Buttonwillow Raceway, June 2000

WOW...The weekend was surreal. That is the best word to describe it.

First, let me apologize in public to Adam Kim and Sheening Lin for the pass on the break in that I made at the end of the straights before turn one. I let my competitive side get the best of me and forced Adam to go hard on the breaks. He did not get off the road. I apologized to them in private and I am doing it in public.

This is a historic weekend of sorts. Open-track had their first car ever that FLIPPED. A Subaru 2.5 RS got off the track at the key hole (decreasing radius turn), dug its tire into the dirt and flipped and landed on its top. No one was hurt. It was very close though. The car is a total wreck.

On Sunday a WHITE S2000 (NOT KIT) hit the wall coming on to the straights. The rear tire and part of the rear suspension came off. No one was hurt.

There were a lot of spins. It was amazing. Dust smoke every run group. There was not a run group without a spinout. Thankfully for me, I only got off the track once. I did not spin. I was riding with Larry Lim, my favorite instructor, on my first run, I forgot to adjust my suspension to stiff (3 and 6 rather than 1 and 2) and I was going slowly through the key hole (decreasing radius turn) and I slid slowly off the track. That was the extent of it. The soft suspension setting did me in :-)

I can proudly say that in my run group no one except Kit/Sheening in the S2000 passed me. Kit was running in the fast group and the beginner group since he and sheening were driving the S2000. This car is simply amazing. Kit pulled a 2:13 in the car. John, who runs open-track, pulled a 2:08 in his race group Ford Mustang and won his SCCA race. 2:13 from a stock S2000 is amazing. Torque or not, this car is the bomb.

My fastest time was a 2:23. Not bad for a first time. Kyle ran a 2:18. As for Rob he was giving rides to many people, that I could not get a good time on him. Rob also blew his clutch on Sunday and is getting his car towed home.

I forced a Mustang SVT, a BMW M3, a Boxster, a red S2000, a Nissan 240SX, a Ford ZX2 Turbo, a Yellow Type-R to move over and let the little black 98 SE-R through. When I ran at pole no one in my run group passed me for the entire 7 laps. No one. It was only Kit/Sheening who passed me in the S2000 as if I was parked. Man what a machine.

I also had the scare of my life. I was having my own little battle with Rob Driving Adam's SE-R when a Civic SI spins right in front of me and almost blocked my way. I almost broadsided the SI. I hit the brake and then lifted and was able to avoid the SI. I was shaking, so I let every one through and headed to the pits. To make matters worse I looked in my mirrors and saw the SI spin again. Two spins in less than half a lap. This was the first time that a car spun right in front of me.

Toyo RA-1s are great tires. They do not role over. I kept the hot psi at 40 and these tire simply got better as they lost rubber. I drove in them to the track and back. Next time I will drive with my street tires. The RA-1s have been broken in. I love them.

I would like to thank Sheening, Rob, Kit and Tom for all their help with tire and suspension questions. Guys I truly appreciate your help. I am also glad that I met Adam (sorry once again for my booboo) and Luis Molina. I was disappointed that I was the only 200SX SE-R. Where are the rest of the 200SX SE-Rs?

98 SE-R, http://www.geocities.com/n_dahi PR CAI, HS G3 Header, JWT S3 Cams, Custom Exhaust, Timing @ 18, PS Shifter, STBs, Pro-Kits/AGXs/ST Bars, AD22VF/Axxis Pads/SS Lines, UR 4-Pulleys, Volk TE-37/RE-71 205/50ZR15.