Congratulations Dixie Trophy Winners!

[aufoxy]

Alabama region had several trophy winners from this weekend in Dixie! Help me congratulate them!

John Waight came home with an awesome 1st place finish in a competitive CSP class, taking the win by 3 tenths!

Jerry Ledford scored a 3rd place trophy in STU class in his first national event! Very impressive Jerry, hopefully we will see you at several more national events in the future!

Clay McCool brings home a 4th place trophy in a large and diverse street class, G-street (12 entrants with 6 different cars). The class was very competitive with several national champions and national trophy winners in the class!

I also want to thank Clay for letting me codrive with him, I had a blast! For anyone that didn't hear the news, the 5th run group was cancelled due to weather on Day 2, so Clay and I had to stand on our Day 1 runs. For me at least, this was disappointing because I love running in the rain and I felt I could make up some time... but such is the way the cookie crumbles. Maybe next time!

There were also several trophy winners from TVR region as well. Lee Chhit came home with 1st in STF, Dan Chhit was not far behind with 3rd in STF, Brandon Davis with a 2nd place finish in a very competitive SSR class, Josh Cavanaugh 4th in CS, and Dennis Sparks 4th in a huge STX class (21 entrants!). I apologize if I have forgotten anyone!

Everyone help me congratulate these trophy winners!

[fwman1]

+1, Way to go!

[rlcsolo2]

Congrats to John Waight for finally bringing home the elusive CSP trophy at Dixie. For those of you that aren't aware of the battles that have taken place over the years within this class at Dixie, it has been a frustrating one. Between an old, but well sorted, very quick, Datsun roadster that has been campaigned in the Southeast by the Harvey brothers since before most of us were even driving and throw in a couple of random, extremely well prepped Miatas from other regions with capable drivers and an alien-fast co-driver or two over the years, it has not always gone ALSCCA's way. Especially for the guy that has provided the dedicated, official ALSCCA CSP car for at least 6, if not 7, years. I may not be speaking for all of the ALSCCA CSP guys (and I still consider myself one if they will let me), but to me personally, it was a grudge match and a win that was a long time coming. Congrats to John Waight for laying it down just as he has done locally and for so many years when it really mattered. And an equal congrats to Darryl for building the car and continually tweaking the car to win a Tour event and improving his own driving exponentially over the last couple of seasons.

Big congrats to Jerry Ledford. Absolutely HUGE result first time at a National Tour. I could go on and on, but the result speaks for itself. A sign of things to come. Period.

Instead of being like Nascar driver and mentioning every single one of you who also did extremely well (Brandon Davis, the Chitt brothers, Clay, Josh), I'd rather speak to all of our guys who made it, ran hard and came in mid-pack or maybe lower depending on what kind of unthinkable, alien, mystical, physics-defying, money's-no-object competition that you may have faced (whether it was a car that has destroyed Tokyo multiple times in the past or a driver that has his own "energy field" as Clay McCool explained it). The weekend may have seemed even longer than my last sentence, but I hope you learned a lot, had fun and aren't disheartened with a mid-pack or lower result. Because if you are and decide to give it up based on that, then I will start 2nd guessing why the hell I'm still doing this s#*! myself, too. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Personally, I learned a lot this trip being a different class (STS), rather than the last 4 trips (CSP). In my experience, there are ringers in just about all of the classes and if there's not one in your class yet, there will be...just give it a year or two. I got my arse handed to me worse this time than the last couple of times I've been, but I know now at least a couple of the reasons why and what I can do to improve or what to shoot for in preparation for my next National Tour event. A good, sound beating teaches you much more than any hollow victory ever could. I look forward to losing some more! My kingdom for a 4th run on Saturday and Sunday with what I know now!
God, I love this sport!!

[jledford]

Thanks guys! I enjoyed my time at the event.

Congrats to all the other trophy winners!

Thanks to all of those that helped me out over the weekend and glad to see such a large ALSCCA participation in the event.

[rodhx]

Thanks to all of those that helped me out over the weekend and glad to see such a large ALSCCA participation in the event.

+1 Zac & I really enjoyed my second and his first Tour event, but it wouldn't have been the same without so many of our ALSCCA & TVR friends. Now we have to start recruiting even more folks for next time! I'm looking at you Webbs...would've been cool to see the Crossfire in attendance

[JohnW8]

Thanks everyone. I had a new mindset this time with a complete lack of nerves or high hopes that I was going to win. I planned on having fun no matter what. I didn't think I was going to lose nor was I going to win. I was going to have fun with my friends just like every other local event.

Darryl was requested to not touch the car after the way it performed at the TVR Test n Tune. He didn't comply and changed the exhaust, but it didn't matter. We didn't adjust anything but air pressures all weekend and it stuck. The course was kind of typical for a Dixie Event and the car did what I wanted without complaint. The best "trophy" I could have gotten from this trip was seeing Elliot Harvey react to the timer as I cut another 1/2 second off my previous time. Darryl saw it and told me about it. I wish I had seen it.

A big thanks to Darryl Engle for letting me co-drive his car. That was the most relaxing, fun trip to Dixie I can remember. No tension, no dry mouth, no nervous stomach burbling. Just drive around the cones. Great trip!

Congrats to everyone who made the trip. I hope everyone had fun and are planning on going back to a National Tour event. To be able to see some how much talent there is out there beyond the local regions is truly humbling and a great learning experience.

Thanks!

[c-evoVIII]

We were working at corner 3 ( the slalom) when John, Darryl, and Jerry was driving. Me and Heath just looked at eachother every time u guys fly by us and said " man that's fast!!" and look on our phones for the result. Great driving to all that went!

Sara and Heath drove well and place in mid pack which is respectable IMO, Me...not so much :0(
I can atleast say that it wasnt the car, it was my driving. The car was fast, responded well to adjustments, well balanced, and do exactly what I asked of it. I wished that I had more seat time in it before we went for this trip. All the work Ive done in it its going make it FAST!!
The transition from street tires to R-comp was more tricky than I thought, Im used to the slip angle of the street tires and dove into corner sooner than I should and hit the cones with my rear tire, or spin. On Sunday I managed to pull my head out of my @ss on the last run ( after a spin and a DNF) and manage to pull in a 44.8xx which is about 1.5second faster than my lovely wifey only to see that I had knocked over 2 cones.
All in all was a great learing and humbling experience. We will be going back next year with more seat times, confidence, big gigantic wing and meaty-er tires. Hopefully the Godzilla return for a re-match.

Finally I want to thanks those who helped US at grid, pulling tires blankets, thrash talk, but most of all for John W8, and My wife Sara for the words of wisdom and encoragement when I needed them.
I'm looking forward to our first point event in 2 weeks!! C

[HPEVOX]

Great job everyone. Not going to lie I'm very disappointed with my driving after reviewing the videos. So much shoulda coulda woulda I can't even count. Not so much how I finished vs everyone else but just the mistakes I made myself. Yes C the transition to R comps is a HUGE change that I haven't even come close to getting in my head. Oh well. Sad story .. miniature violin LOL. At least I can only improve from my first tour experience lol. Thanks to everyone who helped me in grid, paddock and for tips from the experienced folks before we got going the first day. I really appreciate all everyone does. I had a great time and definitely plan to do it again! Just faster! now let's add some events. I need seat time!!!

[cjwsrt]

+1 Zac & I really enjoyed my second and his first Tour event, but it wouldn't have been the same without so many of our ALSCCA & TVR friends. Now we have to start recruiting even more folks for next time! I'm looking at you Webbs...would've been cool to see the Crossfire in attendance

Maybe one day, im still trying to talk the older webb into being my tire warmer at a national event, we're still waiting on someone to make a good front tire for us to really be competitive, i would really like to go to a pro solo event. and since i brought it up are there any pro solo's close that arent nationals like arkansas but practice, if that made any sense?

[jledford]

So quick question, since I won a trophy how do I get the trophy?

I saw on another board that they might be mailed out? Do I need to contact the SCCA to get my trophy?

[lcr56]

So quick question, since I won a trophy how do I get the trophy?

I saw on another board that they might be mailed out? Do I need to contact the SCCA to get my trophy?

According to the announcement at the end of the event they said they would mail out the trophies or you can pick it up at Blytheville I think. If they mail it they will send it to the address associated with your scca membership.

[jledford]

Thanks Lee!

I never heard the announcement, I just saw people leaving grid so I left also.

[SamC]

So quick question, since I won a trophy how do I get the trophy?

Better question...So since I didn't win a trophy how do I drive faster in order to get one next time

[jledford]

Better question...So since I didn't win a trophy how do I drive faster in order to get one next time

More gas, less brake?

Worked when I raced motorcycles.

[HPEVOX]

More gas, less brake?

exactly what i need right there