Now that we have come to the end of the season, it seems as if it passed by so quickly. MINT was able to compete in the first two rounds, but car troubles kept Jose from completing the rest of the season. However, we still came out to support Faruk Kugay in his final push effort for a Formula D competition license. This fourth and final round had 8 competitors, all with a stake for the three available licenses.
Practice was held on Saturday and Sunday morning. Mild weather kept engines cool and drivers calm.
This changed mid-morning when Faruk pulled a fast entry that put his car hard in the wall.
Tools and spare parts went flying around as the team scrambled to get the car repaired in time. Qualifying was less than an hour away.
The crew got the car repaired quickly and Faruk was able to take a few practice laps. Did I mention Juha Rintanen was out there?
Almost as if nature was watching this last round, the skies darkened and it began to rain as qualifying began. The drivers were able to keep their composure and put down solid qualifying runs.
As qualifying finished up, the skies cleared and the course began to dry. A dry track meant that we could expect to see some real exciting tandems. As all the drivers had a stake in the top 3, we knew the battles were going to be close.
First battle: Faruk Kugay against Joe Tardiff. These two have battled before and Faruk knew he needed to win this battle. Both drivers drove hard and went on to a one-more-time.
Faruk turned up the aggressive driving and gracefully rode the wall to show the judges that he was serious.
The aggressive driving paid off and gave Faruk the win. The next battle was Donovan Brockway versus Crick Filippi.
Luck was not on Brockway's side. An aggressive flick broke the BMW's axle and knocked him out for the rest of the round.
Moving on to top 4. First battle was Ty Milner against Crick Filippi. Crick got the win moving him into the Top 2.
Next in line, Cameron Moore versus Faruk Kugay. Ten points between them coming into the round, both drivers wanted that first place spot.
Faruk pushed hard, but a shaky entry on his follow run meant Cameron Moore got the win.
Top 2. One emotional battle after another lead to a final battle that did not disappoint. Filippi versus Moore. Crick knew he needed to be on Moore's door to get the win. So close that Moore tapped Filippi on an extremely tight transition. Both drivers sustained damage. Filippi was found at fault and Moore was given ample time to make sure his car was ready.
Moore took the win on this final battle and first overall in the series. Consistency rewarded Filippi with a third place overall. Faruk secured a second place overall. All three drivers truly deserve their Formula Drift Pro2 license.
What we've learned this season.
1. Don't under estimate consistency. Robert Pascua finished in 8th place in an almost stock Fox-body Mustang beating cars with more power, suspension, and money. Joe Tardiff and Crick Filippi did not compete in the first round and were still able to finish in the Great 8 overall.
2. The pit crew can turn around anything. Watching Alex and Brandon hustle over Faruk's car is like watching a well oiled machine. Things get done. They ran Round 1 without a turbo, Round 3 they swapped a steering rack and front suspension, and this Round 4 they changed out most of the passenger side suspension. We watched Donovan Brockway swap an axle in 5 minutes. The DriftCave swapped the entire passenger side suspension in an hour. Build a trustworthy team and they can make any terrible situation disappear.
3. Pro-Am is designed to prepare you for Formula Drift, but does not guarantee success. We watched the Top 8 drivers treat every round as if they were in FD. Certain teams were able to turn repairs around quickly while others completely gave up. We saw people use budget or car build as a excuse for poor performance. Leader series' like the old Super-Am and Pro-Am are designed to prepare you for the next step. Teams and drivers need to treat every round as if they were professionals. Sometimes you crash. Sometimes you battle a car with a better setup. Deal with it like a pro and don't complain.
Thank you Golden Gate Drift and Stockton 99 Speedway for a great season. Season album here.
Thank you to Faruk Kugay for letting me take this marathon of a season with you.
/// Mike Tseng