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Monroe, WA – Formula D Round 4 Seattle – Evergreen Speedway

Round 4 of the Formula D championship was definitely one of the longest weekends yet for Team Kenda. The trailer, now covered in Kenda USA vinyl, made the long trek out to this round thanks to team members, Brad Hettinger, Mark Lenardon, and Jelani Winston. After arriving in Monroe, we checked into one of the seediest motels this season. Reeking of cigarettes and must, the accommodations were definitely 3^rd world. After seeing a few other FD competitor tow vehicles in the parking lot, we thought “at least, we weren’t alone”.

Thursday’s practice session began with the team members discussing the changes that should be made to the car. The practice time allowed me to take in the track; all it’s aspects from the size of the oval to the transition into the infield (Power Alley) and the tight right hander to conclude the run, this was definitely one of the more difficult courses I’ve come across so far. As the day progressed, I began to feel more comfortable with the track and started to get the proper line. By the end of the day, I felt confident that I had a good grasp on this course and was ready for Friday’s qualifying session.

As the sun rose Friday morning, the cooler temperatures of the Pacific Northwest were quite a departure from the oven-like temperatures of the previous two round of the Formula D championship. The morning practice session went pretty routinely, I did have a very slight wall tap on the left front on the last turn of the course resulting in a bent lower front control arm. After a quick run into the pits for an alignment adjustment; Dave Epifano and Eugene Chou prepped a replacement control arm. After this practice session, we replaced the bent component and did an alignment on the car. It was time to qualify for Top 32.

My first run began really well with an initiation to ride high on the bank and coming into the Power Alley, I definitely felt that I was performing up to par. I transitioned with what I thought was perfect angle; just like in practice, however, the car kept rotating, slid to a stop, and the drift was over. It was a shame that my first spin on this track was during a qualifying run. I knew that my second attempt had to be solid to make it into the main event.

The wait for the second qualifying run took a little longer than expected with a competitor ahead dropping a large amount of oil for the majority of the track, including the bank and part of the infield. The track officials spent quite some time cleaning up the oil around the track. Soon, I was lined back up for my second attempt. The second run was supposed to be routine, however on entering the infield, my front tires crossed the oil dry powder on the track and the car straightened up. There would be a point deduction and the chances of making it onto Saturday had become slim. We overheard that there were a few other drivers that had filed protests about the oil being on the course. I also heard that they were denied so I figured it was best not to stir the pot.

This was the first event of this year where our rookie team was unable to make it into the Top 32 competition on Saturday. I feel that this is part of the learning process and this taste is something that I do not want to experience again. This is what will push me to drive harder and perform better at the next round. Eugene Chou, Team Manager, decided that since we were not driving on Saturday it would be a good chance to turn this into something positive. This would be an excellent chance for us to promote our sponsors and of course the driver. I spent my time on Saturday meeting the fans and promoting our sponsors. This is definitely a good feeling when you realize that people are aware we are out there with the big guys, trying to compete on a shoestring budget.