Autocrossus Interuptuss - CDC At Bowie Baysox -- Ben Lambiotte

It was a picture perfect day for the CDC autox at Bowie Baysox Stadium today. There was a good CACC turnout, despite the Simeone Museum pilgramage scheduling conflict. Apart from the usual die hard crew -- Wade, Al, Fred, Larry, and yours truly (GXPing still) -- regulars Craig S (who replaced his Desert Storm paint for shiny silver with blood red stripes), and Stephen P (running a fresh 5.0 motor) turned out. Also joining in was Mike McGeehan in a brilliant metal flake red FFR. It promised to be an interesting day as CACC's usual CDC rivals, Brian K, Ern C, Francois B., course designer Mike Moran, and Smooth Jim Harris, were all out in force, along with a humongous field of up and coming drivers.

CDC has gone to a three heat format, with heats split into A and B. They are getting to be really large. Mike Moran, after soliciting feedback on the CDC forum, went with a long course, with a crossover and double pass around the light poles on the upper part of the lower lot. It was a tight but flowing course, featuring a second double loop on the upper lot, and several tricky sections. Conditions were near perfect, except for a bit of sand and gravel on the course.

The Cobras were split between heats 2 and 3. Fast times were on the low side of 50. Top times were a couple ticks faster. All day, CACC drivers duked it out at the top. In am runs, Karwan set the bar in the first heat with a clean second pass of 49.18, while Civic rival Ern C just edged into the below fifty club with a 49.96. In the second heat Wade answered with a 49.58, while Fred logged a 50.28. In the third heat, where I ran, Larry Casey slipped into second place with his last run of 49.24. A razor's edge separated the leaders going into the pm runs. But the day was long, as the three lumbering heats wore on. The afternoon first heat runs did not end until well after 2. Mike Moran drove Wade's car in the pm runs. He used it to give a textbook demonstration on how to drive a fast Cobra through the tricky upper section, matching Larry's and edging Wade's best am time by 3/10s with his 49.24. Fast Freddie, after some difficulty, put it all together his last run, and returned from the brink to break the 48 second barrier with his 48.73. Wade, with blood in his eye and pride on the line, made sure Mike would not earn boasting rights, hammering his runs down to a 48.92. But he could not get by Fred.

Larry had his work cut out for him, but the hard part was over. All the tough customers had already run. In the third heat, his only serious adversary was himself, and he had three runs to snatch FTD from fellow Free Stater Fast Frederico. Larry and I lined up in 3B around 4:50. Just as we got in position at our worker station, Ed O'D announced that the Bowie Baysox wanted their parking lot back at 5:30 pm, and third heat was cancelled. We stood slacked jawed in disbelief. I wasn't in contention obviously, but my GXP was running well on the coilovers we mounted the week before, and I had driven my am times down into the low 54s (but I tail wagged in the stop box and took out a couple of cones), and I was looking for another second or more in the pm. All the more frustrating as I was in the ill fated third heat only because I answered Ted's call for an experienced worker in that heat. Paul P. and I a had a nice little duel going into the pm, as he had edged me in am, and that was out the window too. But Larry. He lost his shot at FTD. Like a trophy turning to sand and slipping between his fingers.

An angry mob descended on Ed Chan as he grabbed crumpled-in-frustration timeslips with one hand, and clutched a cash bag, handing out refunds with the other. While it was a perfect day, it was bittersweet to have it cut so short. Its a good thing it was such a gorgeous day, or I'd be upset at hanging out all of it for the less than two and a half minutes of elapsed seat time we third heat drivers got. As it was, its OK. It sure was some good close competitive racing. Everyone drove well. Craig S and Al Paca posted times in the 53s. Stephen in 57s, and, while I did not catch Tom's times, but know that he ran true and clean, and finding the course was not easy.

Fred boasted that it was his day, and in the end, it panned out. This is his second FTD in as many weeks, as he quietly snatched the top slot at the Sykesville Chesapeake Porsche Club autox last week. Interesting tides moving for the Cumberland Historics in two weeks.