2004 Season Highlights

Nationals Notes

I hope this note finds you all well,  I thought I would drop everyone a note and let y'all know how I did.  Over this past week I took my Mustang over to Topeka Kansas for the SCCA Solo2 Nationals.  I started back competing in Solo2 last year.  You may remember that I competed in Solo2 events back in the 80's with my Pinto and won the regional championship twice back then.  I now have a 2000 Mustang and it competes in the G-Stock class.  In the local region I am leading my class points with 4 events to go.  I am one of very few Mustangs competing in this class, which is populated with Toyota Celicas, Audi A4 turbos and Mini Cooper S cars.  They generally have me in weight, but I have them in horsepower and torque.  Also, I have rear wheel drive and they are front wheel drive, the Audi's have all wheel drive. 

During the summer I thought it would be fun to try my hand at the Nationals.  My goals were to compete, not finish last, have some fun, and gain some experience.  The Nationals are run on an old airport, concrete and very bumpy.  That would be something new too.  We (me, Mom and Dad) headed out on the 11th.  I had just arrived back in town that morning from a 3 day business trip to Brazil.  Luckily I got some sleep on the plane.  Anyway, we loaded up my Windstar with all the support equipment.  With Dad driving that and me driving the Mustang, Mom's job was to ride along with whoever needed a partner.  We broke the trip into two stages both going and coming, stopping in Marion IL which was about halfway.  We arrived in Topeka on Sunday afternoon, registered and dropped the car off at the event site.  Monday we got the car prepared, ran it through Technical inspection and walked the courses.  At the Nationals there are two courses, you run three runs on one and then three runs on the other.  Best times from each course are added together and that determines finishing position. 

I was in the second group and after my first run I knew this was going to be difficult.  I had never experienced anything so bumpy.  Very hard to try to get into a rhythm.  Also, I had a brand new set of Avon tires which I had never run before with larger wheels then I had run before.  Overall, I finished up the day 38th out of 41 cars.  Remember, the goal was not to be last.  I gained time every run so that was a plus.  The first course was not well liked by the Mustang.  Too many short tight turns, it has a tendency to understeer which slows the times down.  It is hot in Topeka (90s) and the wind never seems to stop blowing.

Ok, so day two dawns cloudy and wet.  During the first run group the skies open up and everything gets soaked, in fact they have to pull the workers off course due to lightning..  As the rain starts, my Dad and I change the tires on the Mustang back to the street tires (which have tread) in anticipation of my first ever run in the wet.  We get soaked. Jump in the Mustang, crank up the heat, and try to get dry.  The rain stops, but I do the first run with street tires and it feels better then I thought it would.  But the rain has stopped and the course is drying so we switch back to the race tires between the first and second run.  I do a half spin on the second run, but am still 4 seconds faster then the first run.  I gain another 3 seconds in the last run and finish the day ahead of even more cars.  The Mustang liked this course better.  It was a lot of fun, slide stick slide stick as you went across the water then hit dry spots.  When everything is said and done I finish 37th out of 41.

Overall, I accomplished my goals of competing, not being last, having some fun, and gaining experience.

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