Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Autocross and Open Track Speaking of hairpins...

Yesterday in Tallahassee, they had this 45' slalom leading into a wide open throttle mild turn forcing a shift to third (with my tiny tires) and leading to a single cone hairpin. Your natural momentum from the turn led to the left side but I thought I could get back to the right to have the advantage of driver weight in my favor doing the 180.

Well, I'm out working the corner with several others who had just completed a novice driver's school the day before. So now I was surrounded by experts who said I should go to the right instead. As it turned out, unbeknownst to me their is a gentle slope in the lot that is in effect banking. My question is it better to have the banking work for you coming out of the corner or going in?

I was in third so it is important to maintain speed as long as possible going in but that would mean an off camber turn on exit at the bottom of the slope. The compromise was to hug the cone fairly close, exploit the slope on braking and turn-in and then finish the turn on the opposite downward slope near the parking lot edge. I'm sure the nearby workers did not like that idea. Then decisions, decisions, should I shift to 1st. I did, but probably wrong answer given my new gearing caused by shorter tires.

Opinions. Do you normally take hairpins to the left given the option? Do you downshift to 1st.