FAST Duel 2016 - August 13 @ Brooksville

[Loren]

It's time to start talking up Duel 2016!

Registration is now open to all who have competed in at least 4 autocross events:
Register!

If you've not done or heard about the FAST Duel, here's the deal in a nutshell:
A standard autocross course = a complete circuit. For the Duel, there are two starting lines, a half-course apart. Two drivers, no clocks. First one to reach their finish wins! Each run is just you and your opponent. Nothing else matters, you just have to finish before he does on THAT run... or just finish cleanly if he cones his run or goes off course!

We've been doing this event for years under a few different names. Most recently, it's been called the FAST Duel, a name we're rather fond of. This year's Duel will be run just like the last one, even the course is the same! The event is run as a double-elimination tournament with groups of 8 drivers based loosely on their FAST classing. (some classes may be grouped together with the slower-classed cars being handicapped, and if there are large classes, they may be split)

Why do we call it a Duel? Well, historically, we always seeded the tournament grids with drivers based on their prior performance. That works well, but I had another fun idea. Why do WE need to create the grid at all? Why not just produce a seeded list for each bracket and then give the bottom-seeded driver his choice of opponents? And thus the "FAST Duel" was born! The lower-seeded drivers get to "challenge" their opponent to a duel! (and you can be as dramatic about that as you wish!)

You can dig around on the forum and find prior Duel event discussions, even some videos. But, what you really need to read are the 2015 FAST DUEL Rules
(this will just give you a good idea of how the whole thing works, and includes a FAQ)

And, of course, here's the Duel 2016 Course

Now, much like the Endurocross, a good Duel tournament takes a lot of extra time and is a pretty inefficient way to do an autocross event. For that reason, it has to be a limited entry event. In this case, the entry limit will be 48 drivers. This event also requires a certain degree of autocross experience, since you'll be sharing the course with another car. So, novices are not permitted. For this event, "novice" means less than 3 prior autocrosses.

Due to the limited entry, the driver entry fee for this event will be $49.50. You'll get a minimum of 3 practice runs, and 3 competition runs... and a bunch more if you're WINNING! And you'll get the unique experience of head-to-head no-clocks autocross, there's nothing else like it. And, of course, the World Famous FAST Lunch!

We have a group order set up for the FAST Duel 2016 limited edition t-shirt. They must be ordered by July 30th. It's a really cool design, get one!

DuelShirt.jpg

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[Loren]

We're up to 24 entries for the Duel already. If you've been invited, don't forget to register! If we end up opening the flood gates and let just anybody register, it will likely fill up very quickly. We don't really want to do that, it's a lot more fun to do this kind of competition with folks that you know. We'd like to see this event filled with FAST regulars!

Also, don't forget to order your shirt! The shirt order gets submitted in 2 weeks. Event registration closes in about 3 weeks.

[Loren]

I can't believe that there's NO Duel discussion going on here. No wonder people aren't registering!

This is the coolest autocross format ever created. Those who have done it before know this, they're just not talking about it for some reason.

Anyway, we've opened the registration door wider. Anyone who's done at least 4 autocrosses can now register. Go do it!

[Native]

Well I'm in.
I usually suck at Duels, but it's still a lot of fun and usually a pretty relaxed event. I'm planning to enjoy the heck.out of it.

[Loren]

One question people always ask (and it's answered in the rules), which is relevant to Steve and I. How do we handle two competitors in the same car?

First, we arrange the tournament brackets so that they won't go head to head until the final rounds. Put them on separate branches, and the problem will often sometimes take care of itself. If both drivers manage to survive the preliminary rounds and they MUST compete against each other, first, we encourage car-borrowing. It's just more fun to ACTUALLY go head-to-head. But, if that's not an option, or the drivers just WANT to compete in the same car, what we do is break out the stopwatch. Driver A makes a run, we note the time. Driver B makes his run FROM THE OPPOSITE STARTING LINE, as if the drivers were running head-to-head, and we compare the times. We never announce the times. And those runs are usually paired with other runs that can be run as "singles" (other timed runs, bye runs, etc).

The way we currently run the Duel, we don't create the tournament grid beforehand (used to). Instead, we create a seeded list of drivers in each class so that everyone knows who the faster drivers "should" be. Then we let the lowest seeded driver choose his opponent. "I challenge thee to a Duel!" We work our way up the list from there. So, the driver choosing an opponent can choose anyone who hasn't run yet AND who isn't their co-driver. It all works out.

[twistedwankel]

A real head scratcher why this event hasn't filled up quickly. This is the most fun you can have autocrossing when you cannot go to ProSolo's. This is plain old fashioned drop armed starts and a panel of 4 eyeballs determining the winner of each run.

You are guaranteed lots of runs win or lose!!! The morning is for practice to learn the course from both starting points. If you win/tie obviously you'll get a couple more runs.

It rained on part of last years event. I was driving my then new to me Vette with way too much torque and non 200 tires. I missed a shift point on my very first competition run against Ben and lost by a hair to a freakin' Miata. No problemo. 2nd chance club. I ended up with two ties/too close to call and won the replay against a Porsche with launch control in a drizzle. I won each of my following challenges rain or not and won my group finishing 2nd OA to some evil Mazdaspeed turbo fwd young guy who I haven't seen in awhile. You just don't know how this will turn out until it's over. The year before in my old Shamu Mustang I thought I'd won my group but the one cone I booted slid and took out two more dsqing my fast run. Damn. Don't hit anything if you can avoid it.

In the extreme if you draw FTD Ken or Elliot as a competitor that is their loss. They will be staged way back from the start giving you a huge advantage over them in your S5 car you drive to work. They will have to drive extra fast and hit many cones to try and beat you. If it rains those wide race tires they use are hydroplane monsters. If it doesn't rain and gets cooler than usual they won't have any heat in their tires either:)

You see just how much fun this event is? I like it way more than the Enduro even cause I don't have to remember to breathe or over heat my brakes either.

The T Shirts are awesome for only $10 and so is the free lunch provided.

Come on out and have the most fun you can at an autocross outside your classes.

Doug

[Loren]

Doug totally gets the Duel! I wonder if his brain would melt if his Vette lost a Duel match against the FASTiva? (starting my trash-talk early, I need all the help I can get)

[aw614]

Usually I don't have problems registering, but I can't get past entering the number, it isn't loading for me. Tried this on two different computers and on FF and Chrome

Screen shot below,

[Loren]

Someone had a similar problem using an iPhone a while back, and I ran it up to tech support. They said they were working on it. That problem was limited to iPhones, though. Now I'm seeing the same problem you're seeing on my Windows PC. I'll run it up the flagpole again.

[Loren]

For now, I've removed the car number requirement, so it won't even try to load the number list. That should take care of the problem. I'll just have to worry about car numbers later. (not critical for the Duel, anyway)

[Carracer]

Here is the registration link since I think this has now been opened up to anyone with at least 4 events experience.

http://www.motorsportreg.com/events/fas ... esOU.gmail

[Loren]

The registration car number issue has been fixed. Good to go!

[justinmcd]

Hi guys, thanks for the add. I want to say I ran with you guys YEARS ago (like ~10), but I moved away and back again so I haven't been around until last year. I usually run SM with street tires in the Martin Club and SCCA when they are at the convention center in Orlando.

Driving an 05 STi with a lot of suspension/bracing and a custom tune to get around the short Martin courses - It looks like I would get bumped into M1 in your club (correct me if I am wrong). My tire budget this year did not allow for Hoosier-stones, so 255 RS-3's will have to do. The RS-3's actually performed very well down at Sebring a couple months ago on concrete and I learned that when they started talking back it was the tires asking for more, not the other way around, which was a new experience for me! I like to blame the RS-3's on my hundredths-of-a-second losses this year, but I know I need the seat time and to work out some kinks with my bad habits.

Looking forward to the event and meeting some new people. I am always open to suggestions and feedback, so feel free to come along for a ride (unless it gets real serious LOL) - I only ask for feedback in return.

Justin

[twistedwankel]

Doug totally gets the Duel! I wonder if his brain would melt if his Vette lost a Duel match against the FASTiva? (starting my trash-talk early, I need all the help I can get)

Joe Vance in his Toyota with the Cam Ray gravity modifier and two car lengths head start would be pretty mind bending too for that matter. I don't think the Fastiva is at any disadvantage once it gets moving. Maybe you could get a magic Froggy twanger for launch.

I am adding powdered aluminum and tin to my food in sprinkles to increase melting point of brain. Hope it works.

[Carracer]

Hi guys, thanks for the add. I want to say I ran with you guys YEARS ago (like ~10), but I moved away and back again so I haven't been around until last year. I usually run SM with street tires in the Martin Club and SCCA when they are at the convention center in Orlando.

Driving an 05 STi with a lot of suspension/bracing and a custom tune to get around the short Martin courses - It looks like I would get bumped into M1 in your club (correct me if I am wrong). My tire budget this year did not allow for Hoosier-stones, so 255 RS-3's will have to do. The RS-3's actually performed very well down at Sebring a couple months ago on concrete and I learned that when they started talking back it was the tires asking for more, not the other way around, which was a new experience for me! I like to blame the RS-3's on my hundredths-of-a-second losses this year, but I know I need the seat time and to work out some kinks with my bad habits.

Looking forward to the event and meeting some new people. I am always open to suggestions and feedback, so feel free to come along for a ride (unless it gets real serious LOL) - I only ask for feedback in return.

Justin

Welcome back. It only gets serious in the final round when people start breaking out the smoke screens and oil slicks!

[Loren]

I am adding powdered aluminum and tin to my food in sprinkles to increase melting point of brain. Hope it works.

Careful! Mix that powdered aluminum with the bits of rust in the corners of your mind and you could end up with Thermite!

[twistedwankel]

I am adding powdered aluminum and tin to my food in sprinkles to increase melting point of brain. Hope it works.

Careful! Mix that powdered aluminum with the bits of rust in the corners of your mind and you could end up with Thermite!

One would think people would pay to see that?! Works for me.

[twistedwankel]

So I've invited yet another Stig to come play. We'll see what happens?

Usually hot shoes don't like to co-drive with The Mayor unless they are "egomaniacs" with "ability".

Too much Aluminum? Iron? Balls? Sarcasm? Yeah that's it. Sarcasm is a buzz kill when it actually happens.

See Dan? That's why your mouth is so far from your (named after a sporting goods store). I know you have more than one.

[Loren]

Hi guys, thanks for the add. I want to say I ran with you guys YEARS ago (like ~10), but I moved away and back again so I haven't been around until last year. I usually run SM with street tires in the Martin Club and SCCA when they are at the convention center in Orlando.

Welcome back, Justin! You'll enjoy the Duel.

[twistedwankel]

Since the FASTiva has an Elf infestation Soraya will totally kick all 3 their horny butts. Note the shirts are RED to make the infestation go away from the FASTiva. Won't work. Go Soraya. She has the antitoxin for frinkin' elves. Hard work pays off sometimes.