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This past week, I identified the need for more instrumented acceleration testing of the SSR to test a theory I had developed.
I wanted to go to Atlanta Dragway, but it has a busy major event there this weekend. For safety reasons, I refuse to do any acceleration testing where there is ANY traffic around, and to preserve my license, I also like to pick spots that are so untaveled as to not merit normal police patrols!
So I traveled a ways out of town and incredibly, I found a nice pair of Interstate ramps, at adjacent exits, each with a long enough ramp that the festivities are about over by the time you hit the actual interstate, each with a level (not sloped) ramp that runs in the opposite direction, so that any wind effects can be determined and factored out later via software, and each VERY quiet in terms of location and traffic, and heavily obscured by thick, sound absorbing Georgia pines. I thought I'd discovered an off-track test heaven!
I ran several runs in each direction, and got some good data on the G-Tech, and then after the last run, I very casually drove a fraction of a mile up one of the cross roads from which the ramps sprout, to find a quiet parking lot where I could take a longer look at the data than sitting on a shoulder would allow. I turned into the first driveway past the Geargia pines that obscured the building and parking lot that the driveway led to.
Imagine my surprise when I saw the unmarked building and a parking lot absolutely chock full of police cruisers! I don't mean 5 or 6 crusiers, guys. I mean 15 to 20! I had accidentally cruised right into a major shift change, with my G-tech still vacuum-cupped to the windshield!
Simple logic tells you that if there were 15 to 20 cruisers in the LOT right then, then minutes earlier they HAD to be on the nearby roads . . .
And there I was in a not exactly "stealth" vehicle, the 5.3Liter practically shouting "arrest me, arrest me!"
I did an as slow and innocuous u-turn as I could (that tight turning radiius came in REALLY handy), and made a discrete, and very SLOOOOW trip down the ramp onto the interstate.
A non-cruiser came out of the lot right behind me, followed me past the ramp and went on his way (obviously one of the shift change officers).
I guess sometimes God really does look after children and fools . . .
I don't think I will be going back there for more testing . . .
Heaven briefly found, but then discovered to be something different than Heaven . . .
Jim G
I wanted to go to Atlanta Dragway, but it has a busy major event there this weekend. For safety reasons, I refuse to do any acceleration testing where there is ANY traffic around, and to preserve my license, I also like to pick spots that are so untaveled as to not merit normal police patrols!
So I traveled a ways out of town and incredibly, I found a nice pair of Interstate ramps, at adjacent exits, each with a long enough ramp that the festivities are about over by the time you hit the actual interstate, each with a level (not sloped) ramp that runs in the opposite direction, so that any wind effects can be determined and factored out later via software, and each VERY quiet in terms of location and traffic, and heavily obscured by thick, sound absorbing Georgia pines. I thought I'd discovered an off-track test heaven!
I ran several runs in each direction, and got some good data on the G-Tech, and then after the last run, I very casually drove a fraction of a mile up one of the cross roads from which the ramps sprout, to find a quiet parking lot where I could take a longer look at the data than sitting on a shoulder would allow. I turned into the first driveway past the Geargia pines that obscured the building and parking lot that the driveway led to.
Imagine my surprise when I saw the unmarked building and a parking lot absolutely chock full of police cruisers! I don't mean 5 or 6 crusiers, guys. I mean 15 to 20! I had accidentally cruised right into a major shift change, with my G-tech still vacuum-cupped to the windshield!
Simple logic tells you that if there were 15 to 20 cruisers in the LOT right then, then minutes earlier they HAD to be on the nearby roads . . .
And there I was in a not exactly "stealth" vehicle, the 5.3Liter practically shouting "arrest me, arrest me!"
I did an as slow and innocuous u-turn as I could (that tight turning radiius came in REALLY handy), and made a discrete, and very SLOOOOW trip down the ramp onto the interstate.
A non-cruiser came out of the lot right behind me, followed me past the ramp and went on his way (obviously one of the shift change officers).
I guess sometimes God really does look after children and fools . . .
I don't think I will be going back there for more testing . . .
Heaven briefly found, but then discovered to be something different than Heaven . . .
Jim G
