9-16-07 – The event is over. I’m a bit stunned that it’s over, probably because the ending was so stunning. Wow, I must be just about brain dead to repeat myself like that.
It’s too early, too soon yet, to process all of the information I’ve filed away over the last few days. I know there’s a ton of awesome stuff in there, and I need to give it time so I can reflect. However, Jason and I plan on drinking a bit this evening and I thought I’d write a cohesive account of the main race here before I can’t type straight.
Pat Lindsey’s AI Mustang never made it to the grid. They heard a knock on the dyno and found an oiling problem, thought they fixed it but heard a knock again on the dyno a second time. Ernesto was actually behind Chris Griswold during the race, and all the bumping he was doing to Chris’ rear bumper broke his front nose assembly supports, so he retired when that started to drag. [Editor's note: the second hand info we got was that Griswold break checked and Ernesto got into him, which broke the bumper cover supports on his cf bumper cover] Corey Weber finished 2nd in AIX, the only West Region rep to finish the race.
My race was wacky, wild, and tons of fun and *almost* tears (I reminded myself that there’s no crying in baseball OR auto racing). I was gridded as 22nd in the entire field, which was 14th in AI out of 23 starters. Actually, I think one other car besides Pat Lindsey didn’t start so 22. Regardless, I was near the middle of the pack, which is what I’d wanted. There were some fast guys behind me but I wasn’t too nervous. The grid was based on points scored from the two previous races, so some guys who broke down didn’t score, since I finished both I had more points.
The start was goofy but turned out OK for me. In the driver’s meeting, JWL told us he wanted AI to start with our second green flag closer to the AIX group than we did yesterday, and we’d be so close that we’d see their green flag, and to ignore it. So of course some guys went on the first flag. All those guys that went on the first green had probably missed that meeting, but once they realized they were passing the group they slowed and regained a semblance of their correct positions so my start was good. I passed the guy in front of me but some of those faster guys got me under braking at the first turn. My car was doing pretty good except the tires, especially the front, just would not hook up. Then I lost the rear end in the Carousel (as I’d done the other day), this time saving it from a full spin onto the grass in the inside of the turn, so I could keep some momentum, and I got back on track. But, behind some slower guys that got to pass me. The same guys I had to fight with yesterday. Grrr! I told myself to have patience, drive my race as well as possible, and set them up for good clean passes. Which I did. I cleared every one of them, and after I passed the last I was rewarded with open track. But I didn’t know who I would be working on passing next. Right about that same time I realized the funny smell that had tickled my nose earlier had turned into smoke that filled the cabin when I went around corners. I thought maybe the tires were going, and Jason said he couldn’t see where it was coming from, so I kept going. Happy with my position, I actually dialed it back a notch to preserve my tires to finish the race. All of this happened in about two laps. Near the end of the second lap, I saw two AIX cars coming closer and I knew I’d be overtaken. I turned in at turn 12—and the rear end of the car came around on me. I tried to steer out of it, but all I could do was slide at a perpendicular angle to the racing line. I hit the brakes hoping that would prevent me from sliding backwards and farther into the line, but the AIX cars were upon me. The first guy got around me fine, but the guy trailing him had nowhere to go, and his left front corner hit my left rear quarter panel. BAM! That spun us both, he into the gravel trap, and me 180 degrees opposite and on the other side of the track. I was still partially on the racing surface so I put it in gear and tried to move, but the only place to go was into the gravel trap. Stuck. (This is all from memory as I haven’t reviewed my video yet.)
I was fine, I bit my cheek on the impact but it’s no big deal. Greg Brown, the other driver, was fine too. The usual, we got towed off, the damage is pretty bad cosmetically, will have to see if it’s bad in the axle or anywhere else. Another AIX guy came by and said he thought my panhard rod had broken because the rear end of the car was all over the place—that would explain the tire rubbing (the smoke) and the poor handling. Sure enough, that same stupid mount is broken. This is the one that broke at WSIR, that the Agent 47 guys fixed for me. It’s just not a strong enough design. And that would make sense as to why the rear end came out like it did in the turn. Drat! Cool note: my fastest lap time was a 1:39.4, so I made it past the 1:40 mark. Oh yeah, high five!
Other news, in the morning practice for the CMC and FFR group, there was a big wreck involving one FFR and a wall. Apparently Karen Salvaggio’s steering wheel came off at the fastest part of the track! She was awake and alert in the ambulance at the track, but was complaining of serious neck and chest pain so they Med-Evac’ed her to the hospital! I have no news on her current condition, but I really hope she’s going to be OK.
So of course I’m bummed in many respects, but I also got to RACE. There was a whole huge crowd of dudes to dice with, and that’s not something I normally get in AI out West. I actually got some complements on my driving, and I was pleasantly surprised. I never know how other racers think, if they care about what I’m doing or notice or even know I’m alive. To know there were people happy to see me passing, impressed with my performance, and even cheering and rooting for me is awesome! So I CAN do it. One of my goals for this endeavor was to prove to myself that I can do it. That I belong with this group. And I wanted others to notice that as well.
Yeah, I’m here, American Iron boys. When my owwie is fixed, watch out. All I have to do now is make sure Jason and I get home in one piece, and go retrieve my chariot when it gets back to CA, and then I can say, “Mission Accomplished.”
Thank you for reading!