This has been a jam packed season so far! Tough course today, with some very tight sections. I worked registration as well as timing for the first time, and the cone calls were really up there. I was supposed to run during the 3rd heat, but due to a lack of people driving it was moved to a 2 heat format, and I was inexplicably moved to the 1st heat.

I struggled the entire time, in small part due to running back and forth between runs to train to do timing. Regardless, I was able to knock one out of the park for my 5th run – landing me a 42.896. This is also the first time in a long while that my fastest raw run is also my fastest clean run.

I have also decided that, more relevant than my pax position, which can easily be influenced by where I am and who shows up that day, that I will also record how far back in PAX I am from the #1 driver. In this regard, things have been slightly frustrating. By those measures, my best event was and continues to be my first St. Louis region event, where I was only 1.214 behind the fastest driver. This past event was a really good result for me, but still 1.270 behind the fastest driver. However, aside from a very fast (and inconsistent) SM Evo X stringing together an insane run on his last run, I would have been less than 1s behind first in pax. I would have needed a 41.302 to pax 1st this event, 1.6s faster than what I drove. I’ll keep working on it though!

Couple side notes:

• The car started with an 8/9ths full tank, which made the car a little more understeery than I was used to
• Only other HS competitor apparently blew his engine, again. disappointing, and worried that HS continue to grow smaller in number
• At this rate (hopefully), I may also be shooting for most improved driver – going from 38th last year to ? this year
• New goal as of today: Get within 1s PAX of the #1 Index driver

Stl Solo PAX: 12th (record!), 1.270s behind

Final results here.
Class Championship here.
Index Championship here.

Things to work on:

• Slither through slaloms, set up early and get the rhythm going to backside cones
• Squeeze the brakes, squeeze the throttle
• Continue getting closer to key cones, looking ahead and setting up the proper line to carry more speed

Run count: 111