2010 is going to be an amazing year in racing. Improving ones versatility can do wonders for improving skill. The faster a driver can hop into a vehicle that’s not familiar and adapt to it, the better the driver will be at tuning their senses for input. Its no secret that the more input you can get from a vehicle, the more informed you are of what’s really going on, and thus the better equipped you will be to becoming faster.
Valentino Rossi who has dominated MotoGP for the last decade recently conducted another test with Ferrari in an F2008 and nearly matched Kimi Raikkonen’s lap record at Catalunya. He has also shown success in a WRC car. What appears as a smooth flat surface to us could very possibly be as rough as the crater filled moon to him. Its time to stop living in ignorance and time to start heightening those senses, maybe even pick up a sixth sense on the way.
For 2010 the Evo will be dedicated for track days, time trials, and the occasional run to the grocery store. The car will be prepped to satisfy the ruleset for NASA TTB. I will participate in all NASA NE TT events if possible in hopes of being in contention for the championship.
Upgrades will be as follows:
- 17×9 Weds Sport SA-70 wheels – Snagged for cheap locally. Curb rashed and scraped, but still light at 17.8lbs
- Retuned suspension – The car feels great, but not perfect. I’ll be working with a local tuner to get it setup to my liking
- AMS upgraded Oil Cooler kit – An attempt to keep the oil temps low on those long hot summer lapping days
- Mishimoto Aluminum Radiator – A small weight reduction, but hopefully will also aid in keeping the car cooler
- Autopower 6-pt rollcage – Last year I got lucky when I popped out of the carousel at Summit Point’s Shenandoah circuit. This time I’m not taking any chances.
2010 will also see me return to my first racing addition: Solo II. This year I will be co-driving the Holunfie Honda S2000 in STR with owner and bike junkie Dan Cheung. Dan took a break from competitive Solo II racing after he sold off his STU Subaru STi and started racing his bikes in an attempt to satisfy his adrenaline fix. This year with the introduction of the STR class he’s back in a nicely setup AP1 Honda S2000. Last year I nearly sold the Evo in the hope of picking up an S2000 for track. Although it’s FR setup and god-like handling are matched only by a few other cars, the versatility of the Evo allowed me to be competitive while being sideways in the snow, dodging cones, or flying through the uphill esses at VIR.
And last but not least, I will be logging valuable seat time in a CRG Rotax Kart owned by Ramon Pitter. If open wheel racing is the ultimate goal, then karting is the foundation. My first test in a kart was in 2008, and although the kart wasn’t setup for me I got a taste of what all the fuss was about. Information overload, lightning fast reflexes, and huge gonads; all active ingredients for the adrenaline junkie. But I’m not looking for that. I’m looking to learn how to deal with the information overload, to build lightning fast reflexes, and to grow some giant balls. Perfect! Ramon is yet to compete in a Kart race. With the two of us logging seat time we hope our half-brains can come together and build a good setup for him that will make him competitive.
So if all goes according to plan I’ll be ripping up tarmac in the Evo, chasing cones in an S2000, and logging seat-time in a kart. Now that’s what I call a New Year’s resolution! Here’s to twenty-ten!