Blue skies and a steady pacific breeze kept everybody cool in the hot competition at Marina Airport, the former Army Airfield of former Ft. Ord. Stan Clark and John Peterson were coconspirators in setting up and running the Tigers United 25 AutoX.
On the course walk many thought that this was to be a really fast course using some third gear. As it turned out most never needed to shift out of second. The organizers did make good use of the available space and evened out the tire wear left and right by including a crossover at the center of what might have been a figure eight. What figure it was? Not a butterfly or a moth but maybe a dragonfly smashed on the windshield. Good times were in the low 50's with the fast guys and girls under 50 seconds. Fast time was by Tom McDaniels of Torrance, CA with a clean run under 47. Tom really attacks a course and was fun to watch.
All the entrants got 4 timed runs and for those that stayed and worked we also got 2 fun runs. Stan Clark suggested this might be a time to learn/teach something. I invited Terry Taylor (1st Stock Class) to drive Tiger Blue over the course with me as his student. There was no time for chalk talk and theory or even much conversation as we fishtailed around the course. I noted some areas that Terry was going where I had been slowing. I then went around with a passenger and beat my best prior time by 2 seconds!
After fun runs there was some confusion about open track. Open Track is not competitive but can offer some real fun in running multiple laps in several sessions as a group of 10 while minding the safety of all through observing some basic rules. No problem! That flag man at the crossover was busy.
