I’d been holding off on writing this post on account of wanting to see if anbody’d snapped pictures of me on course, and general laziness, but I did make it out to both days of the KC Championsips this month.  It was, err… interesting.  I guess that’s one way to put it.

Saturday was pretty much a cluster.  Before we even got started, the stadium management tried to kick us off the lot in contravention of our contract with them, because they had planned to park staff for the Northwest Missouri vs. Truman State rivalry game on our lot.  There was thirty minutes of delay and a lot of nervous handwringing before we finally got the go-ahead to run… then the timing system decided to throw a fit.  First heat was half re-runs and timing errors, with a forty-five minute break in the middle to try and get the T&S working like it was supposed (didn’t really help.)  Of course, I was running first heat, so I couldn’t get into a groove and forgot all the little things I figured out on course on my first two runs.  At one point, in a tight left-hand element, I managed to peg both the entry and pivot cones.  Not my best driving.  Second heat, which I was working, went more smoothly, but then after I left during third heat an F-Mod car grenaded its transmission and spewed gear oil all over the back slalom.  More delays.  I don’t think anybody left the course terribly happy that day.

To make up for that, Sunday was damn near perfect.  The timing system worked perfectly, my driving sucked less, and although some foks from Nebraska damaged the diff on their E30 at the start they didn’t leave any oil on the ground and even managed to get it patched back up well enough to drive home. 

All things considered, I PAXed pretty low and certainly didn’t blow the doors off anybody.  Even with my drastically improved tires, I was fighting for grip all the way around the course, and I’m still driving too much by the seat of my pants.  I’m getting better at looking ahead, but every so often something would jump out and suprise when it shouldn’t have, and I need to doa better job of knowing where the front right corner of the car is (that’s where I kepot pegging cones).

I’ve also started to buy parts for my STS2 (err, is it just STS now?  I don’t know) build.  I’m buying a used Suspension Techniques rear sway from Tim Herron at a great price, and I’m talking with a friend to get some Falken Hanabi wheels with a fairly new set of Dunlop’s Street Touring tires on them.  Looking longer term, I’m thinking of using STS2 as a stepping stone up to CSP.  No matter what, with the stock 1.5 liter in my DX and its DPFI system I’m going to be down on power versus the Si’s, and the taller FD I have hampers acceleration.  Eventually I figure I’ll buy an Si engine, do a complete overhaul on it, and then move up to Street Prepared.  But that’s way down the line budget wise.  Baby steps…

I’ll have my results page  updated with times shortly.