Stage guide · Mars Cup round 2
Stage 2 — The Long Run
Stage 2 runs the full length of its 2.5 km sunset square: a 2,306 m timed line through twelve gates, laid out from scratch after the original Crosscut route was retired. It drops about 20 m in the first 330 m, then holds a near-level floor all the way to the finish.
Onboard
How it drives
A speed stage. Two real corners come between the 500 m and 700 m marks, and everything after them is long, fast ground with up to 370 m between gates — the run is decided by how cleanly you carry speed, not by how late you brake.
Pace notes
Use the opening drop. The descent is short, so gather speed off the start line instead of easing into the stage.
The pair of corners between 500 m and 700 m is the only place the stage bites — slow for the first, let the rover settle, then commit to the second.
After the corners it is a straight-line drive with kinks. Hold the throttle, take each gate through the middle, and let the long gaps do the work.