[BLOG] 2009 SCCA National Championships - *sigh*
Well ladies and gents, its over. Actually, it was over on Sunday but I've been procrastinating writing this post. What follows is pain, horror and suffering! Well, not really, but close enough.
I was qualified 3rd for the race, which we were very happy about. The car had not been right all year and this was the first time we have been really competitive, so we were excited. Raceday Sunday comes around and luckily, we have nice weather. Its sunny and a bit cool, but at least it isn't raining. We go out for the pace lap at 8:30am and get to work.
The green flag flies and I get a GREAT start and pass for the lead before turn 1. I then proceed to lead the next two laps. I pull out maybe a .5-1sec advantage but the tide begins to turn. On the 3rd lap 2nd place has caught me and is ALL over me. I can see that he is handling better than me but due to a combination of things, I have him in a straight line. Then disaster strike going into turn 6. I have a problem upshifting into 3rd gear and get a false neutral. This is when the gearbox ends up in between gears and you are basically in neutral and have no power. This causes 2nd place to run into the back of me (Not his fault, actually, a very nice job by him to not take me out!) and me to take the corner too slow. He then passes me in 8 and starts to pull away. He is just too quick in the corners for me but I know if I can stay in his draft I'll be able to stay with him and maybe make a pass on him. On the 4th lap I'm still trying to keep up with him and make a desperate attempt in 12 to gain some time. Well it doesn't work. With the car not handling well I get 4 wheels into the grass on the exit and it looks like I'll be ok till I hit a bump in the grass and jump the car, which proceeds to cause it to spin. This puts me off on the other side of the track where the car gets stuck and I can't get going again.
Race Over. Fail.
I get going again after the corner workers push me out and finish the race, but I am 2 laps down by then and there is no hope of salvaging a finish. In the end I most likely had 2nd or 3rd locked down since we had broken from the rest of the field, but at the RunOffs, winning is what matters and I went for it. In reality, the next lap I most likely would have given up on 1st since he was so much quicker in the corners but I had to try.
Anyways, thanks to everyone here for their support of me throughout the season! I'll actually be out in November testing a new car, so we'll see how that goes.
I was qualified 3rd for the race, which we were very happy about. The car had not been right all year and this was the first time we have been really competitive, so we were excited. Raceday Sunday comes around and luckily, we have nice weather. Its sunny and a bit cool, but at least it isn't raining. We go out for the pace lap at 8:30am and get to work.
The green flag flies and I get a GREAT start and pass for the lead before turn 1. I then proceed to lead the next two laps. I pull out maybe a .5-1sec advantage but the tide begins to turn. On the 3rd lap 2nd place has caught me and is ALL over me. I can see that he is handling better than me but due to a combination of things, I have him in a straight line. Then disaster strike going into turn 6. I have a problem upshifting into 3rd gear and get a false neutral. This is when the gearbox ends up in between gears and you are basically in neutral and have no power. This causes 2nd place to run into the back of me (Not his fault, actually, a very nice job by him to not take me out!) and me to take the corner too slow. He then passes me in 8 and starts to pull away. He is just too quick in the corners for me but I know if I can stay in his draft I'll be able to stay with him and maybe make a pass on him. On the 4th lap I'm still trying to keep up with him and make a desperate attempt in 12 to gain some time. Well it doesn't work. With the car not handling well I get 4 wheels into the grass on the exit and it looks like I'll be ok till I hit a bump in the grass and jump the car, which proceeds to cause it to spin. This puts me off on the other side of the track where the car gets stuck and I can't get going again.
Race Over. Fail.
I get going again after the corner workers push me out and finish the race, but I am 2 laps down by then and there is no hope of salvaging a finish. In the end I most likely had 2nd or 3rd locked down since we had broken from the rest of the field, but at the RunOffs, winning is what matters and I went for it. In reality, the next lap I most likely would have given up on 1st since he was so much quicker in the corners but I had to try.
Anyways, thanks to everyone here for their support of me throughout the season! I'll actually be out in November testing a new car, so we'll see how that goes.
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Comments
exciting to read about it though! I agree with K, the more content we have on your racing outings, the better!