Keith Meilink Interview.

Many of you have seen his work, so lets get to know the man behind the camera. With the ITR Expo themed interviews, I had to get a hold of Keith. He is the one behind the Expo coverage that you see in the Honda Tuning magazine. While at Expo, it is hard to find Keith during the day, he is everywhere while the track is hot. Either driving on track or around the track to shoot, he is busy all day. From my time around Keith, he is super laid back and mellow. He's easy to chat with, yet kind of the quiet type. But, he is very passionate about his craft, photography. Check his site out at www.meilinkvision.com, but for now lets ask Keith a few questions.


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

KM: Well the first car I ever drove was a ’92 Ford Taurus. After having it for two months everything started to go wrong on it, including problems with the transmission shifting. Apparently, it was a common problem with those models.

As for the first car I purchased myself, it was a ’99 Integra LS that I picked up about nine months later. I had it for four years and everything I did was mostly cosmetic; OEM lip kit, coilovers, Rota Slipstreams in white, JDM ITR SRS steering wheel, TSX retrofit, intake, and exhaust. I had plans to K-swap it back in 2007, but used the money to go on vacation instead. After that, I happened to stumble upon the ITR community, which swayed my decision to sell the LS and get an ITR instead. From there I sold it to my brother who had it for a few years, then he traded it for a turbo RSX. Just a couple of months ago my brother actually saw it parked in East New York, Brooklyn. Apparently, it is a shit box now.


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

KM: I was born out of The Fast and the Furious generation. A friend of mine took me to see it on opening night back in ’01. We were freshmen in high school at the time. I knew of the "muscle world" and fixing up old Chevys and stuff. But, this showed me the possibilities of the import world and modern day cars. The two of us went and saw the movie another two times that week.

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

KM: Well, I have only really tracked my ITR. I did take my S2000 out at Mid-Ohio, but I really didn’t get on it too hard. I was still running shitty brakes and hadn’t expected to go out in it. I know S2000s are supposed to be great track cars too, but at the moment I have so much more experience and confidence with the ITR.


BA: What is your favorite track that you have driven?

KM: VIR. It just has a great mix of everything and the weekend I went it was a blast. The only thing with that compared to other tracks I’ve been to is the long back straight. So many cars would pull away from me, but I don’t think that’ll be a problem anymore.  


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

KM: The people and all of the friends that I’ve made. There’s a totally different atmosphere between drag and HPDE/track days. Being in NY, drag racing is still the more popular sport and it’s like die hard competition all the time. Everyone is shady as shit and forget getting a helping hand. Look at someone the wrong way and don’t be surprised if words get tossed around.

Now compare that to the HPDE world and wow, what a difference. Everyone is willing to help you out, talk, and become friends. Just look when I bent a shit load of valves at CMP. Each person was ready to throw down and pull the head off that instant. #RyanConley even offered to take like a three hour round trip just to pick up the parts from his house that I needed. I was too depressed to work on the car because of what happened and had the car towed to Hondaworks. And, again, just help everywhere. Patrick met me on a Sunday, his day off, at the shop to open up and roll the car in. He then took me to Andy’s house. Andy was gracious enough to hang out with me that night and then drive me to the airport to fly home. When one person goes down, all the others are there to lift you back up.

BA: ITR Expo9 was your first event. That is kind of a hike for you, so what got you to sign up for Expo in the first place?

KM: Fourteen plus hours of driving, yup, I’d say a hike. Lol. But, you’re also talking to someone who has been to CMP more than any other track and that’s about an eleven hour drive for me. So what’s another three?

Anyways, I had just bought my ITR ten months prior and knew ITR Expo was the "IT" event to go to. I remember watching the old videos from Expo 3 and 4 and just being in awe at the amount of ITRs. Once I bought my own, there was no doubt if I’d go or not, no matter where it was.


BA: The NorthEast caravan rolls in deep. How many cars do you guys normally get together?

KM: Well they used to be big, then died down, but are back up again. Hell for Expo 11, I rolled down from NY by myself and on the way home it was just Edwin and I. Expo 12 saw a pick up in cars and 13 even topped that. I think we had about fifteen cars.

BA: You've made the switch from B series to K series. Was that in preparation for the long straights at Road America? (Laughs)

KM: Well if my Forza times are any indication of the K vs everyone else in B, I should be about ten seconds faster, so yeah I guess so. Lol.

But, for those that don’t know, the switch was due to the B blowing up. After doing a cost comparison of going bigger with the B and building it to a 2.0 or selling all of my B stuff and going bolt on K. It came out to be just a little more for the K. I figured the extra couple of bucks would be worth the reliability and longevity of a stock motor. That’s assuming I don’t start building it like I did the B. Lol.


BA: You normally shoot the event and drive, is that hard to juggle both tasks?

KM: Extremely difficult. I have to give up track time to make sure I get the best pictures. I’m also walking miles upon miles around the track all day in the hot sun. Then trying to get back to the paddock in time for the sessions that I’ve chosen to drive. Add in the rigors of tracking too and I’m exhausted by the last session. I really don’t get much social time at the event so once we’re back to the hotel or at the banquet, you really won’t see me with a camera. I know people like getting the after scene photos and viewing the social aspect of the event, but every one needs some down time and that’s when I take it.

BA: Have you ever thought about driving and shooting at the same time? Or does that have #RyanConley written all over it? 

KM: Lol. Well actually this year I’m thinking about trying some stuff out with GoPros and using them for stills instead of video to get shots like that. We’ll see what happens.

Lyda Heng Interview.

I knew Lyda's car before I knew Lyda. I was my first ITR Expo, second DE in the hatch, and I am having my way with the beginner group at Autobahn. I pull up to grid and here is this Type R in front of me. It has a big ol' wing on the back of it, canards, just all the "cool" stuff, and I thought to myself "Nice wing, but you're about to get rolled.." They send him out and HOLY MOTHER OF PEARL!! I brought a knife to a war apparently. He went screaming out, but I thought that I could catch him in the back section, but I never did. I walked by his car later and yep, sure enough, there's that K series that I expected. I didn't see anyone around the car and I don't remember Lyda and I's first interaction. But, with our similar interests, especially sports, he is one of the easiest people for me to talk to in the Expo paddock. We even got the chance to shoot around together last year at the hotel, in the pitch black. haha. I don't know how anyone got out of there without any broken fingers. I think the one thing that gravitates me to Lyda is the respect that I have for him. I hear it all the time about "Oh, there's not a track close" or "I don't want to wreck my car.." Here is Lyda and his buddies driving 4,000 miles plus per Expo trip just to track with friends. And, to top that off the first three Expos that he did, he drove the car to and from the track! I remember my drive back from Expo11, some wanted to get a hotel, and some(I) just wanted to get home. My drive was roughly 10 hours and a bit over 650 miles to get home. We ended up stopping about 40 minutes from my house because I was physically and mentally done. I don't remember how long I had been up at that point, but I couldn't keep my eyes open. Yet, Lyda makes the trip to track his car, plus hang out with the ITRCA community every year. I could go on and on about him, but I'll stop now and let you read what I threw at him, car and sports related!

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

      

LH: 1992 Acura Integra GS. I sold the car for a down payment on a 2000 PY ITR.

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

LH: Family and friends got me into the car scene. I started to want to track on my own because I originally built my car for show. After all the money and time spent on the car, I decide to put the car to use. Why spend all that money and not use it for its real purpose! 

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

LH: My ITR is the only car I've ever driven on the track. Maybe we can swap cars for a few sessions next time we meet? 

BA: What is your favorite track that you have driven?

LH: Mid-Ohio, baby, but I would have to say Buttonwillow came close. 

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

LH: Freedom of releasing your car and yourself with no speed limit or law to bring you down. Of course the cool people you meet at the event and making new friends while doing it. 

BA: Let's cut straight to the chase. A lot of people complain about the drive, cost involved, and time away, etc. You're the answer to all of those excuses. What keeps bringing you back to Expo? Is it my good looks?

LH: It's an awesome event of course the people are friendly and have a great attitude. If you have any issues everyone is willing to do whatever to help.  I figure once a year won't kill my time or money. You have plenty of time to plan and save ahead of time.  

Yes, Brad, your good looks bring me back every year =).

BA: What made you decide to drive all the way out to Joilet for Expo10?

LH: It was after Eibach ‘10 and I drove about 20+ hours. It was a pretty awesome event and a great experience. But, after a whole day of looking at park cars (including my own) and all the money I put into the car that's when I decided that I was going to start tracking. How I chose Expo10 was through Shawn(Get Right) through Honda-Tech. We started talking on the forum and that's when I decided to make the trip. I also watched a bunch of clips on YouTube of the past ITR Expo events. 

BA: How many miles have you logged in traveling to ITR Expo? 

LH: About 19,500+ I believe. 

BA: What would be some of your favorite memories from the trips? 

LH: Hanging out, drinking beer, the banquets, and of course being on track! 

BA: Your Seahawks won the Super Bowl. Do you think your favorite team, the Heat, can take down my team, the Pacers, in the Eastern Conference?

LH: I believe it's going to be a tough series if they both make it to the Eastern Conference finals. 

ITR Expo14!

Alright, ladies and gentlemen, it is getting down to crunch time for Expo this year. This seems to be the trend for the past couple years and I don't know why. Skip the fact that ITR Expo is being held at Road America, but Expo always has the best banquets!! Last year, it was at Mansfield Reformatory where they filmed The Shawshank Redemption among others. The food is always good, I'm not actually a big hush puppy fan, but I could go for some of those ones they had down at CMP. Hashtag Ryan Conley does the presenting at the banquet and the only thing better than that is the raffle prizes! Heck, even the past couple years, they got a "party bus" for the ride over to the banquet. How many of you can say that you've done that?!

So, you should head over to www.ITRExpo.com and register! If your excuse is that Road America is too far away or it is during the week, well Lyda ruins your excuses! He travels all the way out from the state of Washington to spend some time with the ITR community, so should you. If not just for the ITR community, I'm guessing that you'd like to see the RealTime guys there. I mean, an all wheel drive, twin turbo Acura TLX that swept the internet after the Chicago Auto Show. And, if that isn't enough, yet you enjoy beer, I am sure there will be copious amounts of it there this year!

To help with "setting the mood", I picked a few people from the Expo crowd to interview. So, starting tomorrow, I'll start publishing the interviews for your enjoyment. A few cool stories in them, but it is your turn head to www.ITRExpo.com and make some stories of your own!

Katman Interview.

The last interview that I planned on doing fell through, so I kind of "lost my stride". I needed to kindle the fire again so to speak. Who should I interview, the answer was quick and easy. He shouldn't need an introduction, but here we go. Most of the world knows him as Katman, some know him as Walter Mitty, and others know him as Jason Kaplan. He hails from the West Coast and has probably made an influence on most of you reading this. Whether it be from the content from his website(www.ff-squad.com) or by the "style" of his car that made you want to do something a certain way, he has probably had an impact on you. With social media, it is easier to "get to know" someone. But, lets see what else we can learn about the man they call Katman.   

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

JK: My first car was a two tone white/puke green 1974 VW bus that I bought off my BFF at the time, right near the the end of high school in 1992. Being that it was my first car and I didn't have lots of money to up-keep the pile, the engine eventually seized from lack of any kind of oil change (within a year and a half span). I would just keep feeding it oil magically hoping it was last forever.

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

JK: Well it's funny you ask that Brad, because the BFF I bought the VW bus from is who I call my "Honda catalyst". If it wasn't for him I don't think I'd be into Honda's now or into cars in general. BTW, RIP Pat. Not long after I bought the bus from Pat(whom was a pro skater at the time for Powell Peralta), he purchased a brand new black 92 Prelude Si. He was ball hairs away from buying a Nissan 300ZX but couldn't afford it and settled for the Prelude. Scary huh? What actually got me interested in racing back then was stumbling upon Japanese car 'zines and videos down in Little Tokyo downtown LA. My buddy Dylan and I, would make frequent trips down to "Little Tokes" and peep the latest Japanese car mags(ie. Speed Mind, Racing On, J's Tipo, Option, VTEC Club, RevSpeed) and geek out over anything Honda. Japanese and British touring car racing is what tickled my gooch the most. Watching those videos would get me internally stoked(similar to a real good skate video), especially the on-board camera where you can hear that sequential transmission whining away while the driver is shifting up and down and doing business....God. It gets me stoked again just thinking about it now.......be right back, gonna go get nostalgic..

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

JK: I've only tracked a '92 civic hatchback and have been using this chassis since I've started tracking which was back in 1999. I honestly love the EG hatchback the best out of all the '88+ Civic family. I don't feel the need to try any other chassis honestly. 

BA: What is your favorite track that you have driven?

JK: I guess Buttonwillow Raceway since I'm a Southern Californian. Chuckwalla Raceway is a semi-new track and is fun as well, I'd say second best track in SoCal. I have yet to travel up north and try out Thunderhill, Laguna Seca, and Sears Point which I hear are all awesome tracks that kick BW to the curb. BW is fun though.

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

JK: I like the excitement of legally driving fast, but also the technicalities that road racing offers. It's all a memory game, like any other sport, but basically learning how to drive and "feel" my car is what I enjoy about racing over the years. It took a good long while until I learned that 'feel' and I'm glad I stuck with it. Learning the line, late braking/trail braking, shifting points, throttle modulation due to LSD type to control under and oversteer, tire compounds and pressures, suspension damping and spring rates.....testing setups...doing all of that is fun stuff to me. I like to share what I've learned with others who want to get into road racing(via forums) as far as community goes.


BA: You and the FF Squad guys have been around for awhile. You all still seem close, with growing families and getting older, how have you guys remained so close?

JK: You know, I don't know, we just do. I mean, we don't all hang out closely like we use to since most of us have families; life agenda's have changed that. But, we still get together, if the timing is right, and head to track events. We hang out once in a while if some kind of party plans come up. Of course, communication is lot better these days so its easy to just group text each other and make plans or see whats up. Not sure if that's the answer you were looking for. ha ha.


BA: Speaking of you and your friends, what is the deal with the Megaphone? (Laughs)

JK: Ah yesh, the Megaffone. It's some silly sh*t some old friends of mine(Steve Taylor and Max Ha) and myself came up with that sort of culminated into what it's been known as. Though I think I have to give credit to Steve mostly on this. By the way, it has absolutely nothing to do with the Illuminati! lol. Basically, it came from the gesture of hollering "oh daaaaaamb!" while simultaneously holding a "fisted" hand to your mouth when you see something that shocks or stokes you. But, instead of going "oh daaamb!" we'd say "tiiite!" and eventually, the fist turned into flared fingers, creating a megaphone-like gesture as its known as.

BA: For the FF Battle 5, you brought out your secret weapon, your '90 Civic Si. Where had you been hiding the car?! No one on the internet had seen it! (Ha!)

JK: You like dat son? You can thank JDM Wong for that.


BA: Besides your secret weapon, your "EG hatches" are well known by anyone in the Honda scene. What made you choose that platform, especially for the track?

JK: So yeah, the EG civic is my track inspired vehicle of choice as I mentioned back in question #3. It's a sexy little hatchback with nice curves, slick dash and instrument cluster, allows easy engine swaps, decent weight, easy to work on, and it is fun as hell to drive! Besides seeing them in JDM mags and videos, the EG civic left a big impression with me back when Pat was around. I use to be his co-pilot when we'd head to the local street races on Friday and Saturday nights circa 1992-94. I remember seeing this one stock black 92 Civic Si just dumped in the weeds on the stock "blade" hubcaps wheels. It looked so f*cking good, I couldn't get over it. Made a mental note that I will be an EG owner some day. We'd see that same Civic often at the same races and other EGs as well which reinforced my liking for them even more. It didn't help that during that time, it was the EG era anyways('92-95). Another reason for going EG Civic was because of Dylan's personal build 'Goldy'. Back then, Dylan, his brother(Erik), and I were hanging out a lot. So, seeing Goldy's long term build-up first hand, left an impression. I think the '92-95 chassis is one of the best all-round designed civics out of the '88-00 "legacy" chassis's...as I like to call 'em. 

BA: You should know it by now, but through the FF Squad site or interwebs interaction with you, you've save a lot people during their "builds". Between that and the "style" of the FF Squad cars, do you realize the impact that you've had on the Honda scene in general?

JK: Yeah it's crazy, cool, and weird. While the 'internet fame' is an interesting fun side effect. For the record, I didn't coin the term "JDM" as I get nailed with that for some silly reason. lol. I learned that acronym from the Temple of VTEC website! But yeah, I enjoy helping others who are DIYers like myself when it comes to the technical aspects of engine swapping or just about anything else that pertains to the Civic/Integra chassis. I dig that sh*t son!

Thanks for tuning in, but that's all folks!

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