PNWC SoCal Qualifier 6/5/10

I had a rough return to racing this weekend after sitting it out for over a year. I was driving Cristian's old stock MR-03, and it felt pretty darned good. This is a different Kenon track and the grip is really inconsistent with a mix of tiles (age, condition, and height). There are lots of seams that can grab you midcorner, and the surface is really abrasive. I tried a few things here and there, some worked and some didn't. The grip improved over the weekend and the search for front tires was on. I never really hit the tire setup, and just tried to tune it from the rear.

I followed my race plan of running a conservative qualifier and turning it up for round 2 and 3. I got quicker every round, but always felt a couple tenths slower than in Friday practice. In the main, I found out why. My motor let go at around the halfway mark. It had been going south the whole race. I had been running one of Cristian's supertuned motors in practice and it was smooth and punchy at the same time. The handout just felt softer and softer, which affects timing rhythm etc. In the end it just came to a stop, and I pulled off worried I might blow a FET. I've seen this happen to my teammates, but I've always had good luck with handout 70T motors. I guess it was just my turn to get a dud.

In any case, I feel pretty rejuvenated. I wasn't really in the hunt, but just getting warmed up felt good. It was nice to see old and new faces at the track, but I need more practice and experience with tires so I can make good calls come race day instead of just guessing. Will hit it hard over the next few months and see you guys at the Worlds!