Here's a good recap off of team.net for those who didn't make it. Thanks to
Arie, Andy, Darren, and Derek for the help and camaraderie. Feels good to
know you're among friends.
In case anyone was wondering, you CAN fit 4 tires, a floor jack, air
compressor, straight-pipe exhaust, spare set of shocks, small toolbox, 4"
thick shop manuals, golf umbrella, a stack of magnetic flowers, and a change
of clothes in an MR2, but you can't close the trunk, and your passenger has
to sit with her helmet between her feet...
phil
>From: Paul and Meredith Brown <racers@rt66.com>
>Reply-To: Paul and Meredith Brown <racers@rt66.com>
>To: autox@autox.team.net
>Subject: San Berdoo
>Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2000 20:21:47 -0700
>
>Weather and organization were pretty much outstanding. Only possible
>issue with either was that it was a bit TOO WARM Saturday afternoon. This
>in March? What's Wendover going to be like in August???
>
>Friday practice starts were encouraging. As we rolled in a bit late, we
>took ours right at the tail end of the session. I clocked 2.07's on both
>sides to set fast time for non-Karts (one thing the MR2 does is launch
>well!). Then Meredith proceeded to beat my time on both sides. Once she
>learns what to do after that, she'll be OK :-)
>
>Entry for the event was around 150 - easily a record for Southern CA. Not
>sure what happened to the dwindling attendance we read about in NAP. Oh
>well. Of course, the only time attendance has been significantly down was
>the last time gas prices went way up. We'll see how this year goes.... So
>far, so good. Odd thing is that diesel is only up 10 or 15 cents out West
>over what I remember from last year. Problem is that that means it's up
>40 or 50 here in the middle of the country.
>
>Courses were about the toughest to get right I've seen at a Pro. That's a
>good thing, or it would be if I was one of those who figured them
>out. Actually, on my last run on the right, I got it pretty well
>right. Didn't cut a good light, but got to within a couple of tenths of
>Gary's winning time (yeah, Ms Lommatzsch was quick time in class, but her
>left was even worse than mine). I spent quite a while on the rev limiter
>on the way out, which was the first time I'd hit it all weekend. If I'd
>started the weekend with that run, then cleaned it up.... Left side gave
>me fits. It was just enough tighter going out that it had to be driven
>very differently. At least for me.... Sunday I was ready to get with the
>program, but I redlighted my first left. Problem was that I didn't feel
>like I had cut a fast light or anything (verified by a couple of
>observers). And Joe Goeke was on the right side and got a re-run. Maybe
>it was a timer glitch. Too bad, as a red light is like a DNF - no rerun
>unless they have some solid reason to believe that there was a timer
>problem (two or three red lights in a row on one course, or something like
>that). Oh well, still got my last run to fix it. I got a bit tentative on
>that last try, and though I did improve on a really slow time, I was only
>down to a pretty slow time. With nothing left to lose on the right, I put
>in a pretty darn decent run, but since I was giving up so much on the left,
>and this class was so darn tough, I was back in 7th. I've won events
>driving like this. Not in this company, though :-)
>
>The surface and course required riding the knife edge between aggression
>and out of control. I agree with Gary Thomason - AS probably has the top
>of the PAX list locked up. The course was very unforgiving - many
>Challenge rounds were decided by cones. Again, I think that's OK. I look
>forward to gaining more experience on the Hoosiers and in the car, and
>maybe being able to compete with the fast guys again at Lemoore.
>
>Congrats to those who did figure things out!
>
>
>
>
>Paul and Meredith Brown
>
>MR2: "Not the easiest car in the world to work on"
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