Back at MPG for '07

[John Valerio]

Well it seems to be true:

http://students.sae.org/competitions/formulaseries/fsae/

Hopefully they will have ironed out some of the issues alot of the teams had with last year's comp. On the bright side at least we'll be able to set up our cars properly (not that we'll be able to test on a remotely similar surface) again.

Driving enduro in 06 with proper tire temps and on a proper surface made the whole competition for me, so i definately have mixed feelings about returning to MPG for next year. What do you guys think?

[John Valerio]

Well it seems to be true:

http://students.sae.org/competitions/formulaseries/fsae/

Hopefully they will have ironed out some of the issues alot of the teams had with last year's comp. On the bright side at least we'll be able to set up our cars properly (not that we'll be able to test on a remotely similar surface) again.

Driving enduro in 06 with proper tire temps and on a proper surface made the whole competition for me, so i definately have mixed feelings about returning to MPG for next year. What do you guys think?

[fade]

don't forget your rain tires

[BStoney]

...or your mudders to get from the paddock to the road to the track!!

[absolutepressure]

John, I'm not understanding. What didn't you like about MPG? Our team didn't run into any problems. My first year on the team was last year, so I didn't experience the parking lot, but I can only imagine it was a 2 if MPG was a 9 (would be a ten if we all had paved spots, but I'm not complaining). I'm glad they're inviting us again.

[John Valerio]

well here's how we saw it:
- first it took us more than 2 hrs to get from the gate to our pits, in pontiac you showed up and drove in with minimal delay. i understand the reason for this but it was still annoying.
- our (and many others) pits were on gravel, in pontiac everyone got asphault
- there were very strict time restrictions on access to the cars. i realise that other comps around the world have had this restriction the whole time but in pontiac you could stay and work 24 hrs a day, and we could work very late because then you could just walk back to the hotel (and then on to big bucks)

but like i said before, the driving surface at MPG was sweet, and also being inside for tech, design, cost, etc. was awesome as well.

[Homemade WRX]

well, hopefully if some things go as planned, things will be better in years to come.

[Parker]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by John Valerio:
well here's how we saw it:
- first it took us more than 2 hrs to get from the gate to our pits, in pontiac you showed up and drove in with minimal delay. i understand the reason for this but it was still annoying.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I second this. We got so bored waiting that a couple of us suited up in the racing gear and walked around the staging area. Otherwise, I thought that the venue was great. The indoors part was especially nice with the weather we had (other than the tornadoes http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif )

[Ian M]

I still like the idea of switching the dates of the east and west competitions, but I can see the advantages and disadvantages to doing that. The weather would be a heck of lot nicer in Michigan in June than in May. Plus, who wouldn't take another month to prepare. It would almost make the west competition be like a warm-up comptetition for teams that could go, and then the big kahuna east competition would follow. I didn't mind the proving grounds though, and I think they worked very hard to accomodate us the best they could.

[Boston]

MPG was much better than the parking lot, and we should be thankfull they let us come back, seeing how we trashed the place last year.

[Homemade WRX]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Boston:
MPG was much better than the parking lot, and we should be thankfull they let us come back, seeing how we trashed the place last year. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I wouldn't say trashed...but we should be thankful otherwise we proabably wouldn't have a place to go.

[Erich Ohlde]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Homemade WRX:
I wouldn't say trashed...but we should be thankful otherwise we proabably wouldn't have a place to go. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Dude, someone left a couch on site.

[Dr Claw]

I'd like to see design semi's open to everyone at competition, if not just open to everyone on your team.. to limit it to 10 people isnt right - it takes a team to build the car and everyone should be allowed to be arround the technical side of this competition.

whatever was done last year is sorta the antithesis of what this competition is about..

[Test Driver]

Is there something to be read into this regarding the fact that the competition won't be "shared" by the other Big 3 players the same as it was pre-Pontiac?

Ramon

[Jersey Tom]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Dude, someone left a couch on site. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

No way!

Paddocking on the gravel was pretty rough I imagine. But there's a limited amount of asphault. It sucks. We were lucky enough to get what I would say was the best spot at competition, next to Laval. In a corner so we had extra space to sprawl out.

And bringing the RV?? BRILLIANT.

[drivetrainUW-Platt]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dr Claw:
I'd like to see design semi's open to everyone at competition, if not just open to everyone on your team.. to limit it to 10 people isnt right - it takes a team to build the car and everyone should be allowed to be arround the technical side of this competition.

whatever was done last year is sorta the antithesis of what this competition is about.. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I wish A) we had at least 10 ppl there at comp.
B) we had a car worth a damn to even dream about design fianls

Pushing the car around the the MPG was a pain, our car was a pig and gravel kicked our ass. It was less stressful trying to work till 3 am every day thou, it really separated the prepared teams from the ones that didnt have a chance, somehow we fell halfway inbetween and did ok.

[Homemade WRX]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by jayhawk_electrical:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Homemade WRX:
I wouldn't say trashed...but we should be thankful otherwise we proabably wouldn't have a place to go. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Dude, someone left a couch on site. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
that was not our couch...we still have our veteran couch. She's been in 05, 06 and will return in 07 !!!

the mud/gravel did suck, pushing it everywhere sucked and the limitation on who can and can't go to events wasn't great.

[Erich Ohlde]

WRX. I don't know who's couch it was. And I did not mean to imply that you or your team left it on site. I was just stating that one had been left.

[Homemade WRX]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by jayhawk_electrical:
WRX. I don't know who's couch it was. And I did not mean to imply that you or your team left it on site. I was just stating that one had been left. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
yeah, I didn't take it that you were implying, just that most people know us, sadly, for our couch, jolly roger flag and our wheelie on the dyno http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif