dlang14: The Cal Speedway "roval" configuration uses half of the Nascar oval. It has an approx 1 mile straight followed by a 14 degree banked turn. I can hit 130 in my BMW M3, and was expecting to hit 150+ in the Cobra, but was limited to 125 without 5th gear (I have a 3.91 diff). I was at 125 about halfway down the straight. Here is a link to the course map:
http://californiaspeedway.com/seatin...ps/track_maps/
jwd: Mine definitely does (did!) not lock out reverse. A few times on the freeway I would accidently catch reverse when downshifting from 5th to 4th, but since I was not rushed, I could catch it without much grinding. I hope you're right about it, though, and it's an option that can be configured during repair.