International A Series - Coffee Break Challenge #9
Cone Challenge Trial 5
It’s time for another cone challenge! This time, you’re behind the wheel of a supercar, a 2012 X-BOW R – and, unlike the other cone challenges, your job is to avoid all of the cones and other obstacles and get to the finish line in just 38 seconds. It’s probably the trickiest of all the challenges to this point simply because of the intricacies of the turns you’ll negotiate as well as the tough speed requirement. Like all others, it’ll take some practice and patience to get through it. But you can do it!
Even brushing against any objects fails the challenge, so be careful and learn the turns. The first, and most important, thing to know for this challenge is that speed is your enemy. Don’t gun the engine too much at all; you’ll never get over 60 MPH at any time – and even that is for a brief moment in a quick straightaway – and will spend much of the challenge in the mid 40 MP range.
Right out of the gate, you’ll see 4 rows of cones in front of you. Zig zag in between them in 1st gear in the mid 20 MH range, then quickly accelerate through the right turn after the fourth set of cones.
Take the next line of cones to the right at around 35 MPH and keep your speed up as you gash the middle open space of the next series at 40 MPH – then gun it. You’ve got a quick S-curve coming up between here and the next cones, so take advantage of this brief respite. Once you’re through the cones at the end of this curve, you should be at about 13.5 seconds.
A simple straightforward split of cones is in front of you now, followed by a tight left turn. At the end of this turn is a real bear of a challenge; a corridor of cones that you’ll need to ease through in the mid 30 MPH range (at most) that ends with a sharp turn left. Take your time! It’s OK to go slowly here – especially if you’ve entered this gauntlet with less than 19 second on the clock.
After the cones come some obstacles. These are easier to avoid but also take up a lot of space. There are four of them dotted around a horseshoe curve that you’ll need to take in in the mid 30 MPH range. After that comes a small set of cones that’s easy to avoid, followed by the longest stretch without anything in your way. This is your moment to gun it and make up any time you may have lost earlier. You can open it up to more than 60 MPH here.
At the end of this short area with no obstacles comes a right turn buffeted by a ton of obstacles with a narrow corridor in the middle. This is the last part of the challenge – and if you enter it at around 34 seconds, you’ve got a chance at gold!
Enter the gauntlet at around 40 MPH, then slow down a bit as you ease past the treacherous middle obstacles. Zip through the end of the obstacles, then gun it and you’ll be claiming gold!
