So I get down there on Sunday knowing top score from Saturday is 850
something... less then other location winners... I think, we can do this!
I'm sitting there waiting with Tommy Pulliam (FS) and we watch these big
black clouds coming near.... To this point is has been dry all day... Those
that live in the southeast will know how rare that has been of late.... The
clouds get closer, and since we both have over an hour before we run, we
decide to go back to our cars...
As I am walking by the ESPN truck (Just like all the Pro Race Trucks) and
there *big* canopy does a Scotty White and flips over the trailer! One guy
who was holding on to the canopy was 'lifted' 15 feet in the air before he
let go and fell on a car to brake his fall. It happened that fast.... It
poured for an hour, and the start times were all moved back.
I decide to take my last practice run in the wet conditions, and then run
the slalom practice (which I had done in the dry) and realized there was not
much loss of grip. The tires had more lateral grip then the suspension, so
it was tough to brake the cars loose...
So the Pro Driver sets and index of 35.5, aint no one come close until I hop
in... and rip off a 35.9 but hit a cone... dammit! Shortly there after the
Pro Driver goes out again and keeps resetting the index.... Tommy and I wait
until the very end as it's quite sunny to run in the driest conditions... I
get set and the damn Pro guy pulls out 2 cars ahead of me... SHIT!
I get positioned in the car, move the set back, adjust the tilt and the
telescope of the wheel (which is cool, it will move forward and back about
10 inches total, and the driver seat can easily accommodate someone 6' 8",
I'm only 6' 2" and couldn't have the seat all the way back).... I listen for
the Pro's time, and couldn't hear it, so I set out for my run... I get to
the first big brake maneuver and the wheel goes all the way to the dash...!
WTF! I spend the entire rest of the run trying to drive this 2900lb beast
with the wheel tilting and telescoping in my hands.... It may have been the
hardest run I have ever finished... At that time the index was a 34.9 and I
ran a 35.5.... Double Damn... After talking with some of the crew, I
probably only needed a 35.2 or so to win the event..... And I can tell you I
lost at least .3 seconds fighting the telescopy tilty wheel thingy....
Oh well....
So I end up fourth... probably less then a tenth out of second....
I'm going to give it one more shot before throwing in the towel on this
thing, 'cause I really know I could have won this event'....
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