Timing is everything

I was browsing the forums at the beginning of the week when I came across a very interesting deal that I didn’t want to let get away. Fortunately I’ve had the experience of watching a stellar deal pass me by and have learned to stay prepared for it. I keep a small stash of money hidden away in the depths of my car savings for those moments when I see a time-sensitive offer on something I absolutely have to have. In this case, I ran across the little gem below, brand new in box, never used for about $500 off MSRP, and the seller lived about 4 hours away. He happened to be driving my way to make a purchase of his own and we decided to meet in the middle. A few days ago I left work, hit the road and examined/purchased it, turned around and got home just in time for a late night snack and sleep before work again. Ah, this is the life. While this 2 way drift friendly unit won’t see any action at the upcoming test and tune this weekend (where my new project car should be making it’s debut) I plan to have it installed and broken in by the first points event, which is slated for April 17th! More to come, until then I leave you with a snapshot:

2009 Regional ST Champion

The season wrapped up in probably the most anti-climactic way possible. At the end of the last event I’d competed in I had somewhere around a 140.2 point lead with one points event to go. As you can only earn 100 points for winning an event I’d already clinched first place in ST for 2009. The best score for a season is 500 points (you keep your best 5 finishes) and only if two people tie do total points come into play. I’d dropped 1 point since I began my campaign for the ST title and assuming good results at the last event I would have finished with 499.2. After the event cancellation earlier they rescheduled the last ones and I ended up missing it because I thought it was on a different weekend. Quite lame as I would have enjoyed running the 240 or the Civic for extra practice and to end the season right. Nonetheless, I’ve become the 2009 CKR ST champion. I feel really glad to have earned a better finish than 4th (2006 CKR ST class) before leaving. I’m not sure where I’ll end up for any 2010 championships. I’ll finish my studies at uni in December and  try to return to Japan for work. Failing that I’ll end up wherever I find work stateside. In either case I thin I may take a year off from autocrossing. In older years I would alternate between a year of autocrossing for grip practice, a year of autocrossing for drift practice, or a year of flat out drift events in my area (which at the time there weren’t many, there’s alot more opportunities to practice now.) So I’ll probably let the 240 take at least a year off (if not retire) from autocross competition and perform some of the more expensive class-changing modifications that make it alot more fun to drift: VLSD to clutch 2 way (ATS Carbon? Oh I hope so…), power mods based around a turbo/supercharger, maybe a little bodywork, etc. It’s been a long time since I’ve really tried my hand at full-purpose show drift; sliding around autocross turns with the steering pointed straight ahead or occasionally letting it go out wide on purpose just isn’t the same as full countering around a wide turn (with the throttle floored and revs slowly dropping due to a whopping 130WHP.)

With that, I leave you with a little something in the closet I’m thinking about finding spacers for once I get a paying job…yes I know one doesn’t match. It would become the spare after I have a 4th LE37T shipped over.