Winner // December 2009 Photo Contes // 89AKurt

[dave]

The winner of the 60th NAM Monthly Photo Contest "Winter Driving" is 89AKurt. Congratulations Kurt! I honestly wouldn't have guessed our winning entry would hail from Arizona. Nicely done.

[89AKurt]

Thank you very much!
It helped to have 39 people vote for me, that's 52.7%! Wow.

I should thank my 15 (and a half) year old daughter for getting out in the mini blizzard, I set the camera to multi-exposure, and she didn't shake or move a bit! I also want to thank Speednut for the help. We are impressed with #6, look out for that photographer in future contests, I'm sure Dave will come up with something like "Summer Vacation at the Beach" for a "suitable" topic.

I call this my Rockford Files 180 degree turn, comes in handy for certain situations. Amazing I could turn around in the wheelbase of a giant SUV!

[pw4]

Congratulations - well deserved.

At risk of showing my age, the turn predates the Rockford Files. People might enjoy this clip of the Mini factory team rally drivers in the 1960s (but I'm NOT as old as them!!). The first bit isn't good, but then Hopkirk does nice 180s in the gymkhana test he invented and which is named after him; and the Aaltonen spins are just plain scary (and FWIW I've seen film of him doing the same in a rear-drive rally Datsun too). Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AQCFoWSXEU

[89AKurt]

I coulda done that! Thanks! BTW: it does hail in AZ too Dave.

Speednut wanted to see some of my rejects, all of them Parked. One was posted in the other thread.


My tracks come from the upper left, then up this hill, momentum is the key.


Kinda scary moment when Swifty slid almost a foot while setting up.


This shows how close to that CMU post I came, it would have kept from from crashing down into the canyon.
Back wheels make an interesting cross pattern.


You can see my tracks coming up from below, turning left, and then stopping. That was the first time I did a 180. The second time I used momentum to get to the second house on the left (barely see the c.m.u. post). That's where my entry picture was taken. All weather tires half worn out (where's the My MINI Uses Up Tires Like Crazy thread?), DSC turned off because the UniChip is doing something weird.

[cloud10]

Kurt has my admiration for going out in that weather. I live in Prescott, too, but my Clubman stays in the garage until the roads melt and are dry.

I had enough fun driving in snow in my home state of Connecticut with a Mustang and I don't care to repeat any of those experiences out here.
My neck will never recover from being a passenger in a car that cracked a pole in half back there during a 15-inch snowfall. (So much for letting a friend drive me to the company party.)

Congrats Kurt. You deserve this one. I still think you should put together a calendar.

[Motor On]

Congrats Kurt!

I even see a hint of sunset in there, did you have to take off the snow tires to break traction?

[89AKurt]

Holly and Drew, thank you! Ug, a Mustang wouldn't be fun. And I wouldn't mind a set of rally tires.