Member Report: The Dixie Chronicles

Delta Members Damon Cuccia, Eric Trigg, and Tony Shepherd attended the Dixie National Solo Tour on February 23rd & 24th. Damon reports…

Feb. 22nd –Travel Day

Me and Eric left out of Gautier, MS to Adel, GA at 6am this morning. With his grand parents ‘08 Chevy quad cab truck and Miata loaded on the trailer ready to go we hit the highway. Eric drove all the way through the rain on that 7 1/2 hour drive because I decided to sleep most of the way there. The previous day I had driven from Dallas, TX to my House in Kenner to Eric’s House, I had to attend a training class in Dallas for work, haven’t really been home since Monday night before Thursday. Once we got to South Georgia Motorsports Park in Adel, GA, site where the Dixie Tour is being held, we encountered some dark clouds over the site. Which was funny because not even five miles down I-75 it was clear blue skies, weather is a funny thing. we showed up at 1:30pm instead of the noon like me and him planned for the Test n’ tune because like a bunch of goobers we didn’t account for the change in time zones.

Soon after we arrived there it started to drizzle, the only thing that ran through my mind was the other racers saying “Yeah those New Orleans boys brought the rain with them.” as we rolled in. we started looking for a parking spot shortly after, which on pavement was pretty scarce, it was packed to say the least. we eventually did find a spot to park and un loaded the car from the trailer and got it teched just before the deluge came, they shut down test n’ tune shortly after because the wind had picked up as well and was tossing plastic garbage cans like paper. So we didn’t get any runs in today to say the least. Walking around I found a lot of people I know not only from La. like the Bookers, the Schraadts, the Dormans and Paul Carrig who came in right behind us at the track, Tony Shepard was already there with Rick Ruth from Missouri’s Excursion parked next to him, didn’t see them though. There were also some old friends from Mississippi Region and The Gulf Coast Region there as well.

After exchanging phone numbers with a few people, me and Eric left the monsoon at the track for the hotel. we were stayn’ at the Quality Inn in Valdosta, which was a 10 min. ride up I-75. We checked in, called a few people, talked to a group of racers from the Eastern Tennessee Region then headed off to meet the Red River guys at Outback for some dinner. After eating and talking a little smack to each other, mainly to Tim Dorman’s son Chris, who will co-drive his dads ASP C5 Vette. We headed back down top the site to register for the event. We all got registered and our cars and helmets teched. SCCA must have bought one of those barcode scanners for the timers because all drivers were required to have a barcode sticker with there SCCA number on stuck on the helmet for the event, nice. after walking the course a couple of times in the dark me and Eric headed out. Before we left though I got a chance to meet Andy Hollis again, I walked up to him, shook his hand and thanked him. Last May when I went to the Houston NT I attended his Cone clinic on Friday, even though I didn’t get to show it at the NT because of my car problems, what he helped me with that day helped me through the rest of the year. I probably had my best year of record last year at all events after Houston thanks to him. That to me was worth telling him thanks. So far that has been the highlight of the day, next to me and Trigg going to the mall here in Valdosta and buying him some racing shoes .

Well off to bed, have to get up early tomorrow morning and prep the car for the event and sticker it up, and beside there is someone waiting for the computer in the lobby, didn’t bring a lap top! Wish us luck and talk to ya’ll tomorrow!

Damon

Feb. 23rd - Race Day 1

Me and Eric woke up at 5am to get an early start to the track. We didn’t bother with changing the tires and applying the needed tour stickers on the car because of the rains that night. We arrived at the track at 2 minutes before 6am. Gates weren’t open yet but we noticed that they were already unlocked so decided to just open the gates and enter, we didn’t really want to waste any more time. We got everything done to the car that was needed before 6:45am and then walked the course.

Walking the course and looking at the pavement reminded me a lot of Red River’s site in Gilliam. long, narrow runway style course with a fare amount of s turns and slaloms, I know my spelling sucks but I’m tired and really don’t care, Benson will fix it when put in the Deltagram. Anyway, after walking about 3 times and arguing with Trigg on what was the better line around the course it was time for the drivers meeting. I had walked back to the truck to get out worker sheets and happen to notice Sam Strano’s car in the paddock, and he was standing next to it, Knowing who he is, ‘07 FS national champion and multiple ESP national champion, I kind look up to this guy, even though in the past he had driven a Hoe-maro, sorry Rick B!. I casual went up and to him shook his hand and introduced myself etc., about two sentences afterward I told him “Welcome to the Darkside!”, because of the switch from the Camaro to the Mustang. He kinda laughed and said thanks, we talked a little more than went off to the drivers meeting. Me and Eric worked the first Heat of the day. The course was still slightly wet this morning, Dixie region did try to help it in some way by running a something similar to a scrubber tractor, it was better than nothing.

Heat one went by pretty fast, Most everybody on there last run made a banzai pass at the finish and either spun and almost hit the timers. Or toke out a line of four cones in the lane change. Roberta Wetzel, Jean Schaadt, and GCRs Jose Martinez ran that heat. Roberta bested a 53.677 holding her Tire rack sticker on the windshield with one hand and leads her class of 2. Jean’s best was a 53.232 and Jose leads the ESP field of two with a 52.393 with 2 cones. Red River member Jason Lownds was also there with his DP ‘80 Porsche 924, the car didn’t seen to run to smooth for his three runs with a best of 62.724, he later found out that he has no compression on the first 2 cylinder and could possible have a blown head gasket, bummer for that guy, I believe he is a new member and this was his first NT.

After working the course me and Eric hung around for a while to watch the track dry until they called heat 3 up to grid. We watched a little of the second heat, my friends from Mississippi Region Brian Whitmire and Drew Boyles teamed up in Brian’s new Lotus Exige in SS, Brian right now is the trophies with a 45.592 for 5th, Drew is in 9th with a 47.307. That time for heat 3 to run came and went fairly fast. There are 12 entries in CSP and as the announcer said, it could be anybodies race. I had me eyes on at least a couple of people. Chris Heisler, who bares a striking resemblance to Joe, and Shaikh Ahmad driving the Fat Cat Motorsports Miata, both of those guys trophied at Dixie last year in separate classes. Unfortunately all three of my runs were garbage, first run, take out a line of four cones after the turn around and get a 57.442. Second run, miss a gear before the turn around, was looking for third and found first instead going down the straight, ended with a 49.217. Third run, smooth every entry and exit perfect and run a 46.854, that would have put me in 2nd place .327 behind the leader, IF I would have not tagged a cone right before the finish, dammit, now I’m in 9th over 2 seconds behind the leader and 1.5 seconds out of the trophies! I was upset at myself for about and hour after that because that would have put me solidly in the money and in the trophies, I eventually got over it and accepted it after that and realized that I will have to make the drive of my life on Sunday to dig myself out of the hole I put myself in. Eric didn’t do to bad, he bested a 47.227 on his last run to place 3rd, and he is right there to possible walk away with a win. Barry Booker and Paul Carrig ran in our heat as well. They did some changes to the R32 again before this event and went in blind due to no practice on Friday. from what they say the car is better but they now have to make some driver calibrations to make it run fast. Barry is in 8th right now about 1.2 sec. out of the trophies and Paul is back in 12th out of 13 cars in STX.

After ward me and Eric were done with work and our runs so we just hung around for a while and watched everyone else run. Tony Shepard and Rick Ruth teamed up in Tony’s MX-5 in CS, Rick is in 5th one spot out of the trophies and Tony is in 9th.
Jeff Schaadt goes into Sunday with a .142 lead in GS in his Mini. Connie Booker is 4th out of 5 in STXL. Tim Dorman and his son Chris are 8th and 9th in ASP with Chris edging his dad by a lil more than .5 second, and Jeff Wetzel is DFL in AS. Jeff has been having a bad last couple of weeks, guess he used up the last of that heap good Mo-Jo at the last Delta event where he toke FTD. There are other names to mention as well but its getting late and almost ready to finish up.

After the event most Me, Eric, The Wetzels and the Red River gang went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner and a night cap. To say the least it was pretty interesting eating dinner with the Red River guys, especially with the Schraadts and the Dormans sitting at the opposite end of the table. Well I’m gonna head off to bed, still need to take a shower and pack. hoping to be out at the track for 6:30am to start walking the course, should be interesting running today’s course backwards tomorrow, and hopefully I can do mo beta tomorrow and pull myself out of the hole. Wish me and the rest of the guys luck tomorrow, Most of us defiantly need it! Good night ya’ll

Feb. 24th - Race Day 2

Me and Eric woke at 5:30am, had a quick breakfast of hotel do-it-yourself waffles, checked out then hit the road for the track. It was a little cold this morning, felt a lil’ like it was in the 50s, but was probably in the 60s. We walked the course a few times and I walked it a third time by myself, Sundays course looked like it would flow a lot better compared to yesterday. I realized that the mistake I had made on the 46 somthin’ run was a miscue on turn in, I was carrying a lot of speed out of the slalom going into the lane change, and if I had turned in a lil’ earlier I wouldn’t have washed out to the cone line and tagged that first cone. Funny how when ya look back at your runs and realize if you had made a slight change in your driving what could have been, now I know how Benson feels when he cones on an FTD run.

Worked the same corner as yesterday, only difference is that it was the start this time. Was kinda an easy corner station for the most part. Me and Eric worked the same corner as AJ Gilliam, one of the CSP drivers that came down from New Jersey, this was his first time driving a Miata in CSP, so he was on a learning curve. His car was sporting the 275/35zr15 Hoosier A6s on all corners, it kinda resembled a clown car is a way, but was cool. After we worked Eric went to hang out in the stands, I went to get the car prepped and brought to grid. In that time it gave me time to think on how I was going to dig myself out of this hole I put myself in. I know that I was out of a money spot, so ta this point I was racing to get a the last trophy spot. So at about that time I kinda started to pretty much lay in my mind that it was pretty much drive the wheels off the car and hope for the best, either a fast run or a cone massacre. Brought the car to grid about 3/4 through the second heat, Eric walked down there at about that time as well, after the second heat there was a short break and course was open for walking again. Eric went but I decided to hang back at the car.

After the first run of the CSP cars Chris Heisler made it clear that he was going to win the class. He laid down a 46.904 on his first run, he would eventually drop that 6 more tenths and walk away with the win, after that it was a race for second. Eric was in that running, him and Gideon Leanky from New Jersey went at it for second, Leanky ended with a run of 47.209 and Eric with a 47.300. Eric managed to close the gap a little but it wasn’t enough, He would hold Third solidly and get a nice SCCA solo medal, new runoffs inspired trophies this year, and about $150 combined pay from Mazda and Kumho. Then there is Me, I ended the day with a 47.052, about .7 off Heisler for second fastest on Sunday, pulled out of 9th but short of a medal. Kevin Boswell’s co-driver Tom Shuman from Atlanta improved to a 47.171 on his last run, more than a second improvement from his previous. He managed to move into the final medal spot bettering me by .558. At the end of it kinda upset that I didn’t end up where I wanted to be, 4th and in the trophies, realistic possibility from my point of view, but at the same time I’m proud that I came back from that much of a deficit to move up the standings. I imagine that I will be kicking myself for the next couple of weeks for that cone, and Eric just reminded me that Mazda and Kumho paid a combined $300 for second. Oh well.

The rest of the Louisiana guys didn’t do to well either, Jean is the only one I know of that got a medal. everyone one else struggled with problems from relearning how to drive the car, to mechanical problems due to towing equipment causing bad performance to just plain bad luck on the second day. The only good thing that made me feel real good about my self is what Jean Schaadt told me after heat 4 back in the paddock. Jean says “You had second fastest time both days, but hit a cone on one of them!” my response was yeah, she says “But know look at it as if you didn’t hit that cone, what does that tell ya about yourself?”. What she said solidified that I have bright things ahead of me if I just look ahead and keep my foot on the gas. But a there is always one deciding factor, as Tommy Kendall said on the show Setup and I had as my Myspace quote for the last year because it is so true, “Racing is the only sport that talent guarantees you nothing!”, that proved to be true this weekend. Thanks to all of the Red River and Delta members that helped me out this weekend and gave me a pep talk when I was kicking myself in the head, and to add everyone did very well this weak despite where they finished, Barry Booker will disagree with me if you ask him in person. Thanks everybody and see ya’ll, well most of ya’ll on March 8th at Zephyrs. Thanks guys!

Damon

Final Results in PDF.
Discussion Thread on Autoxforum.