Civic of Doom: Honda Challenge Recycling

[Kaan]

First off… Jason is an amazingly talented mechanic and a great friend. I wouldn’t have made it back from my setbacks without his help. His assurances kept Sylvia from putting an end to my weekend. And without both of their help I would have missed at least 3 “sessions”… where I only missed the Sunday race.
 
So it seems I’m just trying to be internet famous… well at least with youtube
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlFORHW0fJ0
 
I spent some time Wednesday setting up the AIM and getting it ready. Friday I scrub in my fresh tires and get things ready to go. I had two goals for practice… keep it out of a wall (which is easy to do when you drive as slow as I do) and to work on my entry to hog pen.
 
I got the “this isn’t HPDE anymore” talk from Chad … and specifically told me what he thinks I need to do… I spent that session working up the courage and trying to break my mental block…  we baby step it and in the video I’m fighting my urge to brake before I turn left and to go flat… later on I went flat, but my baby step was to coast in from my HPDE braking point to the actual braking point and then GO. Well it worked well enough my Quiklatch “hood pins” didn’t hang on. 4 laps into the session chaos occurs.
 
VIR windshield 1
 
The data says I was at 124mph when the hood went in the kink. When my hood snapped up, I double checked my mirrors, slowed the car not too quickly, and blindly hunted for grass… once I found grass I could judge my distance from the track and wait. I ended up between the 6 and 5 marker and figured that was pretty safe-ish.
 
EV comes to get me… slams the hood down and I followed them out. I didn’t cost people too much time I don’t think. I pull in and Sylvia is cooking breakfast and gives me a “whiskey tango foxtrot” look. She distracts me a little, has me check to make sure the breakfast is cooked through, etc…. and talks me through what I want to do.
 
I find Justin (S2k H1 car and Tech Inspector)… I’m honest with him, I wouldn’t let me out with my windshield… he agrees but says check with Richard for the final say. I drive the car down to tech and Richard (Chief of Tech) says “take the windshield out, take the back Lexan out and you can run… and you need to run with your visor down, not cracked… and you need to clear it with your series lead.”
 
I drive back to the paddock and tell Sylvia and Jason “I’m allowed on track if I remove the front glass and rear window.” Jason starts attacking the front glass. I run over to Michael (series director) to get cleared to race.
 
Michael was surprised they would let me out without front glass or rear glass, but he said if they are good with it, he doesn’t see an issue with it. I told him if I pick up speed, blow out, beat anyone that even thinks about crying about it (and MAN did I hear crying), to just DQ me. I needed more time in the car and to work certain corners… I drive too slow and have too much work to do to worry about where I finish.
 
The race was great. I got the drop on Zach during the standing start and got tucked in behind Ryan Bradfield. As soon as we got to the back straight Zach motored right around me and Hunter (the accord wagon rookie) and his H22 are reeling me in quickly. Hunter and I spent the rest of the race swapping spots, getting supper close, and having a great time… that wagon is a bear to try to pass on corner entry… He eventually breaks an axle and two laps later I do to (but somehow I finished last, he broke before me and two other cars pulled in earlier… I hate the new mylaps BS)
 
Chase the Waggo
 
VIR BMW
 
Looking over the data later, I see that I was faster than I was in March… I’m worried about the effects of the windshield being missing… data shows later on that Saturday I’m getting faster. Thought I’m topping out at 119mph vs. the 124mph that was indicated before the windshield issue. Saturday night all we did was swap rotors (I pulled a Maeng) and threw in an axel (yes I’m on my 4th passenger side axel).
 
***SIDE BAR***
A racer that previously asked me for a favor because his transponder didn’t work (and wanted to start in front of me so he could have a chance of getting a podium) had the nerve to say “it must be nice to know someone” during our conversation about my windshield. And it seemed like ALL the H2 guys from out of region had something to say to Michael about me being out there without a windshield (not my driving, not anything but the legality of my car)… while I was 4 feet away. Im fighting for second to last place… get over yourselves immediately. You are too uptight for club racing… go buy a big boy seat and cry over there. These people motivate me more than all the MA guys that applauded my drive to keep going. All this drivers are marked. ALL OF THEM. I will now work so much harder to really give you a reason to worry about me and my car.
 
Sunday I go out with the fresh used rotors and my times are super slow. The only thing is I couldn’t think was mentally holding me back is that I was being very gentle on the gators with the borrowed axle and I was being a little more ginger in the braking zone feeling out the bedding on the pads/rotors…. But I’m kicking myself.
VIR windshield 2
 
I try to get in a zone… knowing my brakes are working fine and there are things I need to do to not be last. Part of it is frustration, I know I’m new but I’m too competitive to at least not improve. Setbacks mess with my head badly…. And I’m just trying to focus on what I know I can fix and go push hard (I think I don’t push ever… I need a hypnotist or something).
 
I get to grid… the H2 crew does the rounds, wishes each other a good race, and we start getting suited up at the 5 minute call. It’s a tradition that I really enjoy. I jump in the car, strap in, get into my inner calm state (I think this might be my issue… I have zero nerves going out on track)… Jason runs up and says “you have a leak… I think its coming from the trans.”
 
I jump out of the car and there is a heck of a puddle forming from the passenger side… right next to the header… He pulls my card, thankfully… saving me from a blown transmission (there was zero fluid in it by the time I got home), a potential wreck, and a likely fire (and probably a nice kitty litter bill). I got out of my suit and went out to watch the race.
 
Watching a race you were just on grid for is SO HARD. All I could do is cheer on my friends and hope the haters all ended up in my locked in second to last place position or worse (last place, no harm wished upon the princesses).