Interview with Adam Jabaay.

     So, with the Peter Cunningham interview going so well, I decided to keep my talents in Indy and interview someone else. I want to keep "grassroots" in this series, so here we go, I introduce Adam Jabaay. He was an easy choice for me because he is one of those people who has been in the "scene" for awhile. My first event was West Michigan Honda Meet in 2009 which is an event that Adam helps with, as I do now. Back then, I knew who he was because of his car. His car is one that stands out, it stands out because I screams "I think outside the box." That car, "Night Ripper", was in Super Street, etc. But, our first interaction came towards the end of 2010. I had a newleaf. meet down in Brown County, apparently he and his family were down there as well. He sent me a message on Honda-Tech and then we caravaned down to ITR Expo '11 at CMP. From then on, we have stayed in contact, almost constant contact. Earlier this year, he asked me to do the LeMons race with them, we won the B class and finished sixth overall. Then later in the year, we made the trek to VIR for NSXpo. Needless to say, I've spent a lot of time around Adam at the track in the past couple years. To me, he is like the Dos Equis man, but the Honda version, the most interesting man in the world. haha. He likes to tinker with everything. He has a Ford with a Cummins in it, he helped a few buddies put a K series motor into a Miata, plus the "Night Ripper" has a lot going on, yet it only cost like $47.84 to build! He's been with his wife forever and he used to ride BMX. So, we have a lot in common, yet he is tall, I am not. He is normally pretty mellow, I get pissed real easy. Needless to say, we drove all the way out to VIR, which was over 20 hours round trip without the radio ever being turned on. In that time, I got to hear a few of his stories, now it is your turn.

Drew Davis photo.

Brap: What was your first car and what ever happened to it?

  
AJ: My first car wasn't a car, it was a '91 Ford Aerostar with a 4.0 v6 and extra long rear (towing package meant you got the big v6!). My dad had driven it 170,000 miles in 8 years and handed it to me when I got my license. He let me skip school on my birthday and go get the precious license. I'll never forget that day. The Aerostar was suffering from severe rust when I got it. The trans started slipping and eventually died (sold it at auction for scrap prices basically). We hauled lots of BMX bikes all over the Midwest in it though, and i'll never ever forget that van. I bought my 5 speed 1991 Nissan Maxima shortly after that and my brother still owns that car. It now has somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 WHP plus gets tracked hard, driven cross country, and regularly tows our LeMons CRX when my trailer is full of 2 other cars(we bring lots of crap to track days and the LeMons CRX is one of our most fun pieces of crap).

Brap: What got you into racing or into cars in general?

AJ: My good buddy Dave Boender got me into "modding" cars in high school. I've read car magazines all my life basically though. My Grandpa drove stock cars in the 50's and I went to the circle track growing up. My dad taught me how to drive stick when I was very young. I "helped" him work on his work trucks a lot and was doing all the regular maintenance on his small fleet when I was 14 or 15 I think. In high school, Dave's father's dealership had my Nissan Maxima for sale and Dave said "You gotta drive this car. It's so fun and you can fit bikes in the trunk. I think it'll look cool with different wheels and lowering springs". Dave had a pretty rad Honda Prelude back then, plus he and I rode BMX together forever. Hes still one of my closest buddies and he has done several track days with me over the years, although hes only casually into cars now.

Brap: What has been your favorite car to drive on track?

AJ: My favorite car to drive on track is a toss up between my "fast" 350 whp civic (it's terrifying in braking zones though and goes 140+ mph easily) and my ITA CRX. I've been using the CRX primarily now because its low maintenance and it's FUN. B series powered Hondas are usually passable, it's easy on wear items, and you have to WORK to get it going fast. I'm still a few seconds off ITA "record" pace with it at big tracks, but its been a lot of fun. Plus, it's so cheap and disposable.

Brap: What is you favorite track that you have driven?

AJ: My favorite track is VIR, but Mid Ohio is a VERY CLOSE second. VIR has the long straights that are kind of snoozy in my ITA CRX. But, there is NOTHING in the world like going through the uphill Esses in that thing. Wide open throttle in 4th gear, running over the gators because the car is so short it's tough to not hit them. It's the most thrilling section of track I know of. Then immediately after the Esses, there is South Bend, which I constantly over brake for and look like a complete weenie. And, Oak Tree turn which is suck at without the oak tree which I likely sucked at when the oak tree was there. BUT HOLY CRAP I LOVE THE ESSES. The whole atmosphere of that place just MAKES it. And the drive is so long, but sort of awesome.

Brap: What do you enjoy most about racing or the car community in general?

AJ: I enjoy the people in the car community and the complete focus that being on track provides. Any day that I'm at the track, I'm with at least a half dozen good buddies, and it's the ONLY place I feel completely relaxed. Even if we are swapping an engine in the rain via the headlights of two S2000s, while my drunk buddies are heckling how long it is taking. The only place I can completely forget work and stress is a racetrack. Some of my best friends are the guys I see 10-12 times a year at tracks all over the country.

Brap: You've been messing with Hondas since Lincoln was in office. Why Hondas?

AJ: HONDAS ARE CHEAP. There is nothing, except maybe a Miata, that you can have as much fun with on a racetrack minimal money as a Honda. I prefer the '88-'91 Civic and CRX, obviously, but my 1984 CRX LeMons car is lovely too, with its solid beam rear axle and complete lack of springs in the front. I only surround myself with the Honda racing crowd, so I don't see much of the "idiot" or "ricer" crowd, except for this one noob ricer named Brap.

Brap: You have been doing DEs since Monica met Bill, then you did a LeMons race. What happened after that?

AJ: I knew from running the instructor sessions with Chin Motorsports at Autobahn(open passing, race conditions) that I WOULD LOVE wheel to wheel. After doing our first LeMons race, I immediately starting figuring out how to run SCCA with my "real racer" buddies. Wheel-to-wheel racing is different that track days. I've done well over 100 track days over the past 11 years or so, and I cant remember details about most. I feel like every second of wheel to wheel is ingrained in my head. I'm sure that will pass eventually, but right now its what i'm in love with. 

Brap: You guys didn't take LeMons too serious(3 or 4 previous races). You asked me to join the team and said that I was being too serious. I started my stint second in class. During my stint, we took over the lead in class. Your brother told me that I could come in whenever I wanted, then you hopped on the radio and yelled "NO!!! Stay out!" Do you think that you overreacted and took it too serious at that point?

AJ: I don't think we over reacted there. The only reason I don't think we over reacted is because we won the EVER LOVING PISS out of our class that race. Yeah, yeah, you did a good job. haha

I learned a lot that weekend, prep means EVERYTHING. Knowing what your in for helps. Staying cool under "pressure" helps, too.

Brap: Back when I knew Adam Penn better than you. He, yourself, and Dave Mi-Ott-a used to talk a lot of trash and battle it out. Neither of them have done an event in awhile. Do you consider yourself to have won that battle?

AJ: Man, I miss those guys on track, but they'll be back soon(and yes, won. Completely. haha). Dave now has a CRX, with a rollbar, and ready for HPDE fun. Penn is looking for a rollbar for his daily driver Miata. You can't lose the addiction. They had it bad and they'll be back soon. The three of us had a few really really good sessions. Adam and I had one session where we were nose-to-tail the entire time. I doubt 2 cars have ever been that COMPLETELY EVENLY MATCHED at a track day ever. 

Brap: What is the best pizza place that you've ate? Aunt Millie's?

AJ: I have lived in Chicago my whole life. I've ate all the "best pizza" in the world here. That CRAPHOLE a mile from VIR, Aunt Millie's, is the only pizza I think about on a daily basis. Wasn't it you that contemplated going to Buffalo Wild Wings that night?(Editor's note: I said Bdubs because that's what everyone else wanted to do due to karaoke. I'm sure glad that we didn't go because, we were told, the karaoke was lame!) WHO WAS RIGHT!?

Brap: Bonus question. Most people didn't believe it, but in West Virginia, did we almost hit a black bear?

AJ: Yes. My F350 ALMOST had a black bear in the grill.  My mad skills totally saved me from buying a new headlight on eBay the Monday after that event. That was the weirdest thing I've almost hit with a vehicle. 

     As you can see, Adam is a pretty rad dude. I heard that he even likes long walks on the beach! I've learned a lot from Adam and I've gotten flipped off a lot by Adam. If you're at the track and you see him, be sure to take a few minutes to catch a chat with him. You won't be disappointed! And, if you can't catch him in the paddock, you'll be sure to catch him on a straight away. The ITA car goes 0-60 in 6 minutes, as if I have room to talk. But, until next time, eat Aunt Millie's and watch out for black bears!

Interview with Peter Cunningham.

     I usually don't use this blog much over the winter, so I figured that I could pass the time by doing some short interviews of some peers within the community. Being a "Honda fanboy" and the announcement of ITR Expo going to Road America, my choice was easy. I sent Peter a message and that brings us to the present. RealTime played a HUGE part in me wanting to get my Civic on track and ITR Expo is where I met a lot of my good track buddies. So, with the buzz of RealTime and "PD" showing up to Expo, I had to pose the question plus a few more. 

Photo from the RealTime site.

Brap: What was your first car and what ever happened to it?

  
PD: My first car was a 1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass convertible that I paid $915 for in January of 1978, six months before my 16th birthday. I had repainted, mounted fog lights behind the grill and put some Crager mags and new tires on it, and then proceeded to pound the living snot out of it for the next few months. Then the tranny started to slip when it was cold, so I sold it quickly for $1,300. I’ve owned very few American cars since then, but never as my primary mode of transportation. My second car was almost a 1979 Honda Civic, but the one I ordered new from a dealer never arrived so I ended up with a Datsun 310GX (with a maroon velour interior, ugh).

Brap: What got you into racing or into cars in general?

PD: I started driving at a very early age. When I was six, my dad would let me steer the family’s Vista Cruiser as I sat next to him on the bench seat. Eventually I would also manage the accelerator and brake. It got to the point that whenever and wherever we went, I was manipulating the controls. It became my passion, I guess. My older sister also had an influence in my interest in cars. She was three years older than I and she was head over heels into neat old cars. That rubbed off for sure. But as far as racing was concerned, I wasn’t exposed to it. I had a few near misses where I could have discovered it earlier, but never did. Finally, a week or two after I graduated from high school, I happened upon an autocross. That was all it took!

Brap: What has been your favorite car to drive on track?

PD: Definitely the RealTime Acura NSX. That car was an amazing work horse and ended up with an outstanding record of success. To this day, that car was the easiest to drive at the edge.

Brap: What is you favorite track that you have driven?

PD: Of course that would be Road America, an old school, world class, four-mile ribbon of undulating asphalt. How cool is it that the Expo will take place at this 600-acre National Park in 2014?

Brap: What do you enjoy most about racing or the car community in general?

PD: The racing community is definitely a great group of people and I consider them my extended family. A lot of the guys I race with and against are some of my best friends. Others I’m not as social with, but even then, there is a quiet mutual respect shared with those in the fraternity. And I like that that they come from all over the country, or even the world. But we all have one common thread that brings us together.

Brap: There is internet hype that you, along with a RealTime car, will be at ITR Expo '14. True or false?

PD: I’ve heard those rumors as well. All I can tell you at this point is we’re not racing that weekend, Road America is only a half hour away from the RealTime shop, and the event will be happening on my birthday.

Brap: Speaking of internet hype. When the RealTime poster came out, the internet went crazy. They were released to Acura dealers and there were a few for sale to the public. The ones for sale went faster than the spots for Honda Meet. Before then, did it ever occur to you the impact that you and RealTime Racing had on the Honda community?

PD: The interest we had with the Acura Motorsports Heritage prints was both gratifying and overwhelming. With the success the team has enjoyed over the years, we’ve had the opportunity to meet tons of fans at each of the different circuits. But certainly with the internet and the insurgence of social media, more people than ever are familiar with the RealTime brand.

And speaking of posters, RTR just commissioned a 12” x 24" reprint of the original limited-edition Acura Heritage lithograph. Just in time for Christmas and only $25 - Get them while they are hot!

If you want a copy send an email to poster@realtimerl.com. 

Brap: You have the most wins and championships in World Challenge history, as well as many other drivers' titles in other series. What can you attribute to your success?

PD: I’ve responded this question often over the years, and the honest answer is the Honda/Acura connection. And the passionate and dedicated people from RealTime who appreciate the history, engineering and performance of the product.

Brap: You've been with Honda for awhile now. What type of role have they played in your success?

PD: Yes, 2014 will be my 28th year with Honda. I used to be young. The role Honda and Acura have played is nothing short of instrumental. I’ve definitely won more races and championships with an ‘H’ or an ‘A’ on the hood than any other brand. As a driver, I have also raced for factory-supported programs from Mazda, BMW, Nissan and Chevrolet, but I think I’ll stick with Acura for the assault of my next title!

Brap: This will be your first ITR Expo, so Jay will put you in the Beginner Group. Do you think that you'll be able to bring the Beginner Group HPDE trophy back to RealTime Racing?

PD: I will do my best. I’ll grid up right behind you, Brad. But I must warn you, I DRIVE FLAT OUT. That is how I drive.


Info on attending ITR Expo, visit www.ITRExpo.com!!

     I wish that I could take him up on the last offer and get my doors blown off. But, with Brandy having a due date of July 8th with our second child, I better not take any chances. I'm bummed at the thought of missing Expo because this one is going to be epic! I hate using that word, but it fits in this case. I don't know how everyone else felt, but I was super stoked the first time that I was on track with Bernie in the ex-RTR car. It just so happened that it was at Mid Ohio, where it all "started". There is something about RealTime that connects me and my Honda to the track. Now there is the opportunity to be on track with PD and the RealTime Racing team at their home track, you better book the dates(June 30-July 1)!! 

From my first trip to Mid Ohio.

NSXpo at VIR, part Earnhardt or 3!!! The Finale.

So, I almost got 8 hours of sleep coming into the second day, but I still felt "blah". I did my typical routine and we headed to the drivers' meeting. It wasn't foggy like the first morning, but it was definitely gloomy. We got out of the drivers' meeting and it is now drizzling. Silly weather, but I had most of my stuff done on the car. I just had to get myself ready.

Ryan Conley was having some issues the day before, so he swapped out distributors. The rest of us were getting ready, then Mr. Security laid the hammer down on us. We were over the yellow line, whoops, but that's where we had been since we arrived. He comes back by five minutes later and Ryan lost the Mr. Nice Guy title for a moment. It was pretty awesome to see. He got his car right and we all moved our cars, there was peace in the air.

Our first session rolls around and I'm still "not in the mood". I planned on just going out and getting my "direction" back. I think I started third in line behind the TTB NSX and Jeff in his BRZ. It wasn't sprinkling, but it was a constant mist which didn't really help me wake up. We got out on track and Jeff let me go. I wasn't really pushing, but I was keeping a gap with the NSX. Ok, so, again, it gets me going. He picks up the pace and I follow. We got going pretty well for the conditions. Even though it would be "dry" on one part of the track, it would be wet on another. It was constant per location either. The brake zone into T1 is where it seemed to be the "worst". Traction there was goofy all weekend, but it was manageable. It caught me out once in the session and the NSX pulled a tad bigger gap. It was nice to go out and "wake up". I felt that the day was only going up from there.

VIDEO FROM THE FIRST SESSION ON DAY TWO.

By session number two, it was clearing up and at least dry. I borrowed Jason's AiM Solo because I have thought about purchasing one and I wanted to see the benefits. I didn't want to use it earlier in the weekend because I didn't want to get fixated on lap times. I started the session towards the front. So, we head out and we take our warm up lap. Then, on the first "flying" lap, someone lets me go and I come acrossed the line hoping that I did everything right to get the Solo to work properly. Yes, it worked, it was a low 23 lap which I didn't know if it was good or bad. The next lap, I cranked out a 2:21.96. I felt that the lap was good, but I was still trying to clean things up. Unfortunately, the rest of the session, I got caught out with traffic. Still a great session and it was nice to look over to see how I was doing. After the session, I got out and told Adam what I had ran. I think that was the first time that I thought "oh, well maybe that was a good lap." due to his facial expression. 

We had lunch, then I went to a classroom session. Meanwhile, the whole time, since I was using the Solo, I was thinking of where I could make it better. So, I got a plan together of what I wanted to work on. Now, we just had to wait to go out, which was supposed to be 3pm.

We are all hanging out and everything besides pressures are done on my car. I go back upstairs to the room for a bit before our session. I come back down and everyone is in their cars, running. I asked Adam what was going on, he replies "they combined Advanced and Intermediate." Oh crap, I'm going to be late to the party. I wanted to party with Adam, but I seen him head out. Well, I guess that I am out for that, back to plan A, work on getting quicker. As I am going through grid, I see him go by start/finish. Sweet, there is a chance! Well, apparently, he was tipping these people as he went by. They were holding me up like Simba in the beginning of Lion King. I come through South Bend and I see him up towards Oak Tree. I get on the back straight and line him up like a Kid N' Play fade. I was fully prepared to push him up the back straight, but he fully lifted, nope, not going to happen. I come to find out, he jumped a couple curbs, so he got black flagged for going "four off". hahaha. I keep working on what I had planned, but every time that I would think "this is THE lap", I would get slowed up by someone. That session, I never got a clean lap, bummer, but oh well. The session was still fun.

On day one in the drivers' meeting, I asked about flag stand location. The only person to answer me was Andy, he replied "they will all be manned." Ok, I'll find them and we will go from there. Well, I found them all, except for one. This one was kind of critical, it was the one on the outside of Oak Tree. I would always be one of the first ones out and wouldn't run the whole session before coming in, so I'd never see the checkered. Well, the third session due to going out late, I was to have seen the checkered. But, that didn't happen. Earlier in the event, coming out of Oak Tree, Joe pointed me by, then drag raced me. I joked around with him about it, so in this session, I see him ahead. He then gives a thumbs up, so I think "cool, he's just letting me go." So, I just buzz on by. I then get up into Roller Coaster and I see Dave ahead. Before T16, it seemed like he had slowed. So, I think "awesome, he knows that I want to start a "flier"." I go on by and as I am coming out of Hog Pen, the corner worker is giving me the "hang loose" signal. I also see Conley pulling into the pits, so it all "clicks" at that point. I cruise on through the pits, Andy gives me a hang loose while Jack and Nick give me a thumbs up. haha. I was laughing pretty good because I came out clean on that one with Joe and Dave ahead. I never miss flags and that wasn't the time to start.

Joe's view after the checkered.

Dave's view after the checkered.

Adam and I had a long trip ahead, especially after a long day. So, we decided to pack up and say our goodbyes. It stinks because most of these people, I won't see until next summer, but I've got Facebook. haha. Adam went over and took a shower while I just sat at the bottom of Roller Coaster to soak it all in. 

Once we hit the road, it was smooth sailing. Andy passed us in his old Integra and that was the last sight of any #IntegraFriends. I asked Adam about every mile if we could turn around, he kept saying no. It seemed the mountains were steeper heading home than coming to VIR. It was almost dark outside and we are climbing the mountain. I'm looking over to the left and I see this big, dark object moving. It was way too big to be a dog. Luckily, Adam saw it too, so by the time I yelled "WHHOOAAA!!", he was already on the brakes. Holy, black bear!! This bear runs out in front of us, we miss it by less than three feet! It was a full grown bear, but it at least weighed 250 pounds.

We kept on chugging home. We stopped at this truck stop as we got into Kentucky. I went inside and when I came back to the truck, Adam was asleep. So, instead of waking him, I let him sleep. He slept for about an hour and a half. I didn't sleep because I knew that I would have been "done" after that. Once we were in Indiana and on 74, I slept for about 15 minutes. We backed into my driveway around 6am, I was inside, showered, and ready to lay down by 7am. I slept until 8am, then I got up for work. I worked all day and when I got home, Bai and I played for a bit. I think I fell asleep on the couch around 830pm as we were watching cartoons. At that point, I would have been up for almost 39 hours with about an hour of sleep. I hadn't done that in awhile and I still think that I am feeling the side effects of it. haha.

Looking back on the trip, wow. What a great time even though it was long travels, it was well worth it. Everyone told me how "nice" VIR was and how fun the track was. They were all lying, it was better than even expected. It is a far drive, but it might have to happen on a yearly basis. It was also cool to hang out with ITR guys, but more in depth or one on one. I've seen Joe and Dave a few times this year, but the others, it seems like ITR Expo was it. The karting was awesome, I wish that we could have done it again, but with the schedules given, it was tough. Adam's idea of staying on top of the garages was a great idea. It was super convenient and accessible because I was up there before and after every session. The track itself, it was amazing. It let you know when you made a mistake, it also told you when you were being a girl. In the Midwest, we don't have many tracks with that variety, let alone speed. Fun track to learn and I can't wait to go back, until then, hang loose!!

Cheers.

#BrapCity

NSXpo at VIR, part two.

So, it is time for my first session at VIR. Since I wasn't instructing, I was making sure that I got to grid early or at least on time. I got to the grid and I noticed that I was going to be third or fourth in line, so I held back and let every car possible go by. It originally worked well because I was about eight or nine cars back from the front. Then, they released us to go out on track. VIR Full course is 3.27 miles long and the first lap was yellow, which was good. But, the bad thing was, the person in the front of the grid had their hazards on going 50mph around the whole track. I thought "great, this isn't a good way to learn the track!" Some played really nice and let me go coming to the green, I wasn't going to pass that up. I picked the track up quicker than I had expected and the pace followed.

The first session went better than expected, but I had A LOT to pick up in the next couple days. On the Midwest tracks, you can rotate the car early and hammer down. There are a few corners at VIR that don't like that method or style. So, that was one of my big adjustments, waiting and turning in later. Going into Hog Pen was something that I really needed to work on because I was way early into T16. Overall, I was happy with the session.

The second session, I still wanted to "take it easy", so I could gather up the rest of the track. That would have worked well, but the TTB NSX was in front of me. So, it became "learn the track and keep up with him." haha. It was basically a blessing in disguise and that session was better than the first. That was also the first session where the car got a bit loose in the esses due to bombing the first right side curb. And, yes, I did scream! haha.

For lunch, Chris aka TeamNextGenChris cooked hamburgers and hot dogs. It was a pretty rad time. There was a bunch of us #IntegraFriends over there. Tons of laughs, not enough time to catch up with some. But, it was a great idea by Chris to say the least. Chris if you read this, thanks again, that was awesome!!

The one thing about VIR that I enjoyed is it has curbs and lots of them. Most of them have a lot of surface area, so using a lot of them is really fun. Well, in the third session, that came back to haunt me. This session as you would guess also got better than the previous ones. I'm learning the track, I'm waiting on certain apexes, and feel better up the esses. I had a decent amount of open track, then I caught up to the #IntegraFriends. Ryan, Dave, Jeff, and Joespike were always running in a line. It was awesome site to arrive to. These guys are all clean, have many years on track, and even better to be around in the paddock. Anyways, I catch up to Jeff on the front straight, but as I'm going by the kink, I notice out of the corner of my eye, my fuse box is hanging there. What the heck!! I get by Ryan coming out of the lower esses and I literally laugh out loud and point. Up ahead, Dave is running with the hazards on, it was too funny. I wish my GoPro got the session, but for some reason, the only footage I have is from South Bend before I catch up to Joe. To my pleasant surprise, Joe is also running his hazards. We come out of Oak Tree and Joe points me by, but I can't catch him. haha. I flash my brights a few times to no avail, but he finally lifts at the crest on the back straight. I love the Roller Coaster section into Hog Pen, so I hammer through there and coast into the pits.

With the use of zip ties, I get the fuse box mounted back up. There was a 25 minute gap between our third and fourth session, which is combined with the instructors. I decided that the day was a success, so I hung it up for the day. I took it easy, watched some of that session, and took at shower for the night's festivities. 

During the day, many were talking about BW3s because they were having a karaoke night. But, since we had left Indy, Adam kept talking about Aunt Millie's that the Penn brothers had taken him to. We basically threw in the towel to go with the rest of the group, but then Jack said Millie's, too. So, one group with to karaoke and another to Aunt Millie's. VIR is right on the Virginia and North Carolina. We made the seven minute trip to Milton, NC and ate at Aunt Millie's. This place looked like an absolute craphole. There was probably 20 of us which made them under staffed. I was hungry, so I complained to the table. I got asked if I wanted a Snickers, well of course I did. The first bite that I took of the pizza, HOLY SMOKES!!! It had a New York style crust with Chicago like style toppings, thick cheese, not a lot of sauce. Wow, I was so stoked that we went there. That sure beat the mini corn dogs that I would have got at BW3s.

The building next to Aunt Millie's. Yes, those are trees.

Once we were back at the track, I sat around the garage with the guys. But, I was worn out from the prior day, so I hit the sheets early. It was nice because normally my track sleep schedule is terrible to say the least. Enough of that, day two will lead off part three!

NSXpo at VIR, part 1.

I normally don't do these in sections, but there is a lot to cover with the trip, etc. So, I am going to try and cover NSXpo in different parts.

Everyone that has been to VIR has told me how good it is. Sander and Steve were the two who "pushed" the effort the most. Fortunately, they were lying, it was even better than they described. But, enough of that, lets get on with the build up and the trip.

Adam Jabaay and I started getting to know each other at ITR Expo '11 at CMP. It was my first big road trip for an event and it started my second full year of tracking the hatchback. The relationship has grown quickly which leads us to this trip. In 2011, Adam went out to VIR to run a TrackDaze event with the Penn brothers. Since that time, he has said that we needed to get out there, along with the others that I mentioned previously. There was never really "a reason" to head out there, until this year when Steve LaClair helped organize the HPDE portion of NSXpo. As soon as it was announced, Adam and I had the same idea. We both took our time paying, at this point, I don't know why. I should have signed up day 1. haha.

The trip from my house is about 11 hours, so for Adam, it is almost 14. He left his house at midnight, Chicago time, and got to my house are 4am EST. We were on the road at 4:30am and had a pretty smooth cruise. Once we got into West Virginia, it was awesome. What a view out there this time of year, wow is all I have for it. We weren't using GPS or anything, just going off of our map app on our phones. It wasn't bad, but they didn't have our exit road labelled properly. So, we missed 58 and ended up descending down the mountain and had to make up a detour on our own.

The detour was wild to say the least. We took 103 through North Carolina and this road took us out in the "sticks". To sum up the detour, we saw a headstone in front of a house, right next to the driveway. Pretty twisty road, but a nice scenic detour to say the least. The detour took us about 45 minutes out of our way, so we were cutting it close on making it to the karting portion of NSXpo.

We barely made it in time to kart. We literally hopped out of the truck, grabbed our helmets, and walked quickly to the karts. Luckily, it was some of the ITR guys, so we hopped right in. Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to grab my GoPro, but what an awesome track and session. I started second to last and the other guys, beside Jabaay and I, had ran several sessions. So, the first couple laps were to figure out and watch out for the Mario Kartness. It was wild, one time going into the downhill right hand sweeper, the guys in front of me were three wide, banging the crap out of each other. I passed one at the exit, then I got the track figured out, so the pace picked up. I got around Jeff and Luke, then my pedal extender folded up, so I couldn't touch the gas. I pulled over to flip it back down and got underway. I was out in the open and it was super boring compared to what we had been doing before. So, I pulled over again and I knew Conley had on a red shirt. I timed the gap perfectly, he passed me as we went into the slow hairpin in the back. I got back underneath him, but due to the massive weight difference, he pulled away. Into the downhill right hander, I got underneath him, but he played it right and over/undered me. The next section was tight, so trying to make a pass meant contact. I played back and tried to get a run going onto the front straight to keep the gap close. But, by the time we got to the tight hairpin, he had a big gap. At that point, I was just trying to maintain the gap. That went on for a few laps, then the checkered came out. What a great time and I was ready to do it again, but guess what, that was the last session. 

We left and got the keys to our room above the garages. Adam said that was the place we needed to stay even though there were nicer facilities on the grounds. Man was he right, the rooms were decent enough, but the location was perfect. After we got settled in, it was time for dinner at Oak Tree Tavern which is on the grounds as well.

It was some sort of "official dinner" or something of the sort. The building that it is in was pretty awesome, old, assuming it was a house prior to become a restaurant. We didn't know what to expect, but I expected to order my own food. That was a negative, it was a predetermined meal. I am picky, so I was hoping for something decent. Of course, I passed my salad over to Adam. The dinner meal was a chicken linguine or something of the sort which was ok. Then, the dessert came out. Holy smokes, a brownie with vanilla ice cream. I looked over and seen Jeff and Luke feeding each other. If I remember right, Bernie was taking pictures. One of the best parts of the night was driving to and from the tavern in Adam's ITA car. Look, mom, no headlights. We followed some van over and then followed Bernie back. If it wasn't for them, it could have gotten bad. haha.

I think we hung out in the paddock for a bit, but after that long of a day, it was bed time. The beds were small, but Adam and I went with the butt to butt method and shared the bed. Kevin fell asleep in the other bed, then Luke crashed next to him once he got back. Luke said that he didn't even know who he was sleeping next to until he woke up in the morning. haha.

Saturday morning started out cold and foggy. I had a few things to do to the car after the trip down. I got those dealt with and we headed down to the drivers' meeting. The drivers' meeting was different to say the least. Some of the basics weren't covered, yet some of the way over the top stuff was covered. I asked about flag stations since I had never been there, I was told they would all be manned. That didn't do me too much, I looked for all of them, but apparently, I missed one(but, I'll get to that later). There were some other odd ball topics that were brought up while Jabaay went and got breakfast. Then, it was asked that since he was in advanced and never had been there before, if he could turn on the hazards for the first session. #DukesOfHazards

That will lead us into the beginning of day one for part two!

#BrapCity

ITR Expo 13 and Disney World

Well, I/we have been super busy lately with being at Gingerman over Labor Day weekend, then ITR Expo at Mid Ohio, followed by Disney later that week. So, let me see if I can click this old man memory into gear.

I got home from Gingerman super late on Labor Day. I drove the hatch into work on Tuesday to prep for Expo. I knocked everything out except dismounting two old RA1s and mounting some streetable, but old RT615s. I was tired, so I drove home on the crappy Toyos and didn't check pressures before I headed home. Due to the laziness, the steering was HEAVY. haha. I used another night to pack the car, bleed the brakes, and mount the fifth point to the seat frame.

We had Bailynn's 4th birthday party on the Saturday night prior to Expo. So, we missed out on the Indy Expo party, but it gave me the night to pack my clothes. Travis showed up at 8am to load the car. We have the car and truck loaded by 830. Then, it was time for Cracker Barrel!!

Off to Ohio we went. The cruise was pretty smooth, except hardly anyone got the Facebook "Like" thumb. Too many old people on the road that don't partake in social media. haha. We met Jason and Shelbi at the track, but the paddock was still pretty full. We decided to go grab food. I forget the name of the place that we ate, but it was pretty good. It is the Bar and Grille next to the putt putt place. We also learned how much Jason loves apple sauce. I remember when I was 6!!

One of the "coolest" parts about this trip was that Travis(picture left) was the first one to introduce to me the site Honda-Tech. As you know, the rest is history. And, on the picture's right is Rob. He is the first person that I thought "I want to be that guy". He had a picture on a local forum in like '04 where his tach and speedo were buried, as well as his boost gauge! Travis went to Expo 4 and drove in 5, so I had been trying to get him to come back. This was Rob's first Expo and he was my intermediate student. Yes, that Like thumb is real!

Jason and Shelbi were shooting engagement photos(congrats, you two) with Kevin out on track. I decided to follow along to get a bit of a course walk in. Jason wanted to use helmets in the pictures, so Shelbi used mine. While they weren't using them, I acted in typical fashion.

Monday came around and it was time to get on track and also instruct. This was my first time on Hoosiers, so the first session was to "feel them out". The first time over Madness, holy D1. "I thought these things had TONS of grip??!" The first session was "eh", I expected more out of them. After the session, straight into Rob's car. Then, after his session, straight into Zach(my beginner student)'s car. Woof! One session off while Advanced is out and then back out for me. The second session was a lot better. It helped that Erik went by, so I had to chase right when I came out because I planned on "taking it easy". That is what I was expecting out of the Hoosiers, but my main problem was massive vibration going into China Beach. Due to being in the car for 6 out of the first 8 sessions, I skipped my third session. I don't remember much about the fourth session, but I am at Mid Ohio and I love that place. haha.

After the track festivities wrapped up, it was straight back to the hotel to ride the "Bangquet Bus" to Mansfield Reformatory. We did a tour before the banquet and holy smokes, that place was amazing. As sketchy as I expected it to be, it wasn't. Devon and I even stood behind the "haunted chair" and got our picture taken. Where is it at Matty D??! The food was good, as normal, but that tour, WOW! As Steve said, that tour might have made Expo this year. Thanks, Joe!!

Sunday started off well, the first session was great. I knew that it was going to get hotter as the day went on. So, for the second session, I wanted to lay a flyer down. I had been talking with Spencer and Erik about a few things to work on. The first session, I found some of that "speed". Well, earlier in the day, I put a #RyanConley sticker on my car. And, as I am going over the car before the second session, I have a leaking valve cover in the right rear!! Great, well, I can't bail on my students due to my car's malfunction or my malfunction in sticker choice. So, I missed two sessions before I could get to NAPA to get a core and tool. The fourth session was good, but it was hot, so I knocked out a few good laps. The tires were falling off due to pushing them, I was hot, so I was going to come in. I started my cool down lap and as I get into T1, here comes Adam Jabaay out of the pits. What The CRAP! Are you serious! I waited for that bum in grid before the session started and he was taking forever in the paddock. Oh well, I kept it in 4th gear and got going again. I ran another lap and a half, but I was already shut off mentally. I was over driving, not double clutching like I should(sorry, had to), so I threw the point by out. Adam waves it off, I show the pit signal, and he shows me the ol' #1 signal. hahaha!!

That was it for me for the weekend. Events like Expo have all this build up, then they are over in a split second. It stinks, but it is part off it. There is never enough time in the weekend to spend with your friends. The conversations are never long enough. You feel like you are always cutting that other person short, but I guess that is why we keep coming back, for the friendships!

I didn't talk much about instructing because I figured I would give them their own paragraph. What can I say about Rob? Well, here, he is FAST. I guess he had a drift car back in the day or something ricey. haha. Anyways, he has car control, etc. He just "gets it done"! Zach, wow, first timer, no autocross, nothing. Totally green and starting out at Mid Ohio, plus he drove up from Florida! With first timers, you never know what to expect. You can kind of read the person to see how it will go. Zach was a hard read, but he picked it up quick like it was a Black Friday special. It was a pure joy to instruct him. He went from not really knowing what to do, making silly everyday driving on the street errors, to frickin' ripping apart the whole beginner group. He went home stoked, but I think I was way more stoked than he was!!

The drive home sucked! It seemed the "weekend" went by way to quick. The five hour drive home seemed like ten. Travis seemed fine, yet I whined like a four year old, ask me how I know! haha. I can't wait for next year. If you don't attend Expo, even just to watch, you are missing out, BIG TIME!

Also, after reading all the crap about Honda/4 cylinders vs. Corvette/8 cylinders on Facebook this week. I figured that I would share this picture as well. Too me, this is what it is about. Abbymael is a car enthusiast and a Type R owner. We had never met prior to Expo. I was going through his pictures and I found this. It is awesome to see a peer enjoy the work that you have put forth. Maybe it is because they get the "struggle" or maybe they understand the "love" behind it. Regardless, they get it. It isn't about who drives what or who passes who. It is about having fun and making bonds with people, people who live 15 hours away. Those people you may only see once or twice a year, but I bet that bond never breaks. That is what it is about. Thanks again, Abby!

I worked Wednesday, Thursday, and a half day on Friday. Then, we were off at 2pm headed towards Florida. My goal was to make it past Atlanta on the first day, which we did. We got up at 6am and ate breakfast. We had a few weird things go out there, but nothing was worse than this weird lady down there at breakfast. I won't get into the gross details, but she finally left with 4 cups stacked(both 3 looked to be empty) with 3 bowls on top of that, one with cereal in it, I believe, and a plate stacked on top of that with butter packets, etc covering the whole plate. She also hovered over the juice machine and left her cups next to the machine when she was done.

Brandy's sister's family drove straight through and said that they had to sit in this traffic jam for a couple hours. She sent pictures of this semi that had been over turned. Well, we were 4 hours out from that point, so I figured that we were ok. Guess what, wrong! We sat in traffic for about an hour. Once we got through that, it was smooth sailing.

Once we got to the Disney resort, we ate, then unloaded. Later, we headed to Downtown Disney to eat at T-Rex. That place was packed, but I guess that it was setting the tone for the rest of the week! Sunday, we didn't have park tickets, so I wanted to go to Daytona to check out the speedway and get Bai to the beach. Of course, to Brandy, this was a terrible idea. She threw a fit until we got to the beach. I think she is finally understanding that I am normally always right! haha. 

From Monday to Thursday, we had park hoppers. So, I really could go on and on about every place, etc. But, I'll try to hit a few points from every park.

Magic Kingdom: There isn't really much to say, but this is "where the magic happens". It is awesome, you could spend days there and never get tired of it!

Epcot: Not really a lot for the kids, but going around the Worlds is AWESOME!

Animal Kingdom: Really cool. We have an annual zoo pass, but this was the Indy Zoo on steriods! We got to talk to some of the workers that were from Africa, super awesome. 

Hollywood Studios: We made a quick trip through there. Really neat to get the behind the scenes look at things. We also got to see a lot of characters without much wait.

Food: We ate at several places, but Ohana, Liberty Tree Tavern, and Rainforest Cafe stood out. I also like Casey's Corner in Magic Kingdom for a quick serve meal.

Characters: Bai LOVED meeting characters. Her interaction with them was amazing!

The parades were awesome, we also watched a show at Hollywood Studios called Fantasmic, but to me, at Epcot the fireworks show called IllumiNations was amazing!! 

I could keep going on and on about Disney, but it would take FOREVER. Anyways, that Friday, we were going to Mickey's Not So Haunted Halloween at Magic Kingdom. So, Brandy's brother in law and I went karting. There were an indoor and outdoor facilities within a half an hour of where we were staying. We used our mid-day Friday to go do just that, kart. The outdoor track was awesome and it helped that we had like 14 people on track. The indoor track had electric karts, wow, those things were hard to get used to. I wish that I could have stayed at the outdoor, Orlando Kart Center all day, but back to Disney. 

https://vimeo.com/75118310

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween was awesome, but crazy how long the lines were for candy. We basically used it as a night to do ride after ride! We rode a lot of rides, we did get Bai some candy, and they told my jokes on the Laugh Floor! It was a long, hot day, so Bailynn passed out early. We stayed to watch the Halloween parade, then we booked it out of there.

Like I said before, I could go on and on about Disney. I would like to, but it is best to go experience it yourself. I would tell you about the trip home, but who cares, just know that I am planning my Disney vacation for next year!!

Quick notes from Expo..

Busy, busy. So, here are a few quick highlights from ITR Expo 13.

-Shot around with Lyda and crew, in the DARK! No fingers were broken, but plenty of air balls.

-Jason Morse LOVES apple sauce.

-Everyone talks to Travis about his beard.

-The horse mask and Like Thumb did their job. Many laughs were had.

-If you missed the tour before the banquet, ouch. That place was amazing.

-Ryan Conley stickers case malfunctions.

-Spencer is so tall, his mohawk diverts airplanes.

-The party bus got a total of not many semis to honk at us. But, the ones that did reminded us that we are still immature. Haha.

-Steve LaClair gave up his gift card to Lyda, winning.

-It was hot.

-If you didn't attend this year's Expo, your loss, it was outstanding!

At this point, I'll be posting a full run down from Disney. Until then, Cheers!

Labor Day weekend at Gingerman Raceway.

Auto Interests and Wangfest.

I haven’t done many events this year, so I thought about running Sunday with Auto Interests and Monday with Wangfest. I got permission from the boss, Brandy, even though I was kind of against dropping the dough on it. I did because I knew that it would be good for me mentally; track withdraws are tough. The car was ready early, and then it was just waiting.

Sunday morning rolled around and I just had to pack small stuff into the car before I left. I think that I was on the road by 8am. It was a pretty cool morning which was nice, so that I wasn’t sweating the whole way up. I always stop at one of two places on the way up and this time it was McDonald’s for some biscuits. I don’t eat that place often, so it always scares me. What goes in must come out, but sometimes timing is of the utmost importance. It worked out well and the rest of the drive was smooth sailing.

I probably showed up to Gingerman around noon and really wasn’t in the mood to unpack the car. But, I unpacked the car and got the wheels swapped out. It was a great day up in South Haven, maybe a bit hot in the sun, but way better than the 95 degree days in Indy. Auto Interests always runs reverse on Sunday which is awesome. I think I have ran reverse once before, maybe twice. I don’t remember, but I do know that I had a blast running reverse.

The first session was to go out and get my “bearings” again on that layout. The first few laps were a bit funny. I knew where I was going, but was a bit choppy in doing so. The next session, I went out to pick some speed up and continue “figuring” everything out. I was happy with the session and I had just went through T11 (using forward direction numbers) well, so I was going to come in next time around. Well, I came out of T10 and there was Fred and Jordan. Heck, might as well play. I got around Fred and wanted Jordan, but I would close the gap, and then lose it on the straights. I had to “save” the tires for the rest of the “weekend”. The third session, I went out to work on carrying speed through the corners. I know that sounds NASCAR-ish, but it helped with the current state of the tires. I began to trust them more and honestly, the car felt great in reverse. The fourth session, I turned the GoPro on and so did Jason. Haha. So, when he turned it on, it went to picture mode and now I have a picture of him and I turning it on and off. The fourth session was great, I kept working on the mid-corner, as well as picking up speed overall. I wanted to get in another session, but they called it a day before I got back out. Oh well, it is always good to finish the day off with a good session.

I hardly ever eat fast food when I am at home. But, there always seems to be a Wendy’s around the track. There is one thing about Wendy’s, it is amazing. So, it seems every time that I go to the track; I end up at Wendy’s. Kyle, Austin, and I went for a nice, little man date. We sat at a small table trying to hide from the sun. The air conditioning felt awesome, but being around track buddies makes it even better. We joked around for awhile, including the ever so popular “Finger Blaster” line from the Northern Kentucky guys. We also asked Dil and his girlfriend to come, but she “didn’t like Wendy’s”. Well, we are done eating and there goes Dil and Jessica through the Drive-Thru. He looked really good in his floppy hat while driving a Miata! We went back to the track, hung out, got bit by mosquitoes, and watched John Went jump his old EF sedan. I closed out the night by snoring in Kyle’s tent.

On Monday, I was just doing the HPDE portion of Wangfest to burn the tires off. As happy with the car that I was on Sunday, it was the exact opposite starting Monday. I go out, first session around 9:30am, and go about sixty percent. I go into T11 and brake a full marker early. The car is a complete handful; it is all over the place. My first thought was “Oh, here we go again.” And, my second thought was, since Kyle was right behind me, “I bet he is loving this!” I even set the pressures “high” expecting this, so that they would get “up to pressure” earlier. After the session, Kyle comes up and says “Man, we were going into eleven and I was wondering when you were going to hit the brakes!” My reply was, “Who cares about that, did you see what my car was doing?” He says yes, and then kind of does a lateral Miley Cyrus maneuver. I decided to try the Sunday technique and “roll speed” through the corners. I can’t say that it worked due to the braking zones being too “goofy”. If it did anything, it helped my sense of speed and direction. With the rear end “wiggling” like it was, you had to wait, in some cases, before even turning in. The next session, they sent me out right in front of a 240SX and a K swapped hatch. I stayed slow to not get in their way. I planned it right and let them go out of T6. Once I let them go, I figured I would have some fun and let the 1.6 liters of fury go after that K power. Haha. I had fun, the car was still a complete handful, but I felt like there were some times were I wasn’t releasing the brakes smooth enough. So, for the final session, I decided to go out and work on brake release. That session went really well and I called it a day. The day was super nice out, partly cloudy, low 70s I would guess. I managed to start cording one of the tires, so a task complete. I felt like I came out with a little bit more understanding of the car which is always great.

Now, it is a short turn around and then it is time for ITR Expo at Mid Ohio. I get to see all the usual track buddies. Plus, my good friend and one who introduced me to Honda-Tech, Travis George, will be trailering the Brapmobile out. Also, one of the first Honda people that I looked up to, Robbie Seal, will be attending his first Expo. I’m pretty pumped about it and hopefully I don’t get locked up at the banquet given it’s location. Until next time, keep Brappin’!!

Video: https://vimeo.com/73723015

West Michigan Honda Meet 13!!!

So, four years ago, to the date, I and a couple friends headed off to South Haven, Michigan with no idea what we were about to get into. That was my first HPDE, WMHM09. Here I go, four years later, driving up on the same tires that I tracked on for the first time. Normally, due to work scheduling conflicts, I leave early in the evening. That wasn’t the case for this year. I headed out around 2pm, yes, I’m getting there early.

I cruise, normally around 70 mph which yields 38 mpg in the hatch!! If there is one positive to having a LS transmission in the car, that is it. I got up there by 6pm and took my time setting up camp and getting my car ready. I needed to get it done by nightfall because I wanted to see how the new color way on the rear wheels looked on the car. Haha. Just as I got everything done and set up, boom, rain! Not just rain, but massive winds. It was pretty gnarly, something hit the top of the awning that made a few of us jump. Two or three red dots on the radar came through. After that, I made my rounds before heading to bed.

I got decent sleep which was the plan because instructing plus driving is pretty taxing. This year, I was dealt a different hand. Chris had asked me if I wanted to help Luke be Lead Instructor. Sure, why not, I like to talk anyway. I came into the weekend with a bit of a head cold, another reason for good rest.

Drivers’ meeting, instructors’ meeting, and a beginners’ meeting to start the day. That means Luke and I were in that “barn” for about an hour and a half. Then, we had to make sure that all the Intermediate students had instructors for their first session. With all of that going on, I missed my first driving session.

The rest of the day consisted of talking, walking, checking up on the run groups at grid, helping grid, getting the car ready, and driving the car. Add more stuff in there, but that is the short version. The bad part of that is that all of the conversations that you have are short lived. I somewhat in a way feel like the bad guy because I’m probably acting rushed. But, I try my best to allocate my time wisely with everyone.

As far as driving, it was basically my first real dry session of the year in my car. Different brakes and used tires that I didn’t know much about besides “don’t rain”. They were RA1s, so I knew that they are “good until the chords”. But, that still doesn’t mean a lot depending on heat cycles, storage, etc. I went out on them to try to work some heat in them. My first impression was straight line, threshold braking was nice. Transitions were a bit shaky, so I just wanted to work heat in them. Well, at that point, I got stuck in like a 7 car train. So, I just came in. I wanted to work on a few things that day, but missing the first session and that one being a “throw away”. I had to get focused on tasks ahead while on track. I worked on some off line stuff and some left foot braking. It got me out of the DE “rut” and actually was a lot of fun. Off line braking into T11 is nice, plenty of grip.

After the track activities were over, Grant, Jason, Shelbi, and I went to help with the dinner. We cooked wieners and beans, plus helped get stuff set up. We also got to eat first, so that was a positive. Haha. That line is not fun to wait in when you are hungry. After the dinner, it is time for the raffle. The raffle is fun because it gets loud and a lot of silly stuff is said. Bad part is, it gets stuffy in the “barn” and Tracy kept yelling “Be-Do”. I won a shift knob and a t-shirt, so that was nice. A few of us helped clean up, then it was time to relax. I tried to make my rounds, Tuna Camp, Team Lazy couch, Team Clitz yelling, and of course all the Chicago area guys that I camped around. Given the way I felt, I hit the pillow before 11pm. That is not normal given the event, but I had another full day, plus a drive home. For whatever reason, I was freezing, like shivering cold. The throw that I was laying on, I put over the top of me and doubled up over my feet. I feel asleep reasonably quick.

I woke up around 6am to shower and head to the gas station. I got some sinus relief type medicine and something for my headache. I barely made it back for the drivers’ meeting because Roger was talking about selling his R at the gas station. I wish I had a picture of Roger because he is what most of us strive for. Older gentleman, rocking a Type R that he bought off the showroom that has 32,000 original miles on it. 18,000 of those are track miles. Haha. That rocks, but he is getting rid of it because his wife wants him to get a GT3. “Oh man, I really have to…” He seems bummed, but I see that as a positive.

Sunday was probably busier than Saturday because Luke left with his family a bit early. So, any issues, I had to take care of. Gingerman was low on staff or something because Adam was working grid. He wanted to take his car out, so I took over for him. Then, Josh came back, so I went and got my car ready. I worked on a couple different shock adjustments and more off line stuff. Given my gear ratios, I only upshift once and only one down. So, I stayed with the left foot the rest of the weekend. My left foot isn’t quite as sensitive as my right. That thrown in with “better” brakes means that I am threshold braking right at the crest of the hill into T1. One time, I came into the corner, I felt the rear end get light, so I released some brake pressure. The rear stayed out, so I released some more. At that point, the rear stayed out and I was passed the Armco. I said the heck with it and released all pressure and monster trucked through the grass. Grant seen that from the front straight and said that it looked awesome. Haha. I might have got my right side tires on the curb, but I doubt it because I think the cone was still standing. Another time, it was gone immediately. When I say gone, I mean Formula D reverse entry into T1. When I was working grid, John, the one working control told me that was a heck of a save because he thought I was going into the wall. Well, once it was around, I was still “steering into” the spin. That slowed the spin, so I just hammered it and went through the grass into pit out. As I was going Bigfoot through the grass, I threw the “Slayers” up for the people watching in the stands. Once I got the idea of what was going on in T1, I brought the brake zone back a tad and released a bit earlier. So, no issues the rest of the day there in T1. My last session of the day which only ended up being a few laps was in Saurabh’s TTE Miata. Man, that thing was a frickin’ blast!! The steering was a bit heavier than I expected, but having a bit of torque was nice. Plus, you tell it to go “there” and it went “there”.

From helping on grid and driving, I got to tearing camp down late. So, my departure was a lot later than I had wanted. Oh well, I ate with a few others at Arby’s before heading home. The drive home was pretty mellow, but once the sun went down, I was struggling. I normally stop at this BP right outside of Grissom Air Force base. I made it there and grabbed a Red Bull. I literally laid down on the sidewalk and browsed the internet for a bit. I couldn’t drink all of the Red Bull, so I gathered as much energy out of that can that I could. That stop helped A TON because the rest of the drive didn’t feel too bad. I got home around midnight. The girls were out of town and I had to be up by 7am. So, here we are now. Thirteen days later and I have worked twelve of them. Honda Meets are always a blast, but I wish that they were longer!! We have ITR and NSX Expos coming up, so I will get to see a lot more of my out of town track buddies!

#BrapCity

@iamBRAP