SCCA Hawaii 2019 | “First Rain” | Race 11
In the second to the last race before the championship run-offs, there were a few new (but old) insights for race number 11.
First was that I forgot to pre-register which costed me $5, but I guess that’s my fault for forgetting to pre-reg in the first place. I had to go just a tad earlier.
Second, the course had a gate with a slalom which led to a double circle where drivers could choose left/right for the first circle, CW or CCW for the second circle, followed by a left/right choice coming out – I’ve never seen that before. I thought I would go right, CW, followed by a right…
First choice 
Second choice
Third, I got assigned to a cone runner at Pole 15 and it’s been years since I’ve got a work assignment like that. Years ago, I requested to not having anything that involved running because I hurt my back pretty badly. I’m still feeling the effects but the Chiefs have been thoughtful in my request for the past years. I decided to just stick it out and kept my fingers cross that I didn’t aggravate my back again.
Not being a cone runner for so long made me forget a slight advantage of doing so especially since I didn’t race yet – I got to see what other drivers in similar cars did.
Fourth, this was the first time I’ve driven the civic in the rain at an event. Ok not really raining, but enough to give me the familiar experience feeling a front wheel drive car slide sideways a bit.
I didn’t mis-shift this weekend! I wonder if it had to do with the manual transmission fluid change I did recently… I did however, after doing some research come across something called shifting “lockout” where the car is unable to go into gear at high RPMs due to a delay valve in the factory clutch master cylinder (CMC). The remedy? It involves swapping an EM1 clutch master cylinder from Hybrid racing. I’ll look more into it later if it’s absolutely necesssary. I hear swapping the CMC is a pain…
Videos
Emphasis on Run 3 on the wet roads, which was my slowest but the best experience! Like, comment, and subscribe to my RICECARDRIVER channel on YouTube if you feel I deserve it.
Conclusion
I feel that there was a “better” path to take with the for a faster time and I’ll never know if that is possible because I didn’t take the opportunity and risk to do so. I’ll always be left wondering “what if…”
Ever felt the same way pertaining to some aspect in life?
