Re: How did things go at the SoCal Pro Solo Event? (tre-longoso)

[Shawn C Meze <skerocdriver@juno.com>]

On Mon, 26 Mar 2001 16:24:29 -0800 T Berk <tberk@mindspring.com> writes:
>
>
>Seems like a nice slice of the list was there, wa-happon?
>
>TBerk


Well, since you asked......

Friday I drove the 106 miles north to the site where I met up with list
lurker, IKE Lawton from Annapolis. He's got a FSP Scirocco that I hope to
see at Nationals next year! Friday was a practice day. No real course
driving, just launching of the drag racing tree.
I went ahead and registered and teched and learned that because there
were not enough FSP entries that I would be bumped UP to DSP! CRAPOLAH!
Pissed me off. How da hell was I supposed to compete with DSP cars?
Creist. I wasn't happy about that one bit. I couldn't do anything about
it now, ill just go thru with the "Pro Solo" experience and never do it
again. What's the point if I cant be competitive. I don't take knives to
gun fights if you know what I mean. (That's the Pieces in me. Get to know
me.) 
I was to hook up with Mike Vanamburg on friday but I bailed out on him
after trying to get a hold of him on his cell phone and failed countless
times. I drove my ass home the 106 miles. 


Saturday:
Drove the 106 miles to the site. 
Hooked up with Mike, we spent all of 3 seconds together. Too bad too but
the Pro Solo is an extremely fast paced event! Nothing like a regular
Solo2 event. I think I spent more time with his wife <wink> than I did
with Mike the entire weekend. Fortunately I worked when Mike ran so I got
to at least see his driving of the BMW. 

So, on to the part where I drive. See, I worked first and didn't run til
later so I thought I had lots of time to get my car ready. And I was late
getting off course from working because the next run group workers lagged
in relieving me and a few other people. I didn't mind initially since I
got to watch the SS cars run a little. 

If it wasn't for friends of mine telling me that my group was running, I
would of been screwed out of my first 4 runs. By the rules, if you miss
pre-grid you forfeit 2 runs. I used my having been relieved late from
working excuse and was lucky to get all 4 runs.

I don't know if any of you know some of the rules of Pro Solo racing
(Probably don't AND don't care either but here tiz anyways.) Its a drag
racing styled start with a .500 tree. yellow, yellow, yellow, GREEN. the
SCCA gives $100 to the first person to cuts a perfect light. Now, if
nobody cuts a perfect light, it goes to the second day and the money is
$200 to the first one to cut a perfect light. If nobody cuts a perfect
light, it goes to the person who is closest. Got it so far? 

So, On my first run, I know I got cold tires, I know the car isn't gonna
hook up. For me, this was a familiarity run, get the tires warm, then go
run the second course. That's where my mind was at. 

I line up, launch and cut a .505 light! That's the Shawn I remember from
days of drag racing gone by! Alas, it was only an accident. 

So after the first run group, im leading by 2.4 seconds! Not bad for a
FSP car in DSP. The car felt great and I know I left alot of time out
there. Heh-heh. Right. 

After the first runs, one of my competitors came up and told me about how
badly I was smoking the rest of them. (My head swells, then returns to
its normal 7 1/4" size.) He was the last place car and his first ever Pro
Solo, also only his 4th event ever. So, being me, my goal was to try and
make him beat somebody. He was having problems red lighting. I helped him
with that. We spent alot of time together. Cool kid even tho he's driving
a Ford Probe. I made him walk the course with me and showed him things he
didn't realize. Showed him how to stage, the works. Now, this is when I
realized, WHO, now just -WHO- would take their competition and show them
how to be fast in the midst of competition? Yup, a dork just like me. 

After the second runs, I was in 2nd place, behind by .4xx but im not too
worried. I know I made alot of mistakes out there in the afternoon runs.
The car felt a little funny and I couldn't pinpoint what was wrong other
than ive been spoiled by the Vette's tight ass steering ratio. Im
flailing on the steering wheel like some rookie. Makes me look bad in
front of my students. (oh wait, I had none that day... sweet!) Im hoping
my problems were from being tired and the lack of focus was just that,
being tired. Then I drove home the 106 miles. 

Sunday:
I got ther really early so I don't have the problems I had the day
before. I reviewed the in car video of my runs from saturday and have a
plan to squeeze another half second from the left course and a full
second from the right course. See Mike, wave to him as I drive by and
never got to talk to him again. I get to my pits and start the ritual of
changing tires, unloading the car and getting ready to goto war. My
exhaust has been buzzing like it's loose so I take a look while the car
is up on one side. I find that one of the 2 straps that hold the fuel
tank in has broken! The strap is laying on the exhaust pipe caused the
noise. I removed what was left of it and thunk hard if it was really
important to have both to go racing.   .500 goes by and I say "it'll
hold"!

After I worked, I was to do my runs. Ive gone over the runs in my head a
couple dozen times, I know if and where im shifting at, I know my line, I
feel like I will take the track by storm and shock the world.
Unfortunately, I red light my first run on the left course. (This DNF's
the run.) I haven't Red lighted all weekend. Why now? Gawd! 

Then on the right side I had problems launching. Mental errors, the
starter was doing some goofy stuff and I wasn't aware that he would start
the lights. (normally there is a 20 second "hot clock" to let you know
that when the clock gets to zero, the tree can start at anytime after
that.) I never got the hot clock count down, just him asking me if "im
ready". Im thinking, "Yeah, im ready for you to start the clock so I can
stage". Then I see the yellows....  (Another rule is, if you start too
late, you can red light too. You have a 1 second window to launch in so I
rushed it.) So I go and blow the launch, lots of tire slip which hurt me.
Then im out on course and the car is doing some weird steering stuff. Its
turning by itself and the throttle can induce it as well. Im thinking,
damn it, loose wheel bolts. 

Ok, that was my first 2 runs, I still have 2 more runs to make up the
.4xx time. Since I believe I can improve more than that on one side, im
thinking im fine, don't worry. Just put it together in the next 2 runs.
Get back to the grid and check the torque of the bolts. They're fine.
What's up with the car?

I start in the right side lane. Damn if I didn't red light! Then I go
back to the left lane. I run .100 slower than my best run.

Originally I was told that the best times from the left and right course
from saturday would be added up and then your best times from sunday
would be added up, add that to the saturday times and That's your time.
NOPE! If that were the case, I would of won the event. But, since I was
sadly misinformed, I ended up 3rd overall. (Got beat by 2nd by .04x.
Close.) 

Then I somehow made it to the Challenge round. This was as new to me as
was the Pro Solo format. Nothing made sense, I didn't know where to go,
what when, how, all the important stuff. Then I finally found someone (I
bugged the hell out of ALOT of people there that weekend. What do they
expect? Everybody to be experienced?) who knew something and where I
should be. 

So I hang around another couple hours and finally get to make my first
run in the challenge. Im set up against a Subaru WRX or something.
(Scoobie?) We stage, I red light AGAIN!  

"I", was not happy about that. Nor was I happy about how I drove earlier.
Not happy about the last minute redlights. Not happy about the way the
car handled. I was quite pissed at myself for giving the wins away. I had
made up my mind even before I got back to my pits that im selling all my
race stuff and just getting out of the racing hobby. If I cant compete,
stay focused and do like I know I can do, I should just get out. (That's
the Pieces in me. Get to know me.) I play to win however I cant take a
beating if I know I did my best. (like at the SD Tour, 27th of 38 SS
cars. I got my ass kicked but considering the cars involved, I did
great.)  
I put all the blame on myself. Everybody left me alone while I ripped all
the "required stickers" off my car, changed tires, packed up the car and
left. 

On the way home, im coasting down a hill and the car turns left, hard!
Then it turns right hard. Im doing nothing to induce this. I pull over
and jack up the car. The left wheel has about an inch of travel left, and
a full inch travel to the right. The steering rack is screwed bad. Im
hoping I can make it home. As long as im steady on the gas its fine. When
I lift, the car does scary stuff. No more 80+ speeds. We made it home. I
have a spare tie rod on the 79 that Ill put on it. The jetta needs
driving since its been sitting a while. 

I drove 634 miles, raced about 3 of those. I actually had a good time
because your worst day racing is still better than any best day at work.
no doubt eh?

So, now that ive had time to think about the weekend, im cool. Nothing is
for sale and I plan on going back next year in the what_will_be fully
prepared 79' Roc. If they bump me to DSP again, That's fine because im
gonna kick all their asses next time. Now that I know how the game is
played, im gonna play hard next year at the Pro. Redemption time! 
:)

Oh yeah, Remember T-man, you asked. (that'll teach ya!) 


Shawn Méze
86' Jetta GLi 8V       84' Scirocco 8V           88' Corvette -SS 30-
82' Scirocco GTi -FSP 54-     79' "Project FSP Scirocco"
The Fastest, Quickest, Cleanest and best looking Scirocco in all of San
Diego!
http://www.Geocities.com/MotorCity/Speedway/1308/index.htm

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