Green Grand Prix and Headwinds

Odometer: 5219.9
Tank Mileage: 547.6
Gallons Added: 15.493
Long-Term Average: 38.7
Short-Term Average: 36.4
Calculated Average: 35.3

This could have been worse. The first 77 miles of the tank was during the Economy Run of the Green Grand Prix in Watkins Glen, NY. Step one of the event is to top off our tanks. We also had to reset the reported MPG (what I call Short-Term). Then we have to climb this hill to get to the staged start. I was showing ~25 mpg at the end of that climb. We started with one minute intervals. One requirement was to stay within 10% of the posted speed limit. I was car #4. I passed #3 part way to the intermediate stop in Geneva, NY. I entered the required stop location immediately behind the #2 car. When I stopped the car, I noted 47.1 mpg for the leg and a current tank mpg of 45.1. The return to Watkins Glen is down the east side of Seneca Lake. My entry to Watkins Glen is aided by a steep downhill grade as we enter the city. I was all electric from the stop sign on that hill to the record point in town. Final average for the run was 46.6 (48.1 for the return leg). When I got to the expo, I had actually clicked up to 46.7 by the time I parked the car.

We had had strong winds mostly cross to the course during the Economy Run. They increased overnight and included some snow by morning. I was driving into this headwind using cruise control. I gave back a lot of the average mileage during the drive home. The worst segment was 100 miles with the average well under 30 mpg. I just didn't have the energy to eco-drive the whole way home. I can tell you that gravity wins vs winds (at least for what I was seeing). Any obvious downhill and I was getting respectable mileage. The following uphill...wasn't pretty.