Qualified 15 of 28 in the rain.  A new to the show female driving a T2 Subaru WRX AWD took pole.  But, she passed under 
yellow so started at the back.  Mike Belzer and Steve Laughlin did not qualify but they came to the race at the back of
the pack too.  That set the stage for what was to come.

Lap 1 - Had the Miatas hold me up with one of their typical 4 wides into T1.  A blue Miata bump tagged Pat Newton's car in 
front of me and I nearly got hit on both sides myself as two other Miatas and a Rabbit about took me out when I had to 
check up for the sideways blue Miata in front of me at T2.  Just glad I didn't have to swap paint with Skip Yocum (Rabbit) 
in T2 there.  Later I got bumped from behind by another red Miata that I just managed to pass before T10.  He tagged me 
in T12 because I was still on cold tires and T12 seemed too slippery for my comfort to race out of there very fast.  My 
rear end will survive that one though.  I'm glad my GM is mostly plastic.  

Now keep in mind I was running on OLD race tires.  All I really wanted to do was keep my car on the DRY LINE.  Period.  
I was NOT going to give up the dry line for anyone; Miatas, cars I'm passing, MIKE or STEVE or anyone.  REASON:  Simple.  
I needed 11 points to guarantee my ITE championship.  What I did NOT need was to slide or spin off a corner on 4 old, bald, 
race tires into the wet grass and not be able to get back on the track again.  So, my race plan was simple. Do my BEST and 
hopefully keep all 4 tires on the dry part of the track and MAYBE finish up front someplace with Mike and Steve.  But my 
main goal, to be honest, was just to finish the season in one piece.  Guess I sure blew that part...

Lap 2 - I nearly hit Pat in his red Miata going into T1 when I hit a wet patch on the right side under hard braking.  
Luckily he was hip to me trying to pass him and managed to keep our red paint from mixing.  I got around him between T3 
and T4 with Mike in his 944T already on my tail at that point.  Mike didn't.  Pat was my screen car for a few turns until 
we got past T7.  After that we drag raced to T10 and both got through T12 OK.  We drag raced down the front as well.  I 
passed Sutherland in his ITA Miata and just managed to get past a black #09 Miata.  

Lap 3 - That worked out OK for me as Mike had trouble in T1, I guess, and both those Miatas slipped back in front of him
and screened for me.  They held Mike up all the way to the exit of T7.  In the mean time Bill Thew, in the bright yellow 
#0 Westfield car, did a great job of holding me up because every time I tried to poke my nose inside him I'd hit a patch 
of wet and couldn't do anything but spin my tires trying to get by him.  I nearly side swiped him going down the back 
straight to pass him?  Well, I was just a little P.O.'d at him and tried to send him a little message to move over when 
we are trying to get by him.  I don't know if he got the message or not... next day, on Sunday, I chatted with him too 
and he just said, "Yah, I knew you were there and was ready for your pass..."  Anyway, I saw Mike get by him on the front 
straight as I crossed S/F and went to brakes for T1.

Lap 4 - My tires sucked and I managed to slip some going into T1.  By now I was hoping the track would be drying up more 
and my tires would be at least warmer and knew Mike would be gunning for me soon.  Obviously Mike had the advantage in the 
corners... better tires probably?  By T2 I saw Mike exiting T1 behind me. There was a white 911 RSA ahead of us.  I went 
after him, looking for another screen car.  What else could I do?  We drag raced the back and front straights that lap 
and closed in on George in the white RSA.

Lap 5 - We have reeled in the RSA by T1.  Finally, I got through T1 and T2 pretty clean this time and held Mike at bay.  
Caught up with the RSA by T5.  I got by but so did Mike.  DANG!  Mike tried to get past me on the wide/slippery side of 
T7 but that's a no go.  We drag race to T10 again.  This time I slip some in the exit of T12 though and stay wide left 
and I guess Mike hooked up just fine because now we drag race the front straight and Mike is winning.... like any good 
Pro racer would.

Lap 6 - Mike has the inside.  I know it is wet over there.  I stay on the dry and hang on and Mike just squeaked under me.
I tuck behind in T2 and away he goes.  I check my mirrors and see Steve is gaining on us from behind.  That is no surprise 
to me either.  At this point I can see Mike is taking the corners in style and will not be easy at all to catch back up 
with.  So, I start trying my best to just keep Steve behind me until maybe Mike gets held up eventually.  The track is 
slowly drying out which is at least one good thing.   Then Mike manages to get past a group of 3 cars... back markers 
perhaps... before T10.  I end up getting held up pretty bad between T10 and T12 but managed to pass one on the left and 
zig over and pass one on the right and pass the 3rd car after getting to the Bridgestone foot bridge.  Mike is long gone 
with at least a 200 yard lead by now.  Steve, on the other hand, has gained big time on me and just blows these guys off 
down the front straight.

Lap 7 - I mess up trying to go too deep into T1... almost over shoot the chicane.  Steve tucks into my draft at T2.  Now 
we start dicing around for position between T3 and T7.  He's on my left and on my right and I stay on the dry line.  PERIOD!
Manage to hold him off and we drag race the back side too.  And then we drag race again from T12 to T1.  At this point it 
is still damp or wet on the right 20' of the track heading down into T1 BTW.

Note: Steve ripped into me pretty bad after the race saying I had chopped down on him a bunch of times.  Well, I don't see 
it in the footage from my camera.  Maybe one time I might have taken away his attempted pass.  Everything else I see in my 
footage tells me he was trying to pass in wet areas but never really got chopped down on.  But, I could be wrong.  Now, I 
will admit I was driving slow in the corners - bad rubber + wet and I was being conservative - but there ain't nothing in 
the rules of the road that says I have to back off and let someone pass me.  I'm not driving by PCA rules.  So, if I choose 
a defensive line and make my competition go around the wide side, so be it.  That's just smart driving tactics... at least 
in my book.  Any time someone gets up to my door AND I see them I won't chop down on them.  That's not to say folks haven't 
chopped down on me that way.  So, I do know what it can be like.  Trust me.

Lap 8 - Steve follows me through T1 and down to T4 and tries to pass but backs out... probably because I edged over to keep 
him behind me.  Maybe that's the one that got him mad at me?  We gather up McKinnon and pass him in T6.  As we exit T7 I 
see the full course yellow is out and a baby Grand parked there and figure I can cool my jets... but Steve is still hauling 
ass after me.  So, I step it back up all the way around T9 and into T10 with double yellows all the way.  Steve acts like 
he's going to pass me all over the place.  I can't tell why his tail is on fire... but I try like mad to keep him from 
pulling a boner.  Finally we catch up with the leaders, Mike, 4 cars ahead of him with Val Cory in first and the pace car 
and Steve finally shuts it down, behind me.  Did he ever see the yellows?  Who knows?

Lap 9 and 10 behind the pace car.

The pace car drops off but Mike and the others all take off like bats out of hell before the green.  I'm still in 2nd and 
spin my tires in T12 due to the low gear and have to upshift to get back some traction.  Mike is long gone.  I finally get 
some traction and give chase.  Steve does the same behind me.  Mike goes right, naturally, and some of the cars between him
and Val Cory slide left some to let him by.  I figure the right side is as good as any and give chase across S/F and toward 
the 500 marker area.  Steve peels off a little to my left, being more conservative.  I go to brakes as I passed Culbertson 
in the blue T2 Nissan.  He's the only car I really wanted to pass... hoping he'd screen Steve away from me that way.  All 
was fine for the first 200'.  But, I'm too far right and see the wet area as it passes under my tires.  My ABS kicks in 
and I know I've just pulled a boner because now I'm also passing some guy in an Acura I think.  The Subaru WRX was 
next and Mike had tucked in front of her and behind Val Cory's 911.  I had my hands WAY FULL... with a death grip on the 
wheel... and planted my foot through the brake pedal.  Didn't matter though.  My... our... fate was sealed.  The T1 corner 
was fast approaching and I was just sliding on all fours while the other guys were throwing up a great road block.  All I 
could do was pray and try to crank right once the wall ran out.  Mike passed the T1 apex and the WRX was right behind him.  
It was her or Mike and all I could do was crank the wheel and hope.  The tires dug a ditch through the T1 dirt on the right 
of the FIA curbing at the apex and the car started to turn in, but it was too late... I tagged Mike big time.  Around he
went.  The WRX didn't tag me... I'll be dammed!  Maybe the two of us slid left fast enough that we just cleared her.  I 
don't know exactly, except Mike ended up pointing 360 the wrong way and I was about 180 right and watching the others zig 
zag around us.  I actually said I was sorry while grabbing 1st gear but I know there's no way Mike could hear me.

Ended up in 3rd in ITE by the end, with some damage of my own of course.  But, after explaining what happened and asking
the Steward to go ahead and ding me she took a lap away.  Got 10th instead... 15th over all... right where I started.

Anyway, that was that.  I blew it big time.  And I was glad to hear Steve won the race at least.  Pretty dang good fast 
lap time too, I might add.  Would have been better had we all finished unscathed.  But, I guess that's a long shot when 
I'm out there.

Chuck