DSMskateboarding: October 2008

It was a great day for an event and we had already finished up our actual runs. We always do [i]"Fun Runs"[/i] before we take the course down. A lot of us have become good friends thru the years at these events so its not unlikely to jump in somebody else's car and have a blast around the cones. My buddy Yo, (yes that's his name) has driven my car numerous times and is very aware of how it handles, not to mention he's a great driver. The course was very fast due to the long/large airport runway we were using that day so speeds were up in the high 60's to low 70's near the finish which ended with a very open/high speed slalom. I was sitting in another friends hatchback second in line to start my forth fun run around the cones so I had a great view of what all unfolded to wrap up a fabulous day of racing.

Approaching the final slalom there was a long straight were when I was driving my car I was in third gear topping out at 69mph but had to lift on the throttle to setup for the first slalom cone and get back on the gas to thread the slalom at full throttle. My rear-end get's quite squirrelly in that situation...but I've learned to control it so I had no problems.

When Yo entered the slalom the car upset more than I think he was ready for it to and when I saw it my first thought was he'll correct it...no problem. But when it started to come back it didn't swing around like I had imagined it to. It came back a little then just started skidding straight and he had the brakes locked up for nearly 100ft. The car just kept sliding straight and it was heading right for the timing truck, (2008 Dodge Ram Truck) that was sitting back and in the middle of both the start and finish gates. There seriously was tons of run-off room on either side and that is the only possible thing he could have hit within hundreds of feet either direction. The impact was jaw dropping, the truck rocked back and forth in a way I couldn't understand. I was amazed at how hard the car hit the truck.

All I could do was watch and the entire time it was sliding I was saying to myself...no, no, no Yo...turn, let off the brake but there was nothing I could do. I immediately shut down the car I was in and hussled over to the wreck as did many others who witnessed or heard the bang. I came up to the car and both Yo and Randy where just sitting there, (Yo had his head down on the steering wheel) which made my heart drop and I swiftly yelled are you alright? He lifted his head and was very shaken up...but they both looked dazed and uncertain as to what had actually just transpired.

I could only look in dismay as my car sat there in a crusty heap and think...my wife is gonna kill me.

The brighter side of all this is that Yo, (driver) Randy, (passenger) & Bob, (he was in the timing truck when my car hit it) are all free of injury. I spoke to Yo last night and he was feeling pretty sore as was Randy when he pm'd me today. Yo said he's pretty sure his closed face helmet kept his face from serious injury because he knows his helmet hit the steering wheel. I just praise the lord that nobody was injured, driver, passenger, spectator, etc. Don't get me wrong...I was very saddened by this but in reality...it's just a car. Yo being the standup guy that he is has offered to help in anyway to get this right and believe me...he feels horrible...as would I if it would have happened the other way around. That night...I told my wife that I bet he feels worse than I do right now...because I know I would if it had been me. So things will get worked out and all is well.

This event has offered me a chance to act like a grown up and to really put my family first so we went van shopping yesterday as I took the day off to collect my thoughts and try to bring a clear solution to this situation. As for now I will be driving our only car the Xterra until we can find what we're looking for to fit my wife and kids in.

God Bless.

Day-of pictures before the fall of the Red Dragon.

I'm not gonna share too many pix because I don't want to get my region in any hot water. The safety stewards filled out paper work and all...but it's just not a good idea to have these images floating around. So if I take them down...don't be surprised.