2021 Recap: keep pushing.
The second half of the season would kick off in September at the iconic Laguna Seca Raceyway. Unfortunately I was out of town and could not attend the event. However, the trip was car/driving related of which I’ll cover in a separate post.
So we would wait until October for Round 5, which was back to Streets of Willow, but CW configuration this time. At this point I’m starting to get a bit more confident in rotating and balancing the car with the brakes, and I’m feeling good. The track also recently got a fresh repave, which everyone was saying should be good for an extra 1.5s.
However, the last time I drove this configuration was on SX2s doing a 1:30.85, and my PB was a 1:30.27 back in January 2020. So it’s been awhile since I drove this configuration, but with a 1:28 already in my back pocket going CCW, I knew I could at least match that going CW.
Round 5, Streets of Willow - Image by Kevin Natividad @ Feend Media
…and I was right. With the new repave, and more confidence in the chicane of death, I got a new personal best of 1:26.966! Needless to say, I was ecstatic with that time. I just couldn’t believe that just last year I was so happy to do a 1:30, and going sub1:30 would have been unbelievable.
My goals of keeping the car all stock, and just working on the nut behind the wheel was starting to pay off. It was another P1 in Enthusiast class, but my lap time would have been good enough for P1 in Street Class as well, so another confidence booster that I’m doing the right things to improve.
Carving corners at Streets of Willow - Image by Kevin Natividad @ Feend Media
Going into the final round, I had accumulated enough points to the win season in Enthusiast Class, so there would be no pressure to perform. Especially at a track I’ve never been to before.
Round 6 would take place at the epicenter of west coast Time Attack: Buttonwillow Raceway Park. When asking folks what is their favorite SoCal track, 9 out of 10 times people would say Buttonwillow, and I was anxious to find out why.
Unfortunately the day did not start off with a roar. So much December fog rolled through that morning that all of the morning sessions were cancelled. We didn’t let it all go to waste however, and took a rare opportunity to walk the track. This was my first time ever to walk any track, and it was neat to finally do it. Honestly though, it was hard to really learn anything because at this point I didn’t even know the track layout, so the small details were lost on me as I was simply just trying to remember which way the track went.
You guys can check out my buddy Joey Rassool’s recap of the day on his youtube video here to really get a good sense of just how foggy it was.
In the fog at Buttonwillow Raceway - Image by Kevin Natividad @ Feend Media
The sun finally broke through after lunch time, and I was able to turn my first laps ever at Buttonwillow CW13. This track has everything, from esses, to bus stops, and even a crest. It has some long high speed sections that carry a lot of speed too. It was challenging in ways that Streets of Willow just never could.
With only two sessions to learn the track, there really wasn’t much attacking of any time on my end. I ended up with a meager 2:14.834 for my first time at Buttonwillow. That was good enough for a participatory P1 points as there were only two other drivers in class.
While we didn’t have much time on track, it was actually quite an enjoyable day. Part of going to the track and participating in these events is meeting other enthusiasts and getting to know them a bit. The fog delay gave everyone a chance to relax, catch up, and just hang out.
Sun setting on an awesome year - Image by Kevin Natividad @ Feend Media
As the sun was setting on track, it was also the close of my first season participating in any timed competition as well. I was happy to walk away with the TRD Series Enthusiast Class win for 2021, but more importantly, I was happier with the progress I was making with my driving.
I stayed patient and kept the car on stock suspension and powertrain all year so that any improvements I had I could say it was due to my driving, and not any new mods.
Not much time to rest though because the 2022 season is just around the corner! There are no winter breaks here, just more PB weather.
Question is, do I move up to Street Class and finally get some mods on the car?
Stay tuned.
Fast In, Fast Out. Have fun out there guys.
PB
