Novices are suppose to be confused because they are still learning how to take an optional slalom. The experienced drivers are not confused because they learned how to take an optional slalom from their confused years. That is the object of this sport, learning how to drive a particular element in a series of elements leading up to an element and exiting the subject element.
Believe me, an optional slalom on paper DMS until you walk it several times and drive it. That is why you get multiple runs so you can figure out the best and fastest way to drive the course. Some optional slaloms are a given on how to enter and exit and some are deceiving as all get out. Don't stress it, make it fun, it's your choice.
If you're a novice, don't worry about the trophy run that your overdriving for because it's not your time yet. It will happen in do time, if your learn. And remember, a perfect run will never happen, but a winning run is a run that a driver makes the minimum number of mistakes than the other drivers. And remember, mistakes are not mistakes during your novice years, they are learning points. Mistakes are for the extremely experienced drivers.
If you don't want to learn something new at every event, then maybe road racing would be your sport. That is what makes this sport interesting you can learn a new driving maneuver at every event even with almost 40 years of autocrossing experience.
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Kenneth Allan Mitchell
nokones@kenmitchell.com
89 Corvette CAM-S
13 Corvette Grand Sport AS
15 Porsche Cayman GTS AS