In part 2 of our 2014 Solo Nationals course designer spotlight, we spoke with Vivek Goel about some of his past course designs and what we can expect at this years Nationals.
Vivek hails from Texas (a Lone Star Region member) and is no stranger to big sites and concrete surfaces when designing his courses. His courses have regularly been hailed as some of the best in the South, so why risk his good name to design a Nationals course? "...there is no better 'canvas' in all of autocross than the pavement we have in Lincoln, so it provides an incredible opportunity to design the kinds of courses we all want to drive on, but don't always have the room to build at regional events. Second, it seems like everyone has an opinion on course designs, but few actually do it. Everyone is a critic. Personally, I have been to 6 nationals (thus 12 courses), and have loved 11 out of those 12. I really enjoy course design and think of this as a way for me to contribute back to the sport. Third, after having designed the TX Tour courses a couple of years in a row, I have had several soloists urge and encourage me to consider designing a course for Nationals. The support and encouragement was a huge part of why I chose to submit myself to the madness. And finally, of course, this way I know where all of the lasers, sharks, and secret passageways are!"
For those of you who do not know him, Vivek began designing courses locally after his first Nationals back in 2008. Vivek commented he was "blown away", having never seen courses like the ones in Topeka! He gained a real appreciation for the thinking that goes into course design and thankfully Spokes, his local club, put up with some horrific courses and allowed him to practice and get better. His first non-local course design was for the 2011 SW Divisional. Todd Farris enjoyed the courses enough to ask Vivek to do the TX Tour course in 2012 and then again in 2013.
Furthermore, Vivek had the following to say when asked about his Nationals course this year: "I have grown to absolutely love designing courses. It is part art, and part science, and has helped me understand and "read" other people's courses better. That said, even though course design is, in part, and art form, I think it is important to not turn it into an art project. In terms of cone usage, I tend to not use very many, and try to avoid elements where a driver error would result in multiple cone deaths. Instead, I prefer to design in a way that driver error results in them being poorly positioned for the next element. In the larger picture, I am a musician, and tend to think in terms of rhythm and melody. So I try to generate interesting rhythmic patterns and position elements to create a balance between tension (compromise) and release (reward). It obviously doesn't always work out like I intend, but that's how my little brain thinks of this stuff."
Pro Tip 1: Vivek is a big fan of elements where you will be turning and braking simultaneously.
Pro Tip 2: Vivek generally try to challenge the common autocrosser assumption that min-distance lines are always the best.
Pro Tip 3: Vivek hinted a few days ago that his course had 189 cones in honor of his 2014 Nationals number. Sounds like his course will look simple, but Vivek has also said his course will really challenging. Don't be deceived by the number of cones!
When not acting like a Portugese playboy driving around Spa in blue Ferraris, Vivek runs in Super Street R, so look for his blue Corvette in grid if you would like to protest / show your support of his course!
