Heyas,
Thanks for the pat on the back, Cole
I had been meaning to post on this for a while because there was a nifty little twist to this story not found on the timesheets.
The course design was really not suited to our cars. It was predominately a horsepower track. The worst bit about it was the start. You took off, and then five feet later took a 90 degree turn to the right, five feet later you trip the timer. That spells disater for me. Wheel-spin-o-rama. I saw it coming a mile away, and was spot on in my assumption.
What I did was, well, underhanded, but entirely legal. There was a small gap in the cones on the left as you launched. So I waited until my last run, and staged waaay to the right, pointed all goofy-like at the wrong side of the track. The started waved me on with a confused look, which I can only imagine went to dumbstruck as I motored (very slowly) past him and off the course. I then circled back and entered the course through the same gate, and tripped the lights at a nice clip and with no wheelspin
In all honesty, I don't think it gleaned me much for a couple of reasons. The area outside the course was dusty and trashy, and I know my warm Kuhmos picked up a pound of rocks. Also, the trip back on course wasn't a straight shot, so I couldn't rocket through there. Plus it was a real tight squeeze, and it was a little bit of a turn. I couldn't believe I made the turn actually, because when I cranked the wheel, the car pushed like a pig (right towards the timing cones - butt-puckering, I tell ya). It finally grabbed and I made it okay, but I wasn't going all that much faster than a good launch. It was good for at least a tenth or so (which, iirc, was what I beat Baumbach by).
Steve Baumbach was two cars back when I did this on my last run, and he told me afterwards that he seriously considered doing the same thing. He opted not to, so, well, hey, clean win. Steve did give me a good pat on the back for thinking of it.
The car is back, yes, and structurally sound. In fact, after I had it realigned, it actually coners better, so i am happy. The cosmetics on it suq, though. I haven't signed for it, and I have yet to take it back to them to have them fix darn near everything they touched. A slip-shod job, and I am appalled. I pitched a fit, and it'll get fixed, I am sure, but I was sure disappionted in their initial effort.
