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spins, dirt, failing drivelines, close races, interesting starts, pace car laps. Very close racing all through the field. You needed to be there.

We had another fantastic 3D Carbon S2 Cup weekend at the Buttonwillow double-national this past weekend. The competition was fierce with a different podium each day.

John Fuji seemed to have the place figured out as he qualified on the pole both days. Other top contenders included Ted Guenther, Wayne Smith in the ex-Scully Swift, Bob Lovenson, and the Moran motorsport combo of Joe Moran and Doug Ota. The first race had a terrible start as the pace car went too fast, and the overall pole-sitter never let the field close up. We were strung out and at racing speed several turns before the start/finish straight. The first group had trouble at turn 1, and Fuji may have gotten involved as he was off the track. But he was soon back on track, and made his way quickly to the front. I qualified 7th ("I was seventh!!"), but with some new tires, was able to move up and challenge John for the lead. We were nose-to-tail for many laps (unfortunately it was always my nose, and John's tail). There were many battles throughout the field. Up front, we turned below-qualifying speed laps right at the end of the race, and the podium was Fuji, Ferguson, Guenther. Wayne Smith had to drop out with an engine problem, and Joe Moran and Doug Ota both dropped out with a driveline problems (Ota's was a clutch, and I think Joe's was a loose stub axle). I ended up with a new track record at 1:50.49

Qualifying conditions for Sunday's race were perfect. I went out and turned a 1:50.2 on the second lap and parked it. Fuji was able to knock out a phenomenal 1:49.2 for the pole. For the race, the splitter failed to give our "split" group the choice of pole side, so I ended up on the preferred right-side. When the green flew for the first group, I took off. Fuji in hot pursuit. But it didn't last as he dropped out on the second lap, and I pulled a comfortable lead over Ted Guenther. About half-way through the race, contact between a Formula Mazda and a Radical CSR left bodywork all over the track, and brought out the pace car. At the restart, I spun the car coming onto the front straight and most of the field went by while I got re-fired. I got a little help when Ota and Moran both fell off the track at the Star Mazda corner (leading Kathy Allison to get a cockpit full of Buttonwillow dirt), and so I was able to chase my way back to second, but Ted was too far ahead to catch. Sunday's Podium was Guenther, Ferguson, Lovenson.