5/3/08 SCCA Races @ PIR
Originally posted May 13, 2008
Due to a reading comprehension issue on my part I was 2 races short this weekend of getting my national license which also made me ineligible for the National race being held this weekend.
What does this mean? It means that for the first time this year I have competitors in my class, and also for the first time this year I am unable to compete.
Steve Zink, Kristina Etherington and Russ McHugh from down south came up to race this weekend and I am unable to compete. This is incredibly disheartening. On the upside I will be able to get an idea as to what calibre of driver and car will be competing at the Runoffs as both Steve and Kristina were at the 2007 Runoffs.
I also find later that Russ McHugh is actually registered for the regional race! I will have competition!! YEAH!!!
Qualifying starts around 11am on Saturday morning and I make a point to grid just slightly behind Russ to watch his overall pace.
My plan? Go out for 4-5 laps and warm up my tires. Pit in to confirm tire pressures and then run 2-3 qualifying laps and park the car.
The session starts and I park myself a few car lengths off of Russ’ bumpe and watch him drive. After watching 4 or 5 1:37.xx laps flash by I get bored and pit in. I confirm tire pressures and go out for my qualifying laps. I’m pushing pretty hard but the car is also pushing pretty hard today. I dont know what the problem is but I bust out 2-1:33.8x laps out back to back and figure “thats close enough”.
Was it actually close enough you ask? Yes. Russ Qualified at 1:35.5 or so. Nearly 2 seconds off my pace.
I wait paitiently until Sunday for the regional race hoping to crush Russ in my first and only race with competitors in my class. Instead, as I arrive at the track an hour before the race I see his Miata being loaded into the trailer. Apparently he is going home.
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
I finish the day as an uneventful solo race again and go home in first place. Again.
How’s that for an anti-climatic finish?