Granted, but 40 degrees and damp isn't exactly prime conditions for A6's....just saying....it was completely preventable. CDC has been vindicated in sorts of late, though.

 

Woot....got the blow coil pack out and replaced, cleaned the maf sensor, and cleared the codes with cipher tonight. Car seems to be back to normal.

 

But to the point made earlier, it's completely preventable to an experienced driver. I wouldn't expect a novice to go through the same process of evaluating the room for error, the level of grip, understanding the behavior of their car and the their own limitations as drivers, and combining all that into a risk/reward for how to drive that element. That's quite a lot of things to think about, and as most of us have probably experienced as little noobs, it's not often intuitive.

I've had many discussions over at CDC about what constitutes a safe element, and right or wrong, it's very clear that varying levels of drivers have _very_ different appraisals. I think most experienced drivers can look at the islands and know their plan of attack to get through safely, but you can't expect that for everyone... or even that they realize the danger before it happens.

In your case, you could flatfoot it through with nary a wiggle (the entire run, actually). You knew the limits of your car and drove safely within them. First-timer in an M6, probably on even-less-ideal-than-Hoo-Hoos tires? Scary.

The reason I autocross is because there's a qualitative difference between 100% safe and 98% safe, and I don't want to have to make a judgment call about how hard I can take an element. That's why I've always avoided any autox's in Bowie that go through the islands... the one exception so far being the NCC school in March. Sure enough, right after I get done telling some students that I'd personally park it and coast through, an incident occurs right in front of me.

 

I don't disagree with anything you just said. I've done two events there this year....two incidents. Also, that is 4 in the past two seasons.

 

Touche, sir. But experience/skill still goes a long way and that you have.

 

So wait, there's this reference to CDC but this wasn't a CDC event. I'm not sure I get the connection here.

 

CDC won't run the lower lot (past the islands) for safety reasons. This was a mazda club event. Only CDC, as far as I know, refuses to use the lower lot. I prefer to go through the transitions at high speed....not through an acceleration/deceleration zone just prior to them.

 

Signed up for Hershey on Sunday. If I do Saturday....it will be as a walk up. I can't believe there is actually BSP competition....

 

I'm registered for sunday as well. Definately not goin to go on saturday. It looks like its going to be a 2.5 hour drive for me.

 

What a course at Philly/CBP... the shifters were running 70-75s; gotta imagine it was 80+ for most. Interestingly--and appropriately for the recent talk--there were 2 transitions through concrete islands. There's a LOT more space compared to Bowie, but after ~150 drivers * 4 runs * 2 transitions = ~1200 passes, not a single close call.

Not a very good day with mechanical trouble, but then a bad day in a shifter is still a friggin blast...
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