As promised (and only a day late), here is the timing data as acquired and analyzed by Shafeeq. As a reminder, this system works by taking a video and extrapolating speed as a buggy passes through two designated points in the frame. “Steps” refers to the steps towards the end of the Freeroll between the monument and chute flagger. “Meter” refers to a point approximately half way though the Chute. % Speed Lost is a estimation of the amount of speed a buggy bleeds off making the Chute turn. It is not terribly surprising that the fastest teams into and out of the Chute (in order) are: SDC, Fringe, Spirit, and CIA. Based on these preliminary numbers, SDC’s Malice will be the buggy to beat in two weeks.

Team Buggy Steps (mph) Meter (mph) % Speed Lost
Apex Phoenix 28.2 24.8 12
Apex Ember 18
Apex “Kyle” 26.1 20.5 21
Apex “Kyle” 25.3 20.7 18
Apex Phoenix 24.1
Apex Ember 22.8 17.7 22
Apex “Kyle” 25.4 20.4 20
Apex Phoenix 28 24.2 14
Apex Ember 17.6
CIA Tempest 31.3 28 11
CIA Impulse 29.1 24.2 17
CIA Orca 30.2 25.7 15
CIA Emperor 19 12.5 34
CIA Tempest 30.8 27.7 10
CIA Impulse 29.7
CIA Orca 29.3 26.4 10
CIA Emperor 16.9 8.9 47
CIA Tempest 31.8 27.5 14
CIA Impulse 29.9 25.1 16
CIA Orca 29.9
CIA Emperor 17.2
Fringe Red/Blue 33.3 28.4 15
Fringe Bolt 34.5 28.9 16
Fringe Red/Blue 34.2 28.9 15
Fringe Primer/Blue
Fringe Bolt 29 24.4 16
Fringe Red/Blue 33.9 28.9 15
Fringe Primer/Blue 32.5 27 17
Fringe Bolt 33.1 28 15
Fringe Red/Blue 34.7 29.2 16
Fringe Bolt 32.5 28.9 11
Robobuggy Transistor 16.8
Robobuggy Transistor 17.3 11.3 35
SDC Malice 35.7 30.3 15
SDC Bane 32.2 27.3 15
SDC Rage 21.3
SDC Havoc 29.6 25.5 14
SDC Orange 23.4
SDC Malice 36.4
SDC Bane 30.8 26.2 15
SDC Orange 30.2 25.5 16
SDC Havoc 29.1 25 14
SDC Rage
SDC Malice 35.7 30.8 14
SDC Bane 29.9 25.4 15
SDC Orange 30.2 25.5 16
SDC Rage 29.4
SDC Malice 35.7 30.6 14
SDC Bane 30.2 25.1 17
SDC Orange 30.7 26.2 15
SDC Havoc 29.6 24.6 17
SigEp Barracuda 33.9 26.2 23
SigEp Kraken 14.9 5.5 63
SigEp Kraken 26.5 20.9 21
SigEp Barracuda 32.9 27.3 17
SigEp Kraken 25.5 21.1 17
SigEp Barracuda 28.7 23.3 19
SigEp Kraken 27.9 22.7 19
SigEp Barracuda 29.3 24 18
Spirit Kingpin 35.3 29.7 16
Spirit Zuke 29.7 22.7 24
Spirit Inviscid 29.9 25.7 14
Spirit Zuke 33.5 27.3 19
Spirit Kingpin 33.9 29.2 14
Spirit Inviscid 30.4
Spirit Kingpin 34.5 28.7 17
Spirit Zuke 32 26.4 18
Spirit Inviscid 30.5 25.7 16
Spirit Zuke 35.1 29.2 17
Spirit Kingpin 34.5 30 13
Spirit Inviscid 30.7 26.4 14

9 thoughts on “Timing Data: April 2”

  • Looks like spirit has built upon last year’s progress. Sort by either timing mark and they are the only other org to join scd in the top 6. Granated, PKA is not in this mix. But to be ahead of Fringe and CIA and not be spinning, is a goodly step forward.

  • It doesn’t really help without the speed behind it, but if CIA, Fringe and Apex can close the gap by a few mph, it could make for some interesting chute->Hill 3 action.

  • Looking back to last fall’s mini-raceday, Fringe & CIA were getting into the high 35’s, so only a tiny bit behind Malice. CIA didn’t roll Equinox & Icarus (A & B in 2016) last weekend. Fringe may or may not have been going full prep, and SigEp is still ramping up. Add in PiKA and I expect the coming weekend to be a more representative field. Unfortunately I won’t be there to record it.

    Spirit has definitely made progress with speed downhill, and more so with handling it in the chute. While not in danger of spinning, they have better & worse turns, visibly and by the variation in exit speeds. Meanwhile SDC, especially Malice, have gotten their variability down, and that was their only weakness last year.

    • tru dat. The prep level and quality of the hill 2 shove is a compound mystery. i am hopeful that other timing systems can fill in for your absence this weekend.

    • Any chance that we could get access to video connected with these times? I’d love to see some of the chute line differences in the speed losses (for example, Zuke’s 24% loss vs. the 17% loss), or to see if there’s a noticeable line difference (or something else) in why certain buggies lose more speed than others (like Tempest losing 10-14% vs. Barracuda losing 17-19%). I’d personally find that fascinating.

    • The top speeds form the fastest buggies have been essentially the same for 35 years. The big difference is that then, only maybe 5 buggies (from 2 or at most 3 orgs) would be within 5mph of the fastest, and many would be dramatically slower. Overall downhill times are about 2 seconds lower due to small wheels getting up to speed faster. PiKA was the first to exploit that advantage, rolling top speeds slightly slower than one other, but with total downhill time being very impressive if they kept the turn (and the wheels) together.

    • Straight up speed loss % may not be the fairest metric to compare – some speed change is inherent due to the elevation change between points. Cornering forces go up with the square of speed, so the same buggy, driven the same way, may lose more the faster it goes. So it may make sense that the lowest losses are from Tempest & Bolt going slower than those teams are capable of.

      I don’t have video of what the buggies we doing between time points. But in general, oddball high losses are visible as “things you don’t want your driver to do.” The ultimate being the PiKA-slide. Since there’s not a lot of differentiation in top speed, differences in freeroll time are dominated by how fast the hill 2 can get the buggy going and how much the driver can save between the chute & hill 3. Which does make consistent differences between teams/buggies/drivers interesting. Especially within SDC who run apparently identical buggies, and CIA who run very different buggies with equal wheels & drivers.

      • the Gods of Speed mete out heavy punishment to those who cannot point the wheels in the same direction

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