stripethree

The last event of the year in Arizona and the 20th, yes, 20th, I ran at in 2008. I wouldn’t say the autocross year went out with a bang persay, it was more of a screeching sound as I ventured into many, many cones going sideways. Yes, sideways. The pavement was cold, tires were cold, and my right foot was… not. On my first run I came in to the sweeping left (the split near W1) way too hot with the car way too loose. The result was going sideways into a sea of cones. It wasn’t pretty. My second run didn’t go all that much better. Tires still cold, shoe still hot, and another DNF, just not quite as spectacular and sideways this time. My third run I got things in order and ran a clean 62.686, which was a second and a half faster than any other STX Open competitor. Time only heats were shortened because the day was running long but I managed to match (clean) and beat (by a second but with a cone) my competition run.

So, not exactly how I would have chosen to end the year. None the less, it’s done, I won the STX Open series for the Fall (in Phoenix, Tucson, and Sierra Vista for that matter), and it’s time to look towards ’09. Suspension upgrades, driver upgrades (Evo School), and hopefully more competitive times will come.

Summer and I also spent Saturday night in Phoenix to go to the Red Wings – Coyotes hockey game. It was an awesome back and forth game and the first I’ve been to which went to overtime and a shootout. Detroit won the shootout after forcing overtime with less than 20 seconds to play in the third period. It was awesome, and I can’t wait to go again next month when the Wings come back to town.