I know you've heard it before...but it rocks! Thanks to Ann Hollis, Andy Hollis, Mike Johnson, and Gerry Terranova for coming over and instructing...I learned a lot from Ann and Gerry, while at the same time apparently impressing them with my driving. They seem to think I'm one the smoothest driver they have ever seen (I know I'm smooth, but I can't believe that there aren't others who haven't driven as 'smooth' in an Evolution school with them) and recommended I ditch the truck and get a real car. But I love autocrossing my truck...and really want to develop a competitive standard cab Tacoma [unsure of best class yet] I was looking forward to riding and driving with RWD instructor Mike Johnson (especially after watching him work an newer model supercharged Ford Mustang Cobra convertable) in the afternoon session.

Unfortunately there was an incident with the Mustang Cobra convertable at the end of the first groups runs of our section ... well it was more than an incident, the Cobra got totaled after severely impacting a lightpole right at the front of the drivers wheel! The driver was doing his last run by himself and made a serious mistake in judgement, ending up going severly off course and into the concrete pole at a good speed (no braking was attempted from what I could see). Fortunately the driver wasn't severly hurt, but did have a big gash from the A-pillar windshield slamming into his helmet (which occured after the airbag deployed), thankfully he was wearing a FULL FACED helmet with the visor down! I can't imagine what would have happened with an open face, no do I want to. So basically everything stopped right then and there at our section as people ran over to check out the car and driver condition. Driver got out himself ASAP despite initial attempts to keep him in - and then everyone got away from the vehicle as it was found the battery exploded in the collision and was mixed with the lake of fluid streaming out all around the vehicle. Needless to say Ann and Mike who were working that course, were disheartened and couldn't go on with the afternoons schooling.

So an hour or so after the incedent, a couple others and I felt that we could continue on and finish the school with the other sections course (run by Andy and Gerry). That course was a challenge since it was a mirror of our sections - meaning the layout was opposite, not only that but it was pretty bumpy as well. Anyways Gerry was who drove and rode with me and I learned new things from him as I learned from Ann. So by the end of the day I learned to increase my agressiveness in attacking the course (which is my real problem) while still retaining my "smoothness" - I never knew my Tacoma could brake so well and track tight in a 360 degree "skidpad" turn before. And by the end on the second course (which was a little tighter and offered less traction than the one I started on) the chicago box wasn't so bad and I was tapping the apex of the cone consistantly to where it would be half in/half out the box...too cool, especially since I've never driven in a Chigago box before! So I became better at braking, turn-in, slolam, and throttle response yesterday. I want to go again - maybe Phase 2 next time so I can work on my look-ahead technique!! For some weird reason though I wasn't looking ahead like I normally was on the first course (course was tighter and just weird compared to the other one), yet I knew where the course was going and where the cones were in relation to the truck...bizarre!

Definately worth the experience! Though I hope no-one has to experience first hand a horrible incedent like we had yesterday, especially not Ann and Mike - they are really first rate and care about the students.


And special thanks to James Rogerson for setting this Evolution school up and letting me load his spec Miata onto the enclosed trailer... if that's what a racing puck clutch feels like I'm getting one for the integra/Civic/whatever to replace the costly deadweight body in the garage!


Modified by Vracer111 at 11:16 AM 4/2/2004