skibigsky's Diaryland Diary
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ProSolo Update
The ProSolo is over, and we're all exhausted. I'm sure I'll have more to say when I'm more coherent, but for now, this is it:
1) I HATE drag strip starts. If I was meant to run with a Christmas tree start, I'd have been a drag racer from the start. As it is, I don't see drag racing in my future, ever. Ugh. The staging lights and I had issues. And my reaction time sucks because my clutch/throttle interaction is not great. Mr. V. loves the drag strip start, however.
2) Compated to the fast women, I am horrifically slow. But, I am faster than I was. And I made drastic improvments from yesterday to today; almost 4 seconds. And apparently I was actually looking like a 'real' driver out there. This is good. Very good.
3) Despite being horrifically slow, I was NOT DFL. I actually beat some one (actually, two someones, I think). Which is not to be sneered at.
4) Without Charles, we would have been lost and adrift. I wish we could adopt him. Or at least make him our endentured servant.
5) I witnessed my first driver/course worker collision. A driver lost control of his car and ended up plowing through a worker station, taking out two workers. Amazingly, both were OK. One got up almost immediately, and the other was pretty bruised and banged up, but no serious injuries. A horrific thing to see, though.
6) Mr. V. drove really well, although he'd have liked to have driven better. Luckily Charles is here to remind Mr. v. that he's spent about a grand total of 12 minutes driving the Franken-Miata.
7) I'm not a world-class (or even national-class) driver at this point, but in time, I could be. I am learning a lot, and while I did get my ass handed to me, it was not as badly as I expected.
8) I've got to have more faith in myself.
9) Despite hating the format (mostly the start system - and it was so windy that many people in the smaller cars were getting blown out of the staging lights - literally - and I never got the hang of being on the clutch, and revving the engine while holding on to the emergency brake), I HAD A BALL. I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY like autocross. And I think I could be good at it.
Charles actually got some pictures of me, in MY car, and when I collect myself, I'll get them posted. (Have I mentioned that Charles is a godsend?)
On that note, I'm finishing my wine, and going to bed.
Oh. And here is a picture from a couple of weeks ago. I was driving my (very trusting!) co-driver's Mini because I had just lost the clutch/tranny. Yes, that is me in the white helmet (Charles was my passenger - giving me advice the whole way. Again, this guy is invaluable.)
This is SO MUCH FUN!!!!!
9:33 p.m. - 12 August 2007
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