If you haven't noticed, my '08 Formula D season has been one plagued with dumb luck. Because we are out of the points chase, our goal for the rest of the season is to just go out there and put on a good show for the fans, continue to collect data for '09, and make the points chase harder for those in contention.
We rolled into Sonoma early, so a couple of the drift guys and I went to a shooting range where we proceeded to let off some steam with a hundred or so rounds fired from a large array of powerful weaponry. Drift Style, the show that follows our series, made targets for us that looked like our judges. It felt kind of wrong, but we shot the shit out of them!
After a few changes in practice the next day, the Mustang was dialed in with great traction and lots of smoke, and I was ready to hit the course hard! Sonoma is not a very technical track, but the first turn is fast and lots of fun. I was averaging 95 mph entries, feeling on point and really good about the weekend; there's almost no greater feeling than sliding sideways, at nearly 100 mph, for a few hundred feet! I had a lot of fun running tandem with my Drift Alliance bros and putting some pressure on my competitors. In fact, the judges mentioned I was 'raping' people during practice as they discussed tandem techniques.
After a short practice Saturday morning, it was time for Qualifying. On my first pass, I ran a conservative run that I thought was sure to get us in the Top 16. Unfortunately, the judges decided otherwise. On my second run, I let it all hang out. A 95 mph entry and a flawless line scored me a Tenth Place spot. In Top 16, I was paired against Dai in his GTO. After a bit of friendly smack talk to one another, we went to battle. The judges couldn't decide the winner after the first pair of runs, so a One More Time run was called. For the second pair of runs, I'll say it: I whooped up on Dai a bit. During his lead run, I kept my tire in his door, showing dominance. I threw down a killer run during the second pass, pulling away from him and scoring nine points!
The next bracket paired me with Tanner Foust. I was excited because I beat him here last year and was ready to do it again. The first run was a close battle, but he pulled on me pretty hard after the first clip, and left with a three-point advantage. I tossed the car into the first turn a bit harder than normal, and according to the judges and replay, dropped three tires over the yellow boundary line. Tanner actually stalled his car on the entry and went straight off course. We were both handed zero points, but he moved on. In all honesty, this is the first event in a long time where I was happy with a Top 8 finish. I drove hard and consistent all weekend, and can't be mad at that... although I would love to have taken some wind out of Tanner's sail! Irwindale, here we come: that's my house!
Falken Tire
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K&N Filters
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Ford Racing
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Tonner Fast
After losing the points lead to Sam in Seattle, Tanner and his 350Z are in it to win his second Formula D title. With a repeat within grasp, Tanner needs to be in top gear to take the championship.
If I were a betting man, I would not have bet that we'd win Round 6 of Formula D in Sonoma. First of all, I'm not a fan of the track. It's one big breaking zone and that's about it. Secondly, it starts out with a huge drag race and the Rockstar Z is not the fastest car in a straight line. But at the end of the day, once the tandem runs start, Sonoma's track makes for a pretty awesome show!
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