Heard Hawthorne is on
 

I've been out of the loop, maybe you guys talked about this at the March SCCA meeting - but at the SD NT we talked with Chris Barth from LVR, he told us the Memorial Day event at Hawthorne is on, and they are making plans to proceed. Their gotcha is that they have to arrange for an SCCA national staff person to be there during the weekend. They may also have to throttle back their course design, we'll see.

Last I heard, Allon had decided that "it's on", but without bothering to find out if Reno was coming. I also heard that his attitude is "we'll have a National Guy there, and he'll let us go as fast as necessary" and that he's planning to reuse LV's last course design. I'm apt to believe that if someone from National is there, the course won't be approved.

My take on Hawthorne is that faster courses are safer because they mean no n00b drivers will attempt to make sudden turns down the long straight. The reason Reno designed courses have led to hit course workers is because we have to put in too-tight turns down the straight to keep the course "legal". Since a "legal" course is unsafe, and since an illegal course is illegally fast, I don't see anyway to have an autocross at Hawthorne unless we "upgrade" to Solo Trials rules... which will require additional stuff like roll cages in convertibles for people to compete... which prevents us from making this a points event.

So... they may be running it alone, since there's what I'd call a 40% chance Reno won't participate (at least that's the feeling I got at the last meeting). I know I'm unlikely to spend the time, money, and effort to haul down to Hawthorne to run a course that will get canned for being too fast.

I don't plan to attend if they are using the runway as part of the course.

If I remember correctly, there really isn't very much room to make a course in the NON-RUNWAY area. Correct me if I am wrong.

You could probably build a 45 second tight course I think without using the runway, especially using the old section of "blacktop", but it wouldn't be Hawthorne...

I thought about a course where you actually use the "triangle" as the grid to maximize room in the tie down area for the course. But it would be tough due to all the tie downs..

Reno has Stead reserved on that weekend just in case, correct?

I would think that if a national staff person is there, they will work with the course designer to lay out an appropriate course if it appears inappropriate; and not just turn the whole thing down. This has been their method at national tours.

So - a 40% chance Reno won't participate, means 60% we will? 40% won't go, 60% will?

My 40% guesstimate is based on the feeling I got from the room about whether or not we will use the Hawthorne event as one in our points schedule, vs. scheduling a points event at Stead that weekend.

I'm not sure what that means about participation... if it's a points event down there, I assume many people will go just because of points. If it's not a points event, I will be many people will just stay home regardless of their being a Stead event or not in its place.

Really, the only reason I'd go is if the points battle in SM is close and I need the points. And I traditionally do very well at Hawthorne because the faster the event, the bigger my car's advantage. I was deep into 4th gear last year, and even won overall PAX on Sat... but I'd rather stay home than be put in a situation where as a SSS I'm supposed to protest the safety of the event because it won't meet the rules.