Notes on a timing slip - Nov. 9th 08 Champ discussion

[Curt Luther]

1. Do you know it's cold back east? I think Ashley does now...
2. The paddock could have been smaller. I mean, Schenker did finally find a place to park...
3. Cone marks. Thanks, Will...
4. Must be "winter" in CA. The tanks get covered with hoodies and flip flops become Uggs, but at least they still wear shorts...
5. I guess I made the "naughty" list this year...
6. Maybe one more year in the Civic, but I still have this unnnatural S2000 obsession...
7. My best run of the day came on stone cold, underinflated tires driving into a blinding, setting sun after sitting for 45 minutes. Maybe I'm on to something...
8. Nothing ends a good day of autocrossing better than a trip to Victoria's Secret...

[Will Kalman]

9. Awesome course! A little difficult visually in places (Mike told me of the last-minute discovery of a lack of chalk liner), but a SWEEET combination of transitional elements and sweepers.

[Will Kalman]

6. Maybe one more year in the Civic, but I still have this unnnatural S2000 obsession...

Save your money, Curt. Take a look at the HS results

[Kurt Rahn]

1.8 sec separated 1st from 7th in SK2...and I finally finished less than 2 sec behind the winner. Great drive Tom. You're gonna be scary when you actually figure out those new shocks!

[Bill Schenker]

Thanks for the great finish (not to mention the rest of the course!).

Safe, challenging, and plenty of time and space to shut it down.

I sure hope all the other course setters took note!

[Casey Brier]

I loved the course design... I did NOT like the course markings in the first half. the start was very hard on the eyes. (the first 1/4 of the track)
I am not the only one who thought this.

But yes, i agree, once I figured it out it was a blast to drive. (3rd lap). I love a finish that allows full throttle. the back section (lane changes) was super cool!

[Aaron Goldsmith]

I gotta say I also really liked the course. Enough trickiness and YeeHaa to make it lots of fun to figure out. Thanks Mike.

I'd have loved to have seen Ken and Gary out there too, with the amount of high speed needle threading you needed to do to go fast.

[Mako Koiwai]

James Yom impressed me with his near full throttle dash thru the back section!

[Scott McHugh]

Fantastic course design...really had a blast, even with corded tires

[Mike Simanyi]

Just a quick message of thanks for everyone working so hard to pull off this event.

Steve and Stacey Ekstrand, for not only tackling the difficult job of practice registration, communication and run schedule organization, but also for Stacey’s extraordinary effort covering registration (which I’ll note was GRA’s assignment.)

Doug Teulie, for taking an entire Friday off work to help set up the course, when he was only able to attend the practice for a few runs in the afternoon, and again for helping re-chalk the entire course Sunday morning after the “cleansing” Saturday night rain.

Toby and Beverlee Larsson and Kurt Rahn for helping set up Friday afternoon, as well as helping reset the course Saturday night for Sunday.

Rick Brown, not only for showing up Saturday and Sunday to set up timing and the P.A. despite a problem that kept him from driving his kart, but also for sticking around in the dark on Sunday until the whole course was packed up and the motorhome and trailer were ready for delivery to the storage lot.

Renee for taking on the Event Chair role, plus working Registration, radio on Course in run group 2 and personally stacking a huge number of cones in the trailer at the end of the day.

And to everyone else who helped pull it together in all the usual (and unusual) ways, as well as all the participants who worked around my gross error of making the paddock too small.

A special thanks to those of you who offered your feedback, both positive and negative, about the course. I learn every time I set one of these up. (Quick side note: the course was derived from one of the ’99 Nationals courses at Forbes Field, so special thanks to Roger Johnson for his creative ideas.)

Mike

[Kurt Rahn]

Quick side note: the course was derived from one of the ’99 Nationals courses at Forbes Field, so special thanks to Roger Johnson for his creative ideas.

However, the double lane change (aka the reeeeeeeeeealy long Chicago box) was all Mike. That was my favorite part of the course, both directions.

[Mihai Surubariu]

I did NOT hit cones on all my 3 runs !
it doesn't matter cause the last lap was fastest with 1 cone
I did NOT hit cones on all my 3 runs ...
Oh .. I said that already
HOLT $H1T Jeff Wong 2nd in PAX !!

[Aaron Goldsmith]

I did NOT hit cones on all my 3 runs !
it doesn't matter cause the last lap was fastest with 1 cone
I did NOT hit cones on all my 3 runs ...
Oh .. I said that already
HOLT $H1T Jeff Wong 2nd in PAX !!

We could always take solace in the fact that we ran when there was still water running across the racing line in places.

BTW, i'm thinking I need to write a letter about moving the WRX into STU since it's obviously fast enough to compete.

[Christine Grice]

I did NOT hit cones on all my 3 runs !
it doesn't matter cause the last lap was fastest with 1 cone
I did NOT hit cones on all my 3 runs ...
Oh .. I said that already
HOLT $H1T Jeff Wong 2nd in PAX !!

Says the guy that still won his class by over 3 seconds

[Steve Ekstrand]

The problem with this weekend is that my ears itch from the wind beating....

The real reason that is a problem is that I can't raise my right arm high enough to scratch the itch....

I guess that is proof I preserving the left side for the most part.... Gesh.... Who'd have thunk my "healthy" side would hurt worse on Monday than my "lame" side....

Cool weekend. As long as I don't look at results. But that is the case too often anyway...

[Tom Berry]

Great course Mike! One of the best of the year in my opinion.

Drives of note: Jeff Wong 2nd in overall Pax !!
Aaron Goldsmith wins STU in a car he has never driven before. congrats to both for great driving !

[Jonathan Lugod]

great course! i had a blast... It's good to experience some technicality in a course compared to what im used to in San Diego. I look forward to run for points up here in 2009

[Steve Ekstrand]

I look forward to run for points up here in 2009

Excellent! We'll have a blast. Though you guys will have to spot me January.

And you know... My little brother Tadd who has no clue how to brake without BMW ABS BRAKES.... Dipped into the 57's in X runs (dirty). That's his second championship. Maybe by later next year he'll be in the mix.

[Tadd Ekstrand]

My little brother Tadd who has no clue how to brake without BMW ABS BRAKES

True. I think I locked up around 5 times during the practice on Saturday. But watch out I am coming for you Steve. }:)

[Sebastian Rios]

Ughhh I missed out on a great day....I'm never eating Pick up Stix again. :barf: :barf: :barf:

Jeff Wong 2nd PAX??? WOW he hasn't even been out lately.

[Ashley Armstrong]

Great time! Thanks to all who put it together.

Thanks also to Leonard, who reminded me what the gas pedal was for

[Christos Adam]

I agree with the rest of the people, it was a great course!!!
Btw you were going very fast Ashley, I remember seeing (while I was working) a civic almost drifting through one of the tight turns and then when it was closer I realized that it was you driving... you were pushing hard to the limits