The best way I can describe my experience over the last two weeks would be
icing without cake. While it is a little known fact that I like the icing
best, I came away from Topeka very, very hungry.
For those of you who were not there, or are not on my mother's email list, I
won the Pro Solo Finale and thus claimed the Pro Solo Series Championship on
Sunday. With this came $1500 from Honda Motors Company, $1500 from Kumho
tires and token amounts from SCCA and Carbotech brake pads.
On Tuesday and Wednesday the H-Stock National Championship was held. I to
say that the expectation of the weekend were not met would be like saying
Custer did not do so well at Little Big Horn. I never felt like I got the
set up right which only magnified the fact that I was driving horribly.
When results came in I was 2.1 seconds out, in 13th place. I drove
marginally better in Wednesday, but the damage had been done.
Despite the disappointment, I feel that I had a pretty awesome "rookie"
year. I won all three 3 Pro Solo events I entered, took a win and a second
in the two National Tour events and won the only Southeast Divisional event
to be held to date. As a bonus I also won SSC at the Beach Mountain
Hillclimb.
All of that aside, the thing that has made this year great is the people I
have met along the way. From the moment we arrive in Ft Myers with a Civic
spewing coolant and Sandi and Grady helped us out it has been a great year.
Here are a few highlights....
Thanks to Jim and Jonathan Roberts for offering a ride to the parts store in
Ft Myers. Thanks to Tim Aro and Eric Peterson for allowing us to be a fan
of you, and being a fan of ours. To Howard Duncan and the rest of the
National Staff, thanks for putting up with us. Thanks to the Clements family
for everything from sunscreen to reminding me of what is like to be 8 years
old and not know that I had the coolest parents in the world and thanks to
Rick and Carrol Cone for reminding me that I still do. Thanks to Ron Conrad
for offering an Underdog his car in Florida at the first Pro, and accepting
a ride in Topeka at the last. Thanks to Jason and Angela for giving me a
job that lets me do this. Thanks to Rob Faukner for reminding me that my
shirt always has something on it. Thanks to Arthor Emerson for always being
"Arthur, looking out for the little guy edition". Thanks to Karen Kraus for
taking the time to realize why I do this, and thanks to Sportscar for
printing it. Thanks to GH and David for answering the phone and giving me
the advice and selling me the products I needed. Thank you, thank you,
thank you Jean, Sammy, Larry, Nick and all of the people at the Evolution
Driving School, you have one hell of a product. Thanks to Patty Frye for
keeping a smile on my face. Thank you Paula for teaching us more about
driving in 3 minutes than we had learned in 3 years and for explaining the
team structure of league play :). Thanks to Per Schroder for more
inspiration than he will ever know he gave me. Thank to Geoff Zimmer for
random parts as needed and great looking Roll Bars! Thanks to Scotty "Bob"
for making the road from the top to the bottom very very short. Thanks to
both MaS and mAs, you are both enjoyed. Thanks to Cliff Strout for being a
class act every time. Thanks to Kumho Mike for knowing who I am. Thanks to
Karl Schultz for being rice, it is a good and noble thing. For allowing me
to get to know a childhood hero, thank you J.K. Jackson and Chris Moore.
Thank you Lee Piccione for the Margarita Machine, also a good and noble
thing. Thanks to Mark Allen for proving my perception wrong, you were
nothing but a gentleman to me and the team. Thank you Chang Ho Kim for
keeping us running in Massachusetts and giving us a draft to Kansas. Thanks
to Shawn Wipple for giving me someone to chase. Thanks to Ginna Blair for
getting us the cushy jobs and "Doin' Alright." Thanks to the North Carolina
Autocross family for the support. Thanks to Beno Rubin, Basically for being
Beno. Thanks to "Professor" Doug Gill and Tom Lombardo's timing light for
reasons that I am not at liberty to discuss. Thanks to Scott Minehart for
all that you do for the Team, from getting tools, to taking abuse, you are
an invaluable team member. Thanks to Diane for still talking about dinner.
Thanks to Jason Minehart for making this fun. Thanks to Sean Minehart for
dreaming big, one day.... We will win the One lap! Scott and Justin Sawyer
the list is to long, but I would not have done it with out your support both
technical and emotional. (Oh, and Scott, thanks for teaching me how to
change my oil.) Thanks to Mitchell for being more excited than I was when
the results came in Sunday, and for putting up with me as an older brother
for 20 years.
Finally I would like to thank my parents. You raised me in SCCA and taught
me that the people, not the cars are what makes this organization great.
Thank you for your love and support (financial and otherwise) without you I
could not have done any of this (hell, without you I would not exist).
I am sure I am leaving someone out, all due apologies....
You H-Stock Pro Solo Series National Champion (Or HSPSSNC as I shall refer
to it),
Heyward Wagner
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Heyward K. Wagner
TEAM UNDERDOG RACING
Honda Civic Si - HS #48
www.teamunderdog.com
IMPACT GRAPHICS
Custom Automotive Graphics - Numbers - Magnetics - Static Cling
1-877-945-7446
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Heyward K. Wagner
TEAM UNDERDOG RACING
Honda Civic Si - HS #48
www.teamunderdog.com
IMPACT GRAPHICS
Custom Automotive Graphics - Numbers - Magnetics - Static Cling
1-877-945-7446
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