"MAD KARL DOMINATES AT VIR"

What's the big deal. I can't even find the clutch on my 360.

Congratulations Karl. Hope to catch you in action one of these days.

John.

 

Thanks David and John. It was an exciting weekend, especially since I considered packing it up at first, after the problem occured.
This event was a combined event for the Southeastern Region(mine) and the Mid Atlantic Region(the biggest) Most of my competition for the National Championship was there according to the national director.
After being only a second behind the leaders in practice I felt I had enough to work with to do better. I had to change my approach. Instead of using gears 2,3,4 and 5 I limited myself to 3 and 4. I was willing to give up some acceleration and top speed for the reliability of minimzing my clutchless shifts.
It was good enough for secondstarting pos.
At the start I got passed by a 944 Turbo which had beaten me at Rockingham amonth or so ago. Mechanically I have no chance against him in my S2. I kept my line and went deep into turn one, he tried the same and went off. I never saw him again.(until after the race)
It really gave me a different perspective on how to race.
Had I had all the gears and a clutch i would have been way more aggresive and shifting a lot more but as it was proven there may be sense in doing so other than to beat up the car and waste a lot of time downshifting at upshifting. It really taught me a valueable lesson.
On sunday morning my 15 yearold son and I drove to Petersburg VA to pick up a 944 Turbo he bought on ebay(with his own $$$). I skipped practice and came back 15 min. before qualifying. We only got 4 laps due to accidents and a car dumping oil. The only fast lap I got in was lap 4 and it was good for the pole.
I won that race also even though it was more difficult. The Turbo from the day before again passed me on the start and stayed ahead for several laps. i knew his car would outperform mine so I had to pressure him into making a mistake. Eventually that happened and I took the lead and took it to the end.

At the awards on saturday everyone had gotten their trophies except me.
At the end the NASA director got the whole room to quiet down and said he had saved the best for last.
In the 15 year history of NASA he said it was a first that someone had started, finished and won a race without a clutch.
A fellow competitor said to me sunday evening" Karl, since us sabotaging your clutch didn't work, next time we will cut your rear brakelines"
It was great weekend and I have much more confidence going to nationals in September after all this.
Thanks for all the support. You have no idea how much it means and helps.

Karl

www.europeanroadandracing.com

 

Congrats Karl !!!
I wanted to make it out to VIR since im soo close but I ended up helping a friend move this past weekend down in Florence SC.
Chad Slagg was aggravating me to come up to the race which he just moved up the Greensboro not to long ago. I'll see if I can make it to one of the races this year though. I've been meaning to go down to Charleston to see ya. Maybe next time. Peace

 

David-

You are always trying to think of a nickname... "Mad Karl" "Krazy Karl"
How about "Klutchless Karl?"

 

Friday afternoon, right before going home I received a package through UPS. Something my wife ordered for me at VIR.
It was a plaque with a picture of my car in frt. of 2 other 944s. On the top there was some writing.
It said " The Clutchless Bastard".
Now the 944 Cup forum took it upon themselves to change my driver profile to Clutchless Bastard. They didn't even ask. haha.

Karl

 

Karl 1/2 of that title is right....... hahahaha

 

I love you too, Jeremy.