A year in review.

Everyone at this time of year tends to find themselves asking specific questions about the past year and what they have accomplished. They tend to remember those that have passed away, those who have succeeded and achieving the impossible, and those who we wish would just fall off the Earth.

With all these “2003 in review” type of newscasts, articles and nostalgic conversations, I am here to provide my very own, year in review.

Ah, the new year. Don’t remember much of the first quarter of this year. Just know it came and went without much thought or celebration. Granted, this year will only be remember for Bush’s war on Sadam, I mean on Sadam’s Weapons of Mass Destruction…I mean, on Terrorism. Either way, we caught the guy and I know he owes me at LEAST $5 (stupid playing cards).

For car folk, it meant the loss of several racers, not limited to, Paul Mumford, John Lingenfelter, Tony Renna, and, of course, Mark Lovell and Roger Freeman.

For me personally, I lucked out, I managed another year without losing any friends to either drunk driving, random car accidents, murder, or swallowing a spatula.

Specifically, this year, I saw the realization that my CRX might actually blossom into a legal race car. The installation of my rollcage largely helped this as well as my driving skill improved. Some other minor changes to the CRX this year involved a new, thicker radiator, removed the Wilwood brakes, 13x9 wheels, lexan rear windows, bigger master cylinder, and lots and lots of gas.

I managed to make it to 18 individual autocrosses and my very first ProSolo. I made my first trip to Streets of Willow and a return trip to Dromo1. I ran at Spring Mountain Motorsports Park (SMMP aka Parhump) three times and various LVMS courses three times.

All in all, I ran seven Open Track events and got roughly 126 autocross runs. I drag raced a few times too, but, those aren’t really worth mentioning (unless, of course, 14sec quarter miles are your sense of thrilling entertainment). During that time, I’ve managed to hit 28 cones, one of those cones wasn’t even hit at an autocross!

Over the past year, I’ve managed to break only a few things:
- distributor rotor
- distributor cap
- lots of bolts
- some sockets
- my back once
- a friend’s engine
- a few bulbs
- two bumper lens from rocks
- a corner lamp
- a bunch of nissan parts helping friends on their cars

This year was a great year for those looking for new cars. for the under $20K section, you have the SRT-4. For the $20-$30K range, you can get a stripped 350z or one of those “GM’s moronic move to drop from it’s line-up” Camaro. For $30K-$40K, you can get a Sti or a bling bling G35 coupe. $40K+ there’s the z06, the Enzo, and of course, Jay-Z’s Bentley.

With all that did and didn’t happen this year… I had a good one. I have my health, I have a home, I got two cars that run and one that needs some work, I got my sense of humour…

Actually, in retrospect, this year blows!!! I still haven’t hit megabucks or won the lottery!!!!

Have a safe New Year’s everyone. look out 2004, I’m coming and I’m not wearing pants this time!

 

great post man i really like it

 

I have to say that I have had a good year as well. Not where I would like to be but closer.

I finally pushed the CRX and myself into HPDE this year, I became a grid official for NASA VA (which by the way has helped me learn so much about tracks and made great friends). The CRx did not get that much work done to it this year but I did have the chance to put a 2nd car on the road.

This just means that I now have time to put into the CRX this year and can stop fixing the stuff that goes wrong with a car because you daily drive it.

My knowledge on cars has grown extensively over this year, lots of thanks to Dr. CorteZ with helping me understand how a car works. He is a good friend and great to bring to a party, well when he drinks anyway. Thanks for all your help this year.

Big thanks to the H-T crew, with out you guys i would not have been able to learn as much as I did with out you also.

I was able to be best man in a very close friends wedding, which I had the chance to fly out to New Mexico and see many wonderful things. I am happy that I had another year with my family( even tho we do not get along very much).

I know that there is a ton more, there has to be, because if there isn't, I am going to be mad that I could have done all this in 2 months.

Heres to 2004, while I am only wearing a jock strap.

The Furball.......

PS
I hit 1000 posts this year. 2 1/2 years in the making.


Modified by FURBALL B-16 at 2:59 PM 12/29/2003