National A Series - Coffee Break Challenge #4
Cone Challenge Trial 3
The third overall Cone Challenge – and first of the National A series – is, in a word, difficult. What’s funny is that it looks easy. It’s also quite different than the first two cone challenges, which are groups of cones spread out across an arena track. This challenge follows a single line of cones on a defined track and path. Easy, right?
Nope.
Your task is to knock all of the cones down in 37 seconds or less. The trick is not a trick, but a virtue – patience. If you miss a cone along the way, just start over.
The best way to do this is start in small chunks of 4-6 seconds to get used to the way you need to attack. You’re in a beast of a car – a 2009 Ferrari 458 Italia – so that’s another level of challenge to the task at hand.
Another key element to winning this challenge is mastering the ability to lightly powerslide. The word “lightly” is used here for a reason, as if you really start to drift with any significance you will pass by a cone – and remember, miss a cone and it’s over.
You don’t necessarily have to completely smash every cone for it to register, either. Even if you barely tap one, it will count for your total. So don’t get hung up on seeing the cones fly through the air (even though that feeling is oh-so-satisfying).
If you get lucky, some cones will bounce into others and take them out. So that’s another option that you’ll need to have go your way to complete this one.
Other than maintaining as steady of a course as possible, lightly powersliding through the turns, and pressing on if you’re unsure you hit a cone, the other key to this challenge is to be sure and knock down all of the remaining cones in the cluster at the very end of the Challenge right before you pass the finish line. Nothing is more frustrating than getting all of the cones in the line then missing a handful (or even one!) of the bunch at the end to miss Gold.
Like all of the other challenges, the key remains practice and patience. You will not get these right away. But once you’re done, your skills will be significantly improved!
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