Slalom Speeds?
 

Wondering if anyone has some Slalom speeds to share. I'm wanting to set up a slalom and wondering what kind of numbers to expect. I have a farely modified (suspension wise) 68 chevelle. Hotchkis and DSE equipment mostly. Also if you have speeds to share, please note if it was a 420 ft or 600 foot slalom. Thanks for any feedback.

We use a 420 foot slalom with cones 70 feet apart..

FAST is anythign 50mph or faster.. for a long time the record was 5.70 seconds.. that's been beaten (one 200+ treadwear tires) and is now 5.46 mph which I think is about 54 mph.

Doing it is HARD.. lots of people think they can slalom test, few can.. Nick Licata is our go to guy for this.. I think the rule is every inch closer to the cones knocks off a 10th.. which is a TON.

The key is to enter at your estimated speed and hold that speed through the course, accelerating out the end.. if you try to drive it like an autocross it will end in tears and mangled cones.

Car and Driver use a long deal (100 feet between cones instead of 70 like us).. this is because they test more modern cars and we test everything from stock Camaros to 32 Fords to PT cars and we want the keep the speed a bit slower.

So there's your long answer to your short question

What did BP run last year at SCSHC Steve, i know the Nova was fast 52 mph range and then Nick ran Penny a bit faster if i remember. i don't have the official times but they were both fast. it was impressive watching Nick slam through the cones!!

Your Nova was crazy fast.. 5.70 seconds? Maybe 5.68?? All the top PT cars are in that range.. I remember DSE 70 being 5.76 (a few years ago) at one point and my car (way back when) being 5.74 and someone (Morrison Vette?) being 5.72.. all VERY close

When we installed the new Penske shocks and disconnected the rear sway bar BP set the new track record of 5.46 seconds..

Now remember.. the slalom like a fast steering and somewhat compliant car.. something BP is right now, although I don't feel as fast in it since I was so used to a stiffer car.. but I'm working on it and in trying to find the perfect combo of spring rates and shock settings.

I think my time equates to around 55mph.. and it was done on Pilot Sport II tires. The slalom is a good indicator but it's a very specific test.. for example it doesn't tell how the car will do on a 180 autocross turn. That's where the skid pad time comes into effect.

I will look up your time, but it was certainly fast..

Personally I think your car, my car, the DSE car, Stielows car.. all the top cars (the list is getting longer) are so fast that it comes down to who is behind the wheel.. Ryan from DSE, Nathan for OCRC, Your driver Jay, David Pozzi, Tucker, etc can win a race in any one of those cars.

This is something I've always wondered about. So other then keeping speeds lower, there's no 'advantage' to either length?

Nope.. it's just that for testing cars like stock muscle cars or 32 roadsters it's safer to have a slower speed. After all, these cars don't have the best brakes.

Since the distance is shorter the speed is relative. For example if the cones were 40 feet apart then 30mph would be "fast".

Hell, there might even be a formula to convert 420-ft slalom to 600-ft slalom.