holy crap!

[Wade Jackson]

---- "Kieran A. Lavin" <kieran at kieranlavin.com> wrote: 
> HOLY.... CRAP!  How the heck did you find that?!?

Sorry, another shootout post from Paule from  Buttonwillow.

DSM/SE-R shootout again

Date: Sun, 7 Feb 99 23:09:16 -0800
From: Tom <tapaule at incubed.com>
Subject: Unbelieveable Events at Buttonwillow...

It was a great weekend for the SE-Rs at Buttonwillow.

First off let me say that the DSMs were extremely competitive, so
competitive that the times are being verified by Ryan before they are
posted.  A preliminary check had the top 5 DSMs averaging 1:19.35 seconds
per lap, where the SE-Rs had 1:19.40 seconds per lap, but that was with
Kyles and one of the DSMs last sessions times not being posted.  An
unofficial time for Kyle from session 3 was a 1:21.7, verses his 1:22.5
in session 2.  IF that is the only change (as in the DSM guy from the
same group as Kyle and in the same unposted session NOT getting a better
time in this session), we might have edged them out.  I think they
probably took the title, since everyone improved as the day went on, SE-R
or DSM.  Our only hope is that the difference in the last initial times
from session 2 for Kyle and the DSM guy and the improved times from
session 3 that Kyle has a larger improvement in time a quarter second or
more faster than the DSM guy.

Enough of that, now about the racing action:

The track was really fast compared to Streets of Willow.  In two
different sections the speeds were over 100 MPH, one spot being a long
sweeper Sheening called Talladega, another the straight after the esses
that ends with a 90 degree left next to the pits.  Basically the track
had three braking points, with the rest of the track being almost wide
open throttle. Talladega was all about balls, with Sheening showing me
that you can go all out through a 100+ mph sweeper that 4 wheel drifts
are how you corrected your line. (Wheeee!!!!) A few folks found their way
off the track, and the results occasionally meant getting stuck in the
mud that could be closer to the track than it seemed.  Only in the last
session did an SE-R get stuck, but that was Jared right after what had to
be his fastest lap, which, by the way, was the fastest lap for an SE-R
that day!!

Here are the times for the SE-Rs:

Jared:    1:17.46
Sheening: 1:17.758
Rob:      1:19.368
Me:       1:19.886 (it must be the Energy Suspension Bushings, Rob!!)
Kyle:     1:21.7 (unofficial time) ON STREET TIRES!!!!

If these times are correct, you can see our average dropped to 1:19.25.
Maybe we will keep the the title!!

There was one rather large bomb dropped on us at the track...

Sheening Lin has passed (and will continue to be passed!).  He USED to
own a NX2000, but now that car has been passed on to another (new) member
of or list.  Sheening has bought an Integra Type-R.  He's owned it for a
week, and he even sold his NX at the event without telling us (I even
have a photo as proof!!).  Good thing Ed Wolf and Kit told us before
Sheening could leave.

So let me say this:  Goodbye Benedict Arnold!!   I think Jared actually
cried when he heard, but I had a more rational response:   I ripped the
SR20DE.net shirt right off Sheenings back.  I then got a Honda/Acura club
shirt, license plate frame, and catalog and put the shirt on him,
physically beat him, then went to throw him in the mud!  I felt sorry for
him, and ended up not throwing him in the mud, since the next time we're
at Button Willow Rod Cadle assured me he would, um, "loose his brakes"
behind Sheening and send him and his new torque less love into the lake
off Magic Mountain (a really fun part of the track!).  Actually, we know
it won't be hard to catch Sheening in an Integra, and I'm willing to bet
that he will have to try so hard to keep up, he'll over-drive his car and
end up off the track by his own hands! Serves him right!

Also, Kit was there too, but was unable to keep up with the likes of
equally powered, slightly heavier, FWD cars that he abandoned not so long
ago.  I guess it was the poodle in the passenger seat that weighed him
down too much!! ;-)

In fact, if you've ever seen Kit and Sheening near each other, you'll
notice many similarities... so many in fact, they are often called by the
wrong name.  Now, it;s much easier to tell the difference, one has a
poodle, the other a "Powered by VTEC" sticker.  Let's be sure to keep
this in mind at the convention (if either shows up!).

I can't wait until the SE-R convention and the opportunity to have alot
more SE-Rs on the track.  I hope everyone can make it to that event!!!

One last note, the turbo wasn't on my car, even though the turbo came
back from the coaters.  I got everything on friday morning, went to smog
the car and found out the cat was fried (at least that's what it seems,
I'm not passing due to high HCs).  So I didn't feel like installing
everything for the race, then taking it back off if I had to trouble
shoot the smog problem.  It should be on by the end of the week.

I'm sure Rob will have more events to report once he makes it into work
Monday morning.

Tom Paule