Day 10: Fin

It's 9am Sunday and I'm writing this from the comforts of home. The previous 24 hours reeled by and as predicted, hazy was the appropos description of my mental state from the prior night's 1 Lap ending festivities. While the last event is technically held on Saturday, the prior Friday is when the party starts, and after 3500 miles of road and track, there is not a single team that isn't weary and wanting for a decent meal and some time to unwind. The standings are mostly cemented for most teams so there's little angst about the last event.

Friday night ends up being the time to get together with the teams we've bonded with throughout the week and reminisce about the random happenings and stories of juvenile antics that we all have collected. It's what 1 Lap is really all about. Against most odds, Sebastian and I have retained our friendship....albeit by the narrowest of threads. The morning's event was windblown and slightly damp, but Sebastian pulled off an admirable 31st to land us in 38th overall. Not quite as good as last year, but with the much faster teams, we were both pleased with the result. Considering Ric and Loye finished behind us in 51st, we lay atop the Evergreen heap of 1 Lappers for at least one more year:)

The 17 hour drive home was, as you might imagine, eternally long. Similar to last year, however, the damn cops caught us in a moment's inattention....81mph in a 65mph zone.........crap. I've chalked it up to the price of the event and considering the distances covered, one ticket amongst the two of us is quite lucky. So another 1 Lap completed and while I can say for certain that I won't be doing it again in a Lotus Elise, I can say that Sebastian, Ric, Loye, & I will be at the starting grid, motors revving, again next year.

Thanks to Brock Jr. for putting on another great event, all the great folks who participated, my co-driver, and those who supported us in running the event. Hopefully we'll see y'all at the starting grid this time next year!

Tony

Day 9: Oh Shit

Pictures lead to questions lead to answers that I don't have....

Apologies for the tease on the pic, but it's been a whirlwind 2 days since the mishap at Nelson Ledges in Ohio. I'm very happy to report that only free range, grass fed, organically massaged, non-genetically altered fiberglass was sacrificed in the making of this blog. No human sacrifices were made and nary a band-aid was used......although if there were a first aid kit to patch a bruised ego, it would have been used to its fullest.

The situation at the track had us running both morning and afternoon events, per usual, but the difference today had the track open to some hot lapping for any of the event's participants. With it being the second to last day, a few of us hopped in different cars as we all wanted to experience the track from a different perspective. I rolled around in a beautiful 1980 Porsche 911SC, while Sebastian offered up (later to his chagrin) Little Skittle to a couple competitor friends we made during the week. Needless to say, it was a wee mistake as I watched the car roll into the pits with some missing teeth. Apparently, John (our new found friend from NY), got a bit squirrely going into a hard left hander and with two wheels off the pavement, the car squirted forward into a tire barrier. To look on the bright side of the situation, no one was hurt and the car was drivable back to South Bend. It's a bit of an ego bender for John, but all things considered, it's just a bit of expensive body work; it certainly could have been much worse.

With respect to the race, then, we started the day in a precarious 38th and finished in 39th to end the day, battling to stay in the top 40 for the week. We were sandwiched between the twin turbo Dodge Stealth and the SVT Lightning and a mere 30 points separating the three of us. Tomorrow's dry skidpad event will determine who stays within the top 40! Sebastian better be on his game because I know that I'll be a bit hazy from the aftermath of adult beverages.

Cheers.

Day 8: Diametrically Opposing Forces

Imagine how a magnetic train works. Opposing magnetic forces between the charged track & train allow the mass of steel to speed along with near frictionless efficiency. I'm sure you see where this analogy is going as Sebastian and I sit within inches of each other, mile after mind numbing mile. While we, as a team, function for the same purpose, it works well only because I have the power to completely ignore him. The reference to opposing forces are also quite the fitting description as we approach things from totally opposing viewpoints..........high-strung 4 cylinder 27psi turbo vs. slow piston'ed diesel, precise & meticulous vs. sloppy joe messy, good vs. bad.........you get the point. Regardless, our well magnetized team is achieving our modest goals of enjoying the event and ensuring that we will not have to hang pictures of Ric and Loye in our living rooms:) Yesterday's final overall results have Team Rotus in 38th with Team Merlot Magik within viewing distance in 51st.

It's 7:30am, somewhere in New Jersey - On our way to NJ Motorsports Park and back to Ohio's famous Nelson Ledges this evening. I'll update as I can, but it should be another fantastic day of burning dead dinosaurs.

11:30pm - In a shitbox motel with a 6-pack of pibbers. Sebastian was nice enough to finish off today's entry...

We’re nearing the end of day 8 as we snake our way through the Appalachian Mountains on the way to OH (yes, we were there yesterday) from the southern tip of New Jersey. Fighting queasiness from ingesting an incredibly vile slice of PA Turnpike pizza and from the gases being emitted by Tony, who is lactose intolerant, I hope to make it for one more full day of competition before we say our good buys, do one final fast pass through the skid pad circle and I (stress on the I) drive back to CO and the sanity that will restore my body back to health (eventually), both physical and mental.

Today we visited the newly minted New Jersey Motorsports Park. Per usual, we arrived late to the track, as Tony needed extra time to primp (he’s not getting any prettier), so upon arrival, we only had time to suit up, empty the car and get out on the track. On paper, the track seems simple enough, but as with most things that are seemingly simple, it is not. As I took off for my first “warm up” lap, I wished I had gotten more than the 4 hours of vodka induced sleep, as I felt my concentration was fading quickly….not a good thing. I tried to quickly recognize some visual points on the track to help me navigate the two fast, and completely blind turns which I would soon be taking at max speed (mine, not the cars), but as soon as I got to the starting grid, all was forgotten…..damn, I’m going to die. Heart pounding, mind going in several directions, none of this is doing me good, but its my turn to take off and chase the BMW M3 directly ahead of me. I make it through the first blind turn, and instantly I feel as though I may actually survive this,….turn 2 and 3, nailed….damn, I’m really good at this driving thing……the next blind turn coming up, a quick uphill transition, no big deal, gas pedal down, I’m confidant I know where the apex is……except that it happens to be a few feet over, but I’m fully committed, gas foot pegged, and the car stops responding to steering input that I’m frantically trying to dial in and I realize I’m about to run out of tarmac and go for tumble in the dirt and grass….the rear end of is starting to come around, but its hanging in…..I’m doing the opposite of everything I’ve been taught in driving school…..”both feet in”, the ultimate sign of defeat preached by every driving instructor out there, will not happen on this fine sunny day, as I continue sideway (but not spinning) through what is now a fairly spectacular plume of dust, I see the track straight ahead of me, and decide to gun the car for it…..I make it back on track, and I feel as though I’m going as fast as I ever have……adrenaline pumping, I feel exorbitant and triumphant, except I still have two + laps to go…..by the end of which I fall completely in love with the fast, fast, fast track. I come off from the mornings session jubilant and feeling like I have done all that I could have, which is about 1/10^th of what the car can handle. I suck at this driving thing, but in reality I’m the eye candy of this driving duo, not the muscle…..which is Tony Hyunkie Song (that is a for real last name)

This trip is doing nothing to correct Tony’s pear shape, and since he had to give up his weight lifting routine for the duration of the trip, I think the lovely Jen’s (Tony’s much better 7/8ths) biceps will actually be bigger.(vs. the same size; yes this was proven with a tape measure) What Tony may lack in sheer upper body strength, he more than makes up with his sense of humor, and aside from his incessant rants about my body hair, he’s pretty damn good at being a non caring wise-ass. As he suited up for this afternoons run, he stated that he was not going to brake for any of the turns (a comment I appreciated, as we are getting close to running out of rear brake pads and still have two thousand miles to drive) , a comment that one would typically discard, except that we are talking about Tony, a man who believes that a brake pedal is only to be used when doing smoky burnouts at stoplights in his 450hp southern hick express, the Dodge Magnum. As he took off on his warm up lap, people started betting on whether or not we would again see the Lotus with its plastic skin on, and which turn would bring on his demise……faith…..something I have little of….maybe I should change my ways. As Tony took his first hot lap, turn one….screeeeetch……turn two, three, four…..screeetch……we didn’t need to look around, you knew exactly where Tony was on the track…..screeching around EVERY corner, he comes up on a fast 90 degree turn, and executed nearly perfectly, he gets sideways 90 degrees, except that he’s still sliding at 90 degrees after the bend…..we all perform a solid 10 second pant grab (where you laugh so hard you grab your pants at the knees) as we know he is giggling like a little school girl inside the shit box called Lotus. As he is THE man behind the wheel, he manages to keep the car on the track and pulls off a solid finish while managing to not be serious the entire time….should this man ever get serious, he’d finish in the top 10. Until then, if screeching the tires becomes sport, he’ll rule it.

Day 7: I Like Racing Cars

Racing cars is an odd addiction I’ve come to grapple with. In my situation, there is no glory to be chased, no crowds of adoring fans, and certainly no prize money to be earned. It’s simply a feeling that I don’t get anywhere else. I’ve had my share of track time on motorbikes and I’ved raced bicycles for years, but auto racing is a different animal to me. Time, space, and overall consciousness seem to enter an altered state when piloting a car at its limits at a track. The challenge of mastering the heel-toe shift, steering the car with the go pedal, and gracefully trail braking into a fast sweeper are all things I may never master, but the attempts at getting it right seem worth the time, money, and frustration to get it just right. I know these Zen-like experiences of getting it “just right” can be said for just about any sport, but to me, trying to control four little tires’ contact patches through a Rube Goldberg like contraption known as the internal comubustion engine is simply a magical experience.

I was calm today and conspicuously absent were the flitter of butterflies as I glanced at the track layout. I spoke with a handful of competitors, all with pointers about Mid-Ohio’s tricky aspects. Mostly in one ear and out the other for me as I realized that although it would be nice to finish in the top 30, whether we did or not is absolutely irrelevant and unrelated to the mount of fun I’m having. So while I pushed the car and my limits, I cared little about my placing and more about simply having more fun. The result was a less than average run, but bigger than average grin.

At the end of the day, I had grabbed the glory, pleased the fans, & won the prize money as I slotted in the winner’s circle at 46th place.

PS – I have little to say about Sebastian today except that I've perfected the booby trap made of rubber bands and sharpened KFC sporks. It won’t be pretty, but it will be effective.


Day 6: Salty

This is more cathartic venting than 1 Lap blog today so no need to read on if you’re looking for semi-witty, 1 Lap banter.

Last year it took a few days for my hatred for Sebastian to bubble up. By Tuesday’s event last year, we were barely on speaking terms and I had fashioned a boobie trap made of rubberbands and sharpened KFC sporks to 'accidentally' take out his jugular. If only those damn rubberbands didn’t snap, I’d be a much happier man.

Alas, time fades bad memories to leave mostly good and here I sit, one year and five days into the event wondering what the fuck I was thinking. Getting in and out of the car has now turned into a major feat of acrobatics and my creaky joints are protesting profusely. I’ve lost at least 20% of my hearing from the screaming motor immediately behind my noggin (though sometimes I wish I’d lose all my hearing so I wouldn’t hear Sebastian’s latest rant), and the lack of exercise has made me feel like I should make an appointment with Jenny Craig the second I get home. Woe is me.

The day’s results are irrelevant as I type this, but for those who care, we ended the day in 36^th. In battle with a twin turbo Dodge Stealth and a few M3’s, hopefully I’ll make it through the rest of the week without a homicide charge or an extradition hearing.

Tomorrow brings the famous Mid-Ohio racetrack in, of all places, middle Ohio.

Day 5: Fear & Self Loathing in Oklahoma

6:30am - I awoke this morning feeling a bit unsettled. It was one of those moments we’ve all had in waking abruptly and thinking you’re settled comfortably in your own bed, but the reality of a foreign setting gives that odd sense of bewilderment. It’s a feeling for me that didn’t quite leave.

Today’s itinerary was to employ two very different forms of motorsport. The first at Hallet Raceway was the familiar road course with the afternoon taking us 60miles away to Tulsa Dragway where we’d collectively experience bracket racing. Explanation of the morning’s event is hardly necessary as intuition simply says that going faster is better, but with bracket racing as its known, a baseline time is set and even if you beat someone down the quarter mile strip, you’ll lose if you beat your previously determined baseline; counterintuitive at best and something that a few uninitiated didn’t quite understand, but bracket racing evens the playing field a bit as $20k Honda Civics could quite realistically beat out $120k Porsche 911’s.

8:00am – Hallet Raceway is beautiful in its setting among dense. lush, and aromatic forest made only better by the morning’s bluebird skies and the blended smells of burnt fuel, brakes, & clutches…….a car guy’s utopia of sorts. Sebastian had the morning session and walking the track prior to his run must have flipped a switch in his head as he set a blistering pace of 4:47:76 that cracked the top thirty for the first time placing him in 26^th ahead of some heady machinery like the turbocharged-460hp Cayman S and a pair of super-charged, pavement ripping Mustangs. Impressive, especially considering the very challenging track that offered up many blind and off camber problems. Walking that very same track this very same morning, unfortunately did not flip the same switch for me as I meandered around the track never quite getting in the groove and wishing the morning’s sense of bewilderment would leave me. No such luck as I finished a middling 43^th with a 4:53:81. Lucky for Team Skittle’s placing amongst Evergreen 1 Lappers, Ric had a bit of misfortune in that a Corvette spun in front of him slowing him down by a fistful of valuable seconds resulting in a 5:01:67. Loye followed up in the afternoon session with a 5:06:55 probably thinking that if he died, Heaven wouldn’t be ready and Hell wouldn’t take him knowing he’d take over.

5:30pm – We’re at Tulsa Dragway and we made the decision to have Sebastian run the session. With my poor showing at the dragstrip in the 2009 1 Lap and also with the fact that I was in the midst of a day-long funk, I thought it best to relinquish the remainder of the driving for the day. Good thing as Sebastian’s clean living finally showed its worth in getting the best reaction time of the event at .047 seconds…..a machine could hardly do better. Setting the bar at 14.18 seconds, he won his second run with a 14.20, before “bracketing out” with a 13.98 on the third run. Ric ran the drag for Team Merlot Magik and made it to the 4^th round before being knocked out by a silver bullet of a BMW. Ric’s times were consistently 14.5’s as Merlot Magik and its new heart of aluminum did them proud.

The end of the day left Team Little Skittle in 31^st overall and Team Merlot Magik within striking distance at 43^rd. 6 days remain and much remains on the line but we may have jumped the gun a bit by getting their new mantlepieces already. Suffice it to say that we saw these gems in the proverbial window and they simply begged to be purchased.

10:30pm – Sebastian is getting hangry, evidenced by his growing road rage; I think it’s time to go feed the monster. We have 200 more miles to St. Louis and hopefully we don’t get shot on the way as Sebastian drives with his middle finger out the window. If you don’t see a blog update tomorrow, check the news and please contact our loved ones……well my loved ones anyway. I don’t think he has any.

Day 4: Getting Lucky with Lady Luck

Getting to know a road course takes study, practice, and hours of track time. The challenge that 1 Lap presents is that it allows just one reconnaissance lap, followed by 3 hot laps; hardly enough to learn much of anything. Driving an unknown track, then, can be likened to picking lottery numbers..........there may be method to the madness, but in all reality, it's simple luck and guesswork that gets you the pot of gold.

Simple luck and guesswork, if you don't have hair on the bottoms of your feet that is. Sebastian smoked the morning session by again catching the car in front of him. This time, the victim was a massively powerful supercharged Ford SVT Lighting that I'm guessing was putting out 500+ hp. Regardless, Little Skittle piloted by Big Polak ripped through the course for a 34th place finish. Enough to catapult us to the next faster running group for the afternoon session. As pleased as I was with his result, it eased my nerves little for my upcoming run.

The period from morning session to afternoon was interesting in that I had too much time to contemplate all the track days and training that I've participated in the last year and little of it was going to matter for the 10 or so minutes I'd be thrown on the track. Going with the next faster grouping didn't help my confidence any, but the one solace was that I was the last of the 6 car group to get on the track; meaning I wouldn't be passed and would have a rabbit to chase. The green flag dropped and picking early apex or late, it seemed to matter little as I tossed Little Skittle from one end of the track to the next. I recall little of reality during my driving stint as my mind's focus and physical vision were so myopic that all I could concentrate on was the 20ft patch of tarmac immediately in front of the car. Wrestling the steering wheel was tough considering I have the upper body strength similar to that of a pre-adolescent girl, but at session's end the clock somehow showed an astonishingly quick time! 30th for the session, which brought our standing to 40th for the event. We're creeping closer to our goal and we have another week of competition to sort it all out.

It's 10:30pm and I've managed to retain my sanity for yet another day of Sebastian's incessant ramblings. Tomorrow has us at Hallet Raceway in Oklahoma where I'm hoping we can motorboat Lady Luck's implanted double D's just one more time.

Day 3: Reality Check

It’s never happened where a 1 Lapper has been seriously injured and hopefully never will, but an incident occurred this morning that gave everyone at the event a moment of serious pause. Canada Corner, as it’s known, is a relatively tight right hander coming off a straight with about a 100mph terminal velocity. A turn that is typically easily maneuvered, but this morning, a 600+ hp CTS-V lost brakes going into Canada Corner that resulted in the car flipping and going over an embankment, eventually resting on its roof. Certainly spectacular for anyone who viewed the crash, but it was a sobering reminder to all the racers that consequences can be dear with even the slightest inattention. I’m happy to report, however, the driver was unscathed physically (though his beautiful CTS-V was toast) and in a turn of events that defines many a 1 Lapper’s penchant for the wonderfully weird, he purchased a Chrysler Crossfire no more than 3 hours after the crash so that he could finish the event…………Bravo Howard!

As for the rest of the run at the beautiful Road America, Sebastian and I argued (per usual) about who would run when. It was my (and correct) opinion that he should run in the money event in the afternoon, while I run in the morning. The reasoning was simple in that the afternoon run was to determine the start order for the remainder of the week. This essentially means that the higher the placing the earlier we get to run at each successive event; and with an early start also comes an early departure where we don’t have to limp into a hotel at 2am every day. Considering the fact that Sebastian has a fair bit of natural driving talent (despite the dim wit), it simply made sense and after some threats of violence the issue was settled.

I was first up and the butterflies were not so much fluttering, but getting running start kicks to the genitals…….unpleasant. For those unfamiliar with Road America, it’s a big, fast, technical, intimidating track. I was glad to have a mere 190hp on tap as the bg bore, big horsepower cars are rumored to kiss 170mph on the back straight prior to making a hard right. Lucky for me, my sense of self preservation and the measly 190hp would keep me mostly out of trouble. There were a couple moments of worry during the recon lap as I completely missed a few fast transitions, but my lap times were good enough for 43^rd and I kept the car out of the gravel traps; much better than yesterday’s 55^th finish and most important, 1 place ahead of Ric in 44^th!!! Hail to the 1 Lap Champions of Evergreen!

A mid-day break and it was Sebastian’s turn to take a stab. Again, the afternoon runs were to set the remainder of the week’s running order so a lot was at stake. I had no doubts that the result would be good, but it never ceases to amaze me how a seemingly uncoordinated, gangly kid from Detroit can make a car go so quickly. Passing the M3 that started in front of him and gaining a full 25 seconds on another M3 that started TWO places in front of him, Sebastian placed 38^th for the event and landed us in 44^th overall.

It’s currently 8:30pm, we’re almost to Des Moines, IA with 375 of the 650 mile transfer leg behind us. I’m brewing a colon-ary storm to the chagrin of my driving partner, but my gastro-intestinal issues are a righteous response to his incredibly foul smelling feet. How a person at this stage of homo-sapien evolution has hair on the bottoms of their feet is a medical mystery, but I digress.

Tomorrow has us at Mid-America Motorplex in the heartland of heartlands, Iowa. We’ll end the day driving to Oklahoma where I’m hoping our team standing is still ahead of the Team Merlot Magik!

Day 2: I Shouldn't Have Skipped That Day In Class.

Let's cut to the chase of today's entry and say that I suck at driving. 55th out of 68 was the final result of the wet skidpad. Driving classes and track days have apparently done absolutely nothing to advance my ability to maneuver a car and disappointed as I am, there is still room for optimism. We'll play the full 9 innings and see where we lay a week from tomorrow, but today was certainly a blow to our hopes of coming in the top 30.

The field is full of returning 1 Lappers as well as a few rookie teams. Walking the paddocks would make your typical car guy drool with envy as 911's, M cars, Z06 Vettes, & STI's are lined up like so many rental Camrys. The morning had us roll into The Tire Rack's huge facility where we met up with Ric and Loye and the rest of the 1 Lappers. It was fantastic to see a lot of familiar faces as we prepared for the afternoon's event.

As I mentioned earlier, however, the poor showing has dampened the spirit, but the proverbial full 9 innings have yet to be played. Tomorrow morning brings us to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin's famous Road America. We'll be running two sessions that will set the running order for the remainder of the week.

The one solace that we have is that Ric apparently played hookie the same day I did, as they finished 64th in the field. Our lead in the race to beat Ric & Loye in Merlot Magik is secure til at least this afternoon. Let's hope that Sebastian can stop talking just for a few minutes to drive Road America without distraction.

Day 1: Constabulatory Avoidance

We've all had them. Days that simply begin with signs that tell us to remain within the confines of home and watch the sun gently rise on one side of the house and serenely set on the other. Experienced from the comforts of pajamas, the couch, with beer(s), & a bag of chips (preferably jalapeno flavored), few situations are safer or more soothing.

Sign #1 that today was just such a day were immediate as I awoke to a fresh inch of snow knowing that 1300 miles of driving await us. Any other day, a measly inch would hardly necessitate a second thought but as you know, today was our departure for 1 Lap and as such, our friendly neighborhood Polak, Sebastian, had to maneuver his slick-tired Lotus from his house, down a precipitous 2000 feet of twisting tarmac through a snow storm even to get started; sketch, yes.

It's 7am and the expletives between the two of us have already started. I'll say this only because it's true........he's fucking difficult. Nary a hello as he roars into the driveway and barks orders to get my stuff in the car and says we need to stop in Evergreen to get the event-required fire extinguisher; sign #2 indicating pajamas and potato chips would have been a better idea. Unfortunately, the snow was coming down so quickly that we were in danger of being stranded so departure was forced without said extinguisher causing angst among those of us who have excessive hair on their back. Suffice it to say that Sebastian worries too much and said extinguisher was obtained without incident, somewhere in Nebraska.

11am and things are going much smoother as the sun peeked through the clouds and the roads dried to allow care-free driving. Care-free that is if you drive less than 90mph. Sign #3 to stay amongst the pajama'ed appeared in the form of a Nebraska state trooper reminding me that I love my couch. Cruising between 95-100, the brown spec in the horizon that I suspected to be a fine local constabulary was just that.......lucky beyond good fortune, he tucked in behind us right as I slowed to the speed limit. 10 miles........10 miles of nervously glancing in the rear view mirror as I try to hold a very steady 74mph in a car without cruise control is near impossible. Somehow the fuzz pulled off and we continued unscathed. Turns out a mandarin orange Lotus Elise attracts unwanted attention.

3pm and settled in to the buzz, rattle, hum of a plastic car with no sound deadening. Sign #4 appears......literally. "State Patrol Stop for Drug Trafficking". Now understand that Sebastian nor I are regular smokers of the ganja, but I just so happened to have a couple cookies that would certainly get us in trouble. Immediately batting the possibilities back and forth, the "stop" somehow never manifest itself and we moved along without incident.

11pm and we've rolled into a hotel to call it a day. I'm hoping when I wake, that all signs of remaining in pajamas are gone. We're overly excited with what's to come. Our itinerary for tomorrow has us registering, going through tech inspection, and running the first skidpad event in South Bend, IN.

If I were Luke Duke, I'd be screaming "YEEEEHAW!!!"

Prologue

Excuse my ramblings but I'm freaking excited! If you're reading this, I assume you followed at least a bit of our "progress" from last year's 1 Lap so here we are again; A year later. A year older. A year wiser? Just to set the scenario a bit for this year's car racing festivus, Sebastian (still hairy & still Polish) and I will be entering the event again in a Lotus Elise; though this year in Sebastian's apropos flaming mango orange example.
I would have much preferred to take his very comfortable 997 or even my supremely utilitarian Magnum (hold the jokes please), but alas here we are facing thousands of miles of mind-numbing interstate, frost-heaved back roads, & sinewy ribbons of racetrack in a conspicuous rattlebox approximating a car.

A year ago, we embarked on what I thought would be a one time 1 Lap experience, but it goes without saying that popping the proverbial cherry only whet the appetite. The passed year had Ric (our arch-nemesis in the very beautiful Porsche Boxster S, aka Merlot Magik), Sebastian, and me going to trackdays at every opportunity to get our collective fix as well as hone our skills. Whether those aforementioned skills have actually been improved upon is up for debate, but we're all headed to the 2010 One Lap starting grid out to prove that while our skills may be limited, our inner delinquencies still exist:)

We had no expectations but to have fun and finish the event last year........with success achieved, we've set our sights a bit higher this year, albeit higher than third from last is far from shooting for the moon:) I will again attempt the near impossible task of spending 10 straight days with the Pretentious Polak (sp?) without maiming myself, and in all fairness, Sebastian will attempt the same feat spending copious hours in the drivers seat as I slumber peacefully from racetrack to racetrack. Ric and partner Loye (the Presbytarian minister), with God in tow, will need all the divine intervention to defeat the undisputed and undefeated 1 Lap Champions of Evergreen......Team Poland/Korea. On the wager line is a portrait of the winning team to be displayed proudly in the losing team's living rooms for an entire year! The term "high stakes" barely describes what's on the line.

April 30th is right around the corner so cheers to another memorable event as we crisscross the eastern half of the country avoiding constabularies, visiting many-a-greasy-spoon, seeing odd portions of the countryside, meeting even odder folk, & most of all, searching for racing glory (obviously a euphemism for having our lovely pictures displayed on others' mantles).

Gentlemen.....start your 1.8 liter Toyota powered English go carts made of plastic.