One of the SCCA Clubs that I run with will have a kink going into the finish. I like their course designs. I never saw it as a problem, but that might be because I drive a miata. They do have an automatic $50 fine for hitting timing. Maybe that's a factor. 
I've never autocrossed so I may be missing a cultural subtlety but I don't understand why arcing in from the right is a Shiny Happy Person move. There's no rule against it and the course allows for it. At what starting angle does one become a Shiny Happy Person? Straight, four degrees to the right, less than four degrees to the left?
Instead of the illustrated right turn off the line and u turn counter clockwise to get the run up, would it be faster to run straight(ish) off the line and go clockwise for a full 270 degrees to run straight at timing? could you carry more speed?
In reply to ultraclyde :
In theory it would. But it would have to have enough space to do that.
Another idea is to drive up, stop, back into the blank area, and then go- just don't trigger the lights.
In reply to alfadriver :
Hmmm... Do you get a DNF for reversing on course? Does the course officially start at the starting line or the timing beam?
In reply to APEowner :
It's not illegal at all and the course allowing it is absolutely not the driver's problem.
It is probably contrary to the spirit of the course design, and by extension the spirit of sportsmanship... but maybe not, either. Perhaps the course designer wanted to see if someone would figure it out.
I strongly doubt that, but we'll never know for sure.
In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :
As I was typing that, I considered it. For my club, reversing on course is ok- so if you off course, you can get back on in between the cones in any way. Especially for an autocross, where you are by yourself, and if it causes "problems" the person behind you can get an easy re-run. (on the other hand, we had a 5 second off course rule for each missed gate- so skip one or two would be 5-10 seconds, far shorter than stopping and reversing).
I don't know the rules for SCCA, but I've never encountered a rule where reversing was a DNF.
In reply to adam525i :
Which groups?
In reply to DeadSkunk (Warren) :
Push it to the Limit (PITL.ca) and with the BMW Trillium Club/Porsche Club. I need to hit up the Western Ontario Sports Car Association events at Centralia airport that look really fun. PITL is running at exhibition place right now in Toronto which is a fun, large lot with some character with the skyline making photos that much better. Trillium runs in Brampton at the CCA centre (OHL rink of course).
In reply to adam525i :
I was a WOSCA member for 15 years in the late 80s and 90s. The current crop of hot shoes are the sons of my buddies, some of whom are still competitive themselves. The Centralia airport looks like fun. If I can get my Challenge car done I'd like to take it there to see how it performs against legitimate autocross cars.
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