by doing that. That makes that whole chute through 4 a blast, but it also means you must SLAM on your brakes fast and hard going into 5 and the carousel. It's the only time on the course my anti-lock brakes came on (quite annoying too!).

By the way, I'm not saying the stock pressures worked well at all. I'm just saying I don't know any better to know if different pressures would work better! Right now I'm still concentrating on hitting the marks, smoothness and safety. By next year when I have a couple more of these under my belt and can drive by myself (and do the "Seat Time" which is cheaper and gives you more track time the FATT) I will start experimenting with pressures, (and probably different tires altogether) and a thicker rear sway bar.

- John

 

For some reason, I have not seen the interactive comments on the Summit Point site.

Have fun at your next track event

Steve