San Diego Fall Fling II Auto-X

["POWELL"<jim.powell@xxxxxxx>]

     The San Diego chapter held an auto-x in the QualComm (Jack Murphy 
     Stadium) Stadium parking lot on Saturday.  Due to the crass behaviour 
     of the San Diego Padres getting into some baseball tournament the 
     event was cut in time from our normal 5pm finish to a 2:30 finish time 
     to allow people to watch the game on the big screen inside for free.  
     In order to keep the driving time to a maximum the event was run as a 
     practice only with no timing.  About 60 people showed for the event 
     including a couple of Vettes, Porsches, a Flaming Chicken and a 
     Mudthang or 2 from the SCCA regulars.  Because the local teen drag 
     races were the same day we were on a smaller area and our course was 
     just under a mile instead of the normal 1-1.25 mile layout.  While the 
     straight wasn't as long, it was still a great course with lots of 
     corner configurations and transitions.
     
     I drove with an instructor on my morning runs (about 5) and was making 
     good progress.  I also provided the morning entertainment when I was 
     attempting a 4 wheel drift onto the long straightaway.  Unfortunately 
     I attempted this manuever about 75% of the way through the corner 
     instead of 90% :)  Seeing I was going to clip a cone or 2 I did the 
     only logical thing and took my foot of the gas.  If your going off 
     course toward the finish line, you might as well do it in a spin.  At 
     least the instructor had the courtesy to yell WOO-HOO while staining 
     my seats.  The Mudthang did the same thing later and took out 6 or 7 
     cones compared to my 1.  I'll try harder next time.
     
     I did much better and got the hang of that particular transition later 
     in the afternoon after the dirt and loose stuff was scrubbed off and 
     the blacktop had heated up.
     
     Its also a pleasure to announce that Dan Tackett and Blaine McNutt are 
     still among the living.  Even after riding with me on my first runs.  
     Our own Steve Perantheau proved his good sense by making sure he was 
     in my run group AGAIN.  I think that ride to LA with me several months 
     ago tipped him off.
     
     Next Auto-x (and last for the year) will be at QualComm December 19th.
     
     I also haven't heard from Patrick Sarne since yesterday when we 
     changed his suspension, but there wasn't anything about him in the 
     paper so I guess the wheels stayed on all the way back to Del Mar.
     
     Thats it.
     
     Jim Powell
     '98 M3/4

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