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Over the last decade I've adopted an extended family - complex, rich, and precious. The truth of this appears in glimpses - but frequently.
Josh Parker beat me in the Jeff Gordon Run-Offs to take top honors, and to be handed the trophy by Kim-Soo Gopnick who has owned it since she won it last year. He beat me when we were both running about a second faster than we had all day - taking chances and relying on the force.
He beat me when going into the final run we ere half a tenth apart in PAX - he with the blistering C-Mod formula car, and me with my pedestrian little Justa.
It was a one-two punch.
First I cast caution to the winds, and committed to three sweepers on that wonderful course, trusting the car and forcing my right foot from moving off the gas to the brake at any point.
But also first I nipped the apex cone of the Chicago Box on the main straight and had time to record it's lying on it's little side, all pissed off and forlorn in my right hand rear-view mirror (forgive me).
So the hero run of about 63.8 - more than a second faster than my best time in regular competition - was for naught and I waited for Josh to finish his run, getting out of the car and walking to the finish to greet him.
He came in with a 55.7, which on that course and on that day was nothing short of awesome - and again a significant margin quicker than he had run all day. FTD.
Clean.
Josh is a seasoned, and very humorous driver - and runs tech with his equally engaging old man - who still flogs the family CRX to great effect.
Did I mention that this was the RAL weekend? Racing Against Leukemia? Our primary charity event with which we've all personal connection? It was.
So who should be surprised then that over $500 was raised personally by this self-same C-Mod driver, my nemesis, through the shocking question "should Mr. Parker (the younger) conduct tech during the next regional event wearing a speedo - Yes, or No". It was a dollar a vote.
Given that the aforementioned Mr. Parker is a fine strapping gentleman and no affront to finer sensibilities it may not be too surprising if I report that many contributors to the "Yes" side of this question were of the fair persuasion.
Ultimately it boiled down to a gap of less than one hundred dollars - needed for the "No" side of the question to prevail. In this gap were a strong (ne: invincible?) coalition including Kathy Barnes the wise, the significant other of the aforementioned Mr. Parker, and my humble self.
Through good communications, selfless teamwork, and adequate liquidity, the potential calamity of a tech inspection featuring a speedo - which might have caused permanent damage to more sensitive audience members and participants - was averted. And Josh raised a bunch of money for a good cause!
But Josh is not unique - my being blessed has to do with more than one person with such special qualities - it has to do with being surrounded.
Too cool - didn't see that one coming when I started.
So at the risk of going from being philosophical to being an utter *****, here's my brag on the day.
Barbara snuck up on me on her last run and almost beat me except for a cone. Nice job my friend and no I will never turn my back!
Barbara and I both raw timed Kim-Soo but it's no fun bragging to her. It does not a damned thing to do with her age (12) because whe's a seasoned and talented driver and has grown up with us - it's just because she would have kicked our butts, except for a lack of tools (again, she needed a smaller rear cog) or perhaps a moment of parental thought. Either way she just grins and we know who wins in the long run!
And finally, I actually PAX'd 10th on the day, which is some serious brag up here where giants walk the earth and National Champions are routinely drilling for big events.
It says something, which is this.
A 3 cylinder B38 Mini is a competitive G Street car.
Which is kinda what I was betting on.
The competitive juices add the spice to this group of like minded crazies, but the real glue is the camaraderie, friendships, and generosity
A whole bunch of these folks - too many for me to attempt to enumerate - have contributed to the fact that I feel ready to go back to work tomorrow.
Going back to work tomorrow also means I cancelled my Nationals registration yesterday. There really is no graceful way to say to a good boss that one needs a week of vacation 30 days after a month of medical leave. Next year!
Hi Charlie, I met you at the Devens tour this year when I asked you some questions about your MINI adventure. I was looking forward to seeing how you did at Nationals, sorry you can't make the trip this year.
Question: Now that the sport suspension is no longer an option, do you think that the base MINI should be in HS rather than GS?
Hi Charlie, I met you at the Devens tour this year when I asked you some questions about your MINI adventure. I was looking forward to seeing how you did at Nationals, sorry you can't make the trip this year.
Question: Now that the sport suspension is no longer an option, do you think that the base MINI should be in HS rather than GS?
George M
Howdy there! Me too on Nationals - I shall be supporting Barbara in GSL, and living vicariously through her and the other delegates from NER to Lincoln.
I have no firm opinion on the question you raise, as I have not driven the standard suspension. I'd expect more roll, less front grip, and a somewhat slower result. Perhaps Koni will deign to make some Yellows though?
Well we've 150 folks registered for our 8th points event tomorrow.
Prep day today - which in the Street Classes does not involve getting all greasy and the use of jack stands. God bless the hardy souls that run the modified classes!
One more chance for Barbara to kick my butt before she goes to Nationals and I do not. Good luck my friend!
Oops - I just had a "Post - Advanced" fail on me and almost lost an hour of editing. Yipes! Fortunately I retrieved the content using FireBug - a narrow escape.
Points Event #8 - the Lincoln Preparation session...
Yesterday 152 drivers converged once again on the Moore Airfield at Fort Devens, and were rewarded with a hot but not oppressive day of sun and stray breezes. We were graced with 22 novices, the usual selection of regulars, and those of us that are about to make the pilgrimage to Lincoln for the National Solo Finals.
Our course was a medium speed combination of slaloms, offsets, chicanes, a massive Chicago box, and a tightening sweeper or two which kept the drivers working hard and demanded looking ahead. I do believe Rob MacAlpine put it together with Lincoln in mind, and I found it a great challenge.
Rob worked with the usual elements at Devens, including two taxiways, and main runway, and with the finish in front of the tower after a final pinch gate that caught me out on my first run. FTD was Stacey Strout in Bill Goodale's AM car with 55.625, edging out Bill Gendron's Dragon by a few tenths. At the opposite end of the field we had folks having fun in the 70's with 54 competitors in that range.
Did I mention that someone brought a Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer to the event? The flat 12? No the car did not compete, although many would have adored to hear it. I almost asked our announcer to declare that the car would be awarded as a door prize to the FTD driver, but decided that might be misconstrued by the owner. That car has four times the number of cylinders that I have so perhaps I was just a little green-eyed?
But I digress.
My own contribution to this fracas began with a work assignment of course, and thus I enjoyed (as I usually do) sending the 1st heat drivers off to greatness with their initial three runs. This heat included our Junior Kart drivers, with three worthy competitors including Kim Soo.
Yes she raw-timed me on the day by about two seconds. Yes I out-paxed her just slightly 'cause she is supposed to be faster than GS, so there!
My starter’s duties also allowed me to send a Tesla Model S (the four door GT car) on its way, and that was a real rush! The car was, of course, silent. I actually called the corners to warn them on the 1st run of both morning and afternoon heats. It is uncanny in comparison to some of the snorting beasts that arrive at my starting line to appreciate a ghost. I wave the flag, it disappears (max torque at 0 rpm remember), and I wait for the roar, the howl, the shriek, the grumble - and it never comes.
Eventually we in Run Group 3 (we'd 4 groups, 3 runs AM, 3 runs PM) took our turns at the course.
Now you must appreciate that this year I have often done the guided tour of the course for our novices, with commentary. My course walk on this particular day drew a number of positive comments, which I greatly appreciate. All of that notwithstanding it makes my 1st real run as a driver pretty funny sometimes, as I go out and make the very mistakes I warned the group to avoid, and find myself eyes pointed in the wrong direction at several crucial junctures. The irony (and personal hypocrisy) is poignant to say the least.
I was red-flagged on my first run, about three quarters 'round the course. Apparently I was too close to the competitor ahead of me. Consequently I got a free look at the course! Good thing too, 'cause a couple of things didn't go to plan as the course (as always) drives differently than it walks!
So on my 2nd attempt at a 1st run all went relatively smoothly, and after the three morning runs I had hit a wall in time.
1st Run -- 67.643
2nd Run -- 67.650
3rd Run -- 67.714
All three runs, each different, each divided by me trying to figure out how to go faster, and what to do differently, all within seven hundredths of a second.
Hmmm... Each successive run gets slower. Hmmm...
So I of course spun this in a positive light, as I was the only person in the 67s in GS, and patted myself on the back at the consistency, and took a lunch break. Oh poor fool…
During my 2nd stint as starter I had to actually get a broom and clean the gravel off the starting area due to the fire-breathing, monster slick wearing, all-wheel drive, high boost, and redline launched ASP cars...
A couple of them just might introduce a detectable wobble in Earth's rotation as they launch. Mebbe.
Having shameless lied to Barbara, my Focus ST wielding competitor in GS, and told her I could go no faster and wouldn't try, and had melted my tires during the morning, I then did something rather unexpected.
I found another second on course!
One of those days. That's what makes this whole messy analog visceral thrill so damned challenging. Where was that second (actually 1.2) during the morning? Where did it come from?
I had coached myself to drive in a tidier manner in the afternoon, acknowledging that for once we had a long Devens course that was predominantly technical, and penalized flamboyance. Was that it?
I'm not complaining mind you, but I note that if this were a National event I would have never found that second, as only three runs per day are permitted at such contests.
So afternoon runs came thus:
Run 4 -- 66.420
Run 5 -- 66.373+2
Run 6 -- 66.615
At the end of the day I kinda sorta thought I was some kind of motoring god, and went looking for my overall PAX ranking. Top 20 I figgered, which is always a rush up here where there's so many fast folks.
Nope -- reality check. I drove my guts out, finished with trembling hands and ultimately a few blisters, was sliding through the chicago box like a genius, and PAX'd 38th. LOL!
It is certainly an honor, an education, and a pleasure to run around here 'cause there's a BUNCH of fast folks! Anyway I most certainly had way too much fun, and that's the whole idea I'm told.
, courtesy of Gus Heck and his SSM Lotus! I'm that guy at the start line...
If you keep a sharp eye, you will note the Chicago Box at :39-:40, and if you count you will also note that Gus saved the run no less than seven times with a quick jerk of opposite lock to control that agile back end! Fast hands!
As always, Charlie, I immensely enjoy your reporting of events as I was in a similar circumstance many years ago, primarily in the Western PA area with a Porsche 911S. Thank you so much for sharing with us!
One thing that confuses me, though, is the term "Chicago box". That's new to me, and I'd appreciate your explanation.
As always, Charlie, I immensely enjoy your reporting of events as I was in a similar circumstance many years ago, primarily in the Western PA area with a Porsche 911S. Thank you so much for sharing with us!
One thing that confuses me, though, is the term "Chicago box". That's new to me, and I'd appreciate your explanation.
A Chicago Box, the legend goes, is a course element invented by the Chicago Region some years back - at a point where they knew one of their distinguished members would be a course designer for that year's Nationals.
The legend continues that they included this new element in their Regional courses during the season, and having practiced extensively took a small advantage when this innovation appeared in Topeka (where Nationals use to occur).
Perhaps it's apocryphal?
The actual element is an intimidating implementation of a simple three cone slalom. That of course looks like this - and who is scared?
X
X
X<.
Easy, right?
Here's the Chicago Box version of the same element.
XXXXX
____X
____X
X___X
____X
____X
XXXXX
It looks much scarier! (Ignore the underscores, this editor eats spaces)
Cheers,
Charlie
Last edited by cmt52663; Aug 30, 2015 at 05:47 PM.
So while the Pro Solo raged out at Lincoln, Gollum and I took on the attendees at the Bay State Corvette Club event yesterday.
In Lincoln, I am rooting for the success of my NER friends, and also for the success of Matt Jones (G Street Focus ST). The reasoning for the former should be obvious, and with the Davis clan leading the charge things are clearly off to a good start. Mr. Wagstaff in STS is on top of the class, and the usual war in SSR includes Grant of course. STU features Nick B., and was clearly another battle. NER drivers took 2nd through 4th in Street Mod, and in SMF Brian K. took top honors.
The reasoning for my well wishes to Matt are murkier. As Matt was kind enough to beat me during the Champ Tour earlier this year, I've a very positive impression of him personally. The other factor I must confess, is that the better he does at Lincoln, the more thoroughly I can console myself at being pipped, as I can say "well yes of course he whipped me, but he is VERY fast".
For the Mini-acs, Craig Wilcox damned near won STX in the Cooper S, which impresses the heck out of me after my years campaigning the R53 in that class.
But yesterday I was not in Lincoln, but looking at a rather long and very entertaining BSCC course at Devens.
There is no coursewalk with this club, but instead a single slow drive-through parade around the course. The attendees were sporting quite a broad range of equipment, and many of them were damned quick - including at least two who have already left for Lincoln as I write. Here's what got entered:
Audi 4000 1
BMW 135i 1
BMW 328i 1
BMW M3 1
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1
Chevrolet Corvette 3
Fiat 500 Abarth 1
Ford Mustang 2
Ford Mustang GT 1
Ford Mustang V6 1
Home Made Locost Seven 1
Honda S2000 2
Lotus Seven 1
Mazda Mazdaspeed 3 1
Mazda Miata 6
Mini Cooper 1
Mini Cooper S 1
Mitsubishi Evo 1
Nissan 240sx 1
Nissan 350Z 2
Porsche 993 1
Scion FR-S 4
Subaru BRZ 2
Subaru IMP WRX 1
Subaru Impreza STI 1
Subaru WRX 2
Toyota MR2 Spyder 2
The BSCC folks run four large classes - Corvette and non, and street versus race tires - with a great novice group as well.
2nd fastest novice on the day was a lovely R53 sporting some VERY serious looking wheels/tires and a Works Kit. That car, with 235 mm rubber, looked composed and quick, and sounded lovely out on course. My co-worker on turn 6 was quickest, driving a new Mustang.
Gollum and I were in "es" which I think is Experienced, Non-Vette, Street. After an initial run to remind myself where the course was, we got down to it and ultimately had a quick and clean run. With only 43 cars present most competitors took 12 or more runs, but I stopped after only 6. This was partially habit (remember I've been thinking about 3 only, and bemoaning the need for 6) and partially due to my feeling just a touch wobbly on this warm and lovely day.
The wobbly might be due to my patriotism and warm-hearted generosity the previous evening in Gloucester, where I distinctly recall having a drink or two with members of the crew of the Fort McHenry, whe themselves were in port due to the Schooner Festival.
Anyway that's my story, and I am sticking to it!
Thanks to the Bay State Corvette Club for their hospitality - that was a great course, competition, weather, and spirit and I'll be back.
Right in the middle of me composing this silliness, I am also watching live timing from Lincoln. Many great dramas today, but none better than the battle for the top of SSR, where the quiet Kiwi Grant Reeve just took top spot on their 1st day. The suspense was killing me!
Meanwhile, back in the baking realm of New England I've been traveling around Boston at 96 degrees in traffic, and finally for only the 2nd time I turned on the air conditioning. Ahhhhhh.....
I don't normally, and I marvel at being the only one around with the windows open. Perhaps I am part dog, or perhaps I grew up without it, or perhaps my motorcycling blood demands that circulation.
I even took out the whole AC on the original Gollum (a legal STX modification until the rules changed) and bitterly regretted it on a long sultry weekend at VIR with the SHO Club years ago.
The current Gollum drives the AC compressor without the usual loss of performance I note - perhaps the drive by wire adjusts?
Anyway, I was a wuss - and for once I admit that some amenities are precious when racing a daily driver.
From having a "drink or two" to using the AC...
This could be a sign of something serious ...
enjoy the warmth while it is here because you know what is around the corner.
PS - I recently hear a story of an instructor at a HPDE event who climbed into an expensive car with a woman driving it. He remarked to her about having the windows open and the AC on, to which she responded rather matter of fact that it was hot out there, of course the AC is on. He claimed that was one of the nicest days of instructing that he ever had.
From having a "drink or two" to using the AC...
This could be a sign of something serious ...
enjoy the warmth while it is here because you know what is around the corner.
PS - I recently hear a story of an instructor at a HPDE event who climbed into an expensive car with a woman driving it. He remarked to her about having the windows open and the AC on, to which she responded rather matter of fact that it was hot out there, of course the AC is on. He claimed that was one of the nicest days of instructing that he ever had.
So Matt Jones, whom I met at the Devens Champ Tour and who pipped me and Gollum by 2 tenths just took 2nd at Nationals.
I feel better to have been beaten, now that I see how fast he is against the best in the class across the country.
That's twisted logic isn't it...
And Kimsoo trophied too! I have lost count of how many trophies our NER delegates won, but at last count we've six new national champions returning back east.
And none sweeter than the close 2nd place that Barbara Seeger earned in GSL with the Focus she's been running here at Devens all year. Nice!
Trophies!
AM - Bill Goodale
AS- Mark Daddio
CSL - Becca Nell
GSL - Barbara Seeger
ESP - PJ Corrales
STX - David Thomas
STR - Will K., Tim Kong, Eric Chiang
STU - Nicholas Barbato
SSRL - Rachel Baker
SM - Todd Kean
JB - Kimsoo Gopnik
SMFL - Jinette Jordan
SMF - Jinx Jordan
Our 9th (and last) regular season points event commenced with a cheerful crowd of 119 drivers, and perfect late summer weather, and a spirited round of applause for the trophy winners and seven national champions returning from last week's battles in Nebraska.
Our course was half designed by Brian Levesque, and the other half was a Davis invention. It had surprisingly fast corners disguised as slow, and one or two genuinely technical sections that were easy to enter too quickly.
And I got stuck leading the novice coursewalk again - even though our volunteer Novice Chief (the inestimable Brian Kuehl) is among the role of 2015 champions. I apologized for not being Brian of course, but our dozen or so welcome guests didn't appear to hold it against me.
In such circumstances I sometimes only get one walk - one slow and chatty walk where I try to both pull together key elements of the course and at the same time help the attendees create their mental map. It is a fun and welcome challenge for me and I like doing it, but my own mental map is usually a "1st pass" map, which means I have not had time to annotate it with the finer points of the line.
We had three heats, and Gollum and I were on the "relax", "be starter", "be driver" rotation and thus got our runs around Noon and then three more around 4 pm.
I like being starter. From the silent Tesla Model S in the previous event to the fire-breathing C Prepared cars yesterday I enjoy the variety. I also enjoy the challenge of adjusting car spacing properly to keep the corner workers from getting mad at me, or inadvertently causing a re-run due to unsafe distances on course.
The aforementioned Brian Levesque came out in the latter part of the day and we stopped running for a few minutes to run the big brooms over the starting line, as the progression of fat-tired high horsepower launches had eroded it a fair bit and turned the 1st sharp right-hander into a gravel pit with a single clean line!
And then as driver Gollum and I resumed our battle with the other G Street drivers, notably my friend Barbara who had just driven her Focus ST back from Lincoln leaving a good performance behind her (close 2nd in GSL).
Barbara got a re-run on her 1st midday attempt, and on that re-run layed down a nice 72.639 which beat my 1st attempt of a 73.289 quite handily, and caused me too hunker down a bit! My 2nd run was 72.776 - still not as fast as Barbara's 1st. However with a bit of thought and some courage in the fast places that looked slow, I squeezed out a 71.648 on my last mid-day run, which would turn out to be hard for Barbara to match.
But I did not relax - as I fully recall that this same friend pulled out a 1.7 second gain on her 3rd run at the second day of Nationals!
When the run groups had cycled back through G Street went back to work with an unusual FOUR runs available in the afternoon. I could not match my best morning time too readily, turning in two nearly identical runs of 72.061, and 72.051. Barbara meanwhile had dipped into the 71 second range with a 71.927+2 and clearly could pip me with a clean run - and with two runs left it was good drama.
But fortunately I decided to go from tidy to brave on my 6th, and brave helped because Gollum broke the beam at 71.407.
So this little three-cylinder "Justa" has helped create the best season in over a decade, going undefeated with the exception of the 2nd day of the Champ Tour when Matt Jones clipped our wings.
PS: A big shout out to one of our novices on the day, and nice gent by the name of Roman Radkovets who drove a B Street Evo to a raw time in the 73 second range. To give you some sense of how notable that is, the NEXT fastest novice in any car was over 5 seconds slower!!!
PPS: You were wondering about Kimsoo? Well she took her FJB kart to a raw time of 68.445. On this course that's damned quick and beat my times like an old rug... (However she PAX'd 21st to my 19th, so I can still look her in the eye! :-) ).
Last edited by cmt52663; Sep 20, 2015 at 04:24 AM.
