and help a brotha out:
want to buy burgundy/maroon bumper and driver side fender
a pic from 4ag
Woke up 4 am.
SSS
eat and head out to the track. leave around 5 am
get there around 5:30 or 45 and unload, pretech, and park on the oval at track.
chill and talk with friends who come rolling in and just BS and then the D1 drivers some..ohhhh damn
so hang out w/ the d1 guys in the pit. they were super cool, they pointed stuff out to me on their cars and we 'talked' (hand motions) and just had fun. they were all really nice. izumida is SOOO YAKUZA!! haha...his car is hot. really cool though, very down to earth and laid back. had them sign my d1 book (all this is around 7 am-before gates open to public at 10).
oh! best thing of my day already
i was walking from teh track to the pits
koguchi is walking opposited direction. i was looking at the track and i hear "HEY! HEY!", look its koguchi! HE REMEMBERED ME!! WOW!!!!!! i was soooo happy and excited hahahahahaha..so shake hands, ohaiogazaimasu and such (however its spelled) and go on our ways..i was smiling already. if i sucked i would already go home happy hahaha..
so by 8 am or so drivers are all ready and the d1 guys come out to run the track...OOOOH DAMN. nomuken and ueno are RIGHT ON EACHOTHER. how ueno can see thru nomuken's smoke beats the hell outta me. but they were on eachother. koguchi and bai chilled w/ eachother and tanaka and kumakubo and izumida were just TEARINGI T UP. when kumakubo hit the oval straight and pitched it sideways locked up rears and just PERFECT LINE down the side...wow. all the US drivers were just floored. soooo exciting.
then the day REALLY go rolling. 9 or 10 the gates openned (this is where i start losing track of time) and i guess around 10 the US driver practice runs begin. my first run of day...
i start up at top. (im car #48...2nd to last) and when my group goes get up there. turn on the cd player w/ Elliott Smith "Either/OR". driver window rolled up, passenger down. car idleing well. no check engine light, temp is good. solid. ac is off and im sitting in the bride brix (still shocked im in a bride brix) and got my seatbelt on. as i get up snug up the helmet, deep breath and pull up. drop the clutch around 3K, wheels spin, off the line good start to pick up speed and come up to first cone. heart beating FAST....cone is left and im up on the right. cut in, break rears and slide facing left (this is TOP of second, off redline on the stock gear ratio), counter, grab...counter....flick wheel back, slide facing right...hold the slide, as i come closer to teh cement wall, flick again, slide facing left. come up WAAAAAAAAAY to close to the course guides (plastic kart boxes) so i stomp on brake, lock up front, SLIDE BARELY MISS the wall, and NAIL the apex w/ my nose of car, power out, still sliding, flick right, slide long left thru next corner, flick left, LOOOONG power slide facing left, lots of smoke on the brand new FM901s. after the apex turn, in second gear, my foot is ON THE FLOOR, no throttle control, just full throttle. the sad thing is, im still going pretty slow hahahahahahaha...stupid stock KA
so line up again. second time out, typical slide thru cones, and as come up to apex on 3rd turn (the first major turn) go WAAAAAY too wide. the rest was same as above
3rd time up, spin out. ack. sorta ****ed. but stillsooo happy w/ the first run. a few people commented how bada$$ it was and perfect
again, i was already pleased at this day if it ended there id go home smiling.
so i think we can run again and practice. so do the same, first run was soo good. second and thried..meh..so so or bad.
so then the comp starts. stand in the track w/ the KING! Keiichi!!!
i stand RIGHT BEHIND HIM, because im thinking, one way or antoher im going on OPTION video hahaha..and just goof around..it was funny. one of the US guys woudl yell WASABI!! and Imamura would yell it and jump too..then UNAGI, and imamura did it and jumped around, then something else and nomuken looked at him w/ a "wtf!" and laughed so much it was pretty funny. imamura is a big kid! haha..he's SOO FUNNY!
ueno is so pimp. he's just laid back and cool, like his car
and nomuken as everyone knows is goofy
oh and tanaka is a goofball too, when they were introducing the d1 drivers, tanaka crawled up the course 'wall' which was a big fence infront of the crowd. soo funny. nomuken took 2 bottle caps and put them on his eyes so it looked like the caps were his eyeys. then he hit the back of his head and it poped out hahaa..funny guy
so then we start
basically you only need 1 good run. its not on consitencey but your ability to nail the apex w/ your nose perfect and keep it TIGHT around the first corner. GOOD!!!
I LIKE THAT!!
so when its my turn, first run...OH DAMn it was SOO GOOD.
keiichi and the judges STOOD UP AND CHEERED FOR ME!!! OMG!!! i was sooo floored by that. keiichi! clapped AND stood up for my drift!!!!!!
i was soo happy w/ dorifto, itsy, adey and driftingpanda told me that..i was in total disbelief and again, i could go home happpy! just sooo happy! i was so giddy..oh but it gets better
so they do the top 25 now...do the numbers, get near like 40something...then 48
48....wait...THATS ME!!! toso and dorifto, itsy, adey, derrel, driftingpanda and yes and all my friends are AHH you made it, i was SOOOO HAPPY!!!!!
it was great, jumping around and just smiling all over, top 25!! NUTS!
so again on the runs, first run NAIL IT again!!! SO HAPPY! second and third goof somewhere or go TOO wide but make the course (i have consistency issues, and not just on the toilet).
so again w/ the judging. me, i could care less about the next round, i made top 25, im already PUMPED. so go thru the numbers....#48!!! OH DAMN THATS ME AGAIN!! i made top 14?! 10 or so month drifter in top 14 up against guys who have been drifting or professional drivers for 2 years or more! WHAT THE HELL!!!!! and im on STOCK KA!!!! 100% stock! 136 rwhp!! i was SOOOOO excited. so pull car up and as the next runs go..first, again do SO GOOD but go a bit wider then i wanted...
second run, spin..d'oh!
third run..and my ACTIOn run
cones drift thru them on the fisrt
start up right, cut in left, rear breaks w/ ease and no effort as usual
counter..oh no, too much counter...so i think, i can still nail this..relax. so flick again, have to grab it FAST to keept he slide angle SMALL
but no, i screw up, too much, so pull it straight
HELLO PLASTIC BARRIER!
i slam into it..crumple it up as it folds like a snake, so drop into first, drop clutch, smoke up, exit right near wall of specatators, OH GOOD a opening in the barrier, i dont know if i drifted thru it but i do know i was in fisrt just up around 6K RPM, so the rear might have been already loose, then drift rest of course and park up top. get out of car, and look...oh no!!! so i pop hood, look at it...my heart beat just drops back to normal. NO damage! no leaky fluids!
plastic barriers RULE!
so then that was it for me..last run. so head back and park. look at it..WOW, need new bumper, new fender. THATS IT!!!!
anyways, then they do the top 8 to go to D1..i didnt make it, but i dont care. i made top 14 and for a stock KA against SRs, SO MUCH expirience and skill, im more then pleased to be there.
it was an awesome day for me and i want to thank my friends, driftingpanda, itsybitsy, dorifto180sx (thanks for the BRIX it rocks), Adey (my front end twin), Derrell, Andy, Aaron, Katie, and Yeswepromise (for torturing me w/ your Team Orange sticker) haha...you guys helped me alot. im glad ou all made it out!
see everyone at dd6
pics AND VIDS (2 vids of my crash) coming soon!! and a vid or 2 of my GOOD runs!!!!!
option video....CANT WAIT
PINK GODZIRA
things i learned
I need a louder exhaust
squeaky belts should be tightened (shutup dood, that's my supercharger)
need a flashier body..body kit and paint job coming soon
and most importantly, im glad i can reprsent my sponsors well.