Winter Meltdown (CMP 2/13/2010)

As discretion oft proves the better part of valor, brevity oft proves the better part of writing.  Due to some mild retardation I have no video from my HPDE outing and thus, on this occasion, I must hang my hat on mere words and pictures.

I will admit to some trepidation as I unloaded my car in a driving snow storm on Friday the 12th.  Camden, SC where I lodged received, in fact, 5 inches of accumulation in about 12 hours Friday night. Fortunately, all was not lost. Although I awoke to a grim scene of shin-deep slush in the hotel parking lot, nevermind the four inches that had settled on my car, the roads proved quite passable. The ground temperature just had not dropped enough for anything to really stick to it solidly excepting a few shady spots.

The trip from the hotel to the track while slow, proved uneventful. Grounds crew, NASA officials, and anyone with a 4x4 of some type went out to try and clear the track; assisted by a stiff breeze and an ever-rising sun. In the end my group only ended up one session short for the weekend. The track was damp, but completely drivable by 1pm on Saturday and conditions only improved from there. NASA, as usual, kept everything running smoothly. Conditions aside, I really enjoyed this event. I have been to some fun ones, and some where I just never could relax. Relaxing is key. You driver better when you are relaxed, you sleep better at night, and you retain things you learn better. I have a very laid-back instructor and dare I say "experience" to thank for this.

My fourth event in HPDE-1 (the "n00b" group), this round would also be my last event at the entry-level class. By this time I have nearly memorized the classroom spiel, and I am fairly comfortable finding my way around any track that I've been to a couple of times. I use "comfortable" because I refuse to say "confident" with any reference to driving skill. Confidence, for those uninitiated, is that feeling you get right before it all goes horribly wrong. Confidence and Bravery are, I humbly opine, the two quickest ways to the scene of the accident.

Digressing, I set three goals for myself to accomplish over the weekend and I believe I completed all of them. The first: graduate into HPDE-2. Done! The second: shake some of the off-season rust.  Done I think. The third: shake down the MR2 and spot any issues early in the season. Done. I have some work to do on the cooling system.  My current theory points a finger at the radiator fans, but we shall see.

I think I'm going to call it here on this one. I came, I saw, I didn't break anything. I did a little track-watching on Sunday, but not too much. It might have been sunny, but the place to be was not outside unless you were in a running vehicle.

See y'all at Road Atlanta in March!