https://www.z3rocar.com/z3rocar daily 1.0 2021-03-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1583453746813-RW2DLGWE6JTEJV6RIKXG/Ring.jpg Z3rocar Lapping The Nurburgring https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1583454423309-TWY4MKU764N2OZ8NWMQF/IMG_8514.jpg Z3rocar Winning G-Stock SCCA Autocross https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1583454667077-91G9UAXHK9SYM98NRXVU/PPIR+Event+1+10.jpg Z3rocar PPIR Time Attack Event 1 2019 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1604350324802-LBG921K3K2WCV9UGZ9A5/202010+PPIR+E36+GH+%28color+framed%29-2+%282%29.jpg Z3rocar https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1604350374188-EI32GITMA17B0DAQ6LJO/Aug+PPIR+TA.jpg Z3rocar https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1604350498493-TE3WBSTT10GFLOBNPA4I/GridLife.jpg Z3rocar https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/4ee17ccc-031b-456f-a53d-d036a8354a1a/IMG_20210320_141938218_HDR.jpg Z3rocar 2021 Season!!! Welcome, Shogun SpeedShop!!! Thanks for your support!!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/13eaca42-e46d-4f23-aae8-05aca9e0554f/MicrosoftTeams-image+%2812%29.png Z3rocar Racing RallyCross in Ian's 44ok mile TDI Jetta https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/43ac5661-4a5b-40fe-a612-77d91b758e30/event+6.jpg Z3rocar Racing PPIR Track Attack w/ Dan https://www.z3rocar.com/new-page daily 0.75 2025-11-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/6df5d937-305c-454f-b1fd-892d837ecf1c/WOT.jpg Race Report - 2025 SCCA Women on Track I had to abandon the 2025 season. I sent a kid to college for race 5, GI bill didn’t transfer so I got hit with the bill for race 6, government shutdown will make the season finale a bad idea on a single income. However, I was offered a chance to give back to the community, that I absolutely could not say no to. The opportunity to be an instructor driver with the SCCA Women on Track program. Danielle wanted to tag along and see the racecars, so I packed her in RustBucket and away we went. Danielle was offered an opportunity to help Alice work grid for the event. She was so excited and had an absolute blast. I believe she will tag along next year for all the time trials races to volunteer. She loved it that much. Instructing was a mix of riding with my students, and lead-follow. Both women killed it out there, it was so much fun and fulfilling to be a part of bringing more inclusion to motorsports. This was the best endcap to a great season. See everyone next year. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/b02f2d8a-718b-42c3-8dd0-61ad7c9d4001/HPR+Full.jpg Race Report - 2025 RMTT Event 4HPR Full All fixed up, new tires, let’s go faster… or… not. I was close to being faster and setting personal bests. Sometimes our worst enemy as drivers is between our ears. I forgot to just drive. I forgot to just have fun. I got so wrapped up in chasing PB sectors with my data collection, that I never just flowed and let it come to me. Which, damn, fun is the whole point. I work too hard to be able to race to ruin it with attitude and seriousness. I guess this happens to everyone. I am grateful for the last session. It got super hot. We waited through many sessions of racing. I was tired, but hopeful the rain would cool the track and open the door to faster laps. Turns 8 to 13, that section we cut off for the West layout… were the only turns that were wet. The rest of the track was cool and tacky. That end was slick. It brought a smile to my face. Just me and my friends on the opening laps sliding everywhere and getting our drift on. I got to go home happy, and remembering why I do all this. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/043ccfa6-b04b-4ff2-b76b-d10c357bf517/PMP25.jpg Race Report - 2025 RMTT Event 3 Pueblo Boom! Not what you want to hear on track. Not at all. Somehow, I managed to limp her home. I don’t know how considering the sheer amount of metal that flowed out of my rear differential. I was off my best lap times by around 2 seconds. With that grenade pin pulled in the rear drivetrain, it is no surprise I was not faster. If you’re going to race vintage BMWs… You’re going to break things… It’s a good weekend when you get it home without a tow truck. No offense Kevin. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/5ae8d207-ece4-41f8-a321-89cff9238e12/HPR+West.jpg Race Report - 2025 RMTT Event 2 HPR West What easier way to set a back to back personal best time, than to try a whole new course layout? High Plains is challenging in its full configuration. Which is all I have ever run. This is a treat to try the West configuration. The course is shorter, cutting from turns 8 to 13. The result is a challenging, flowy layout that is just pure fun. Gives LaJunta vibes with elevation and challenge sprinkled in. Despite my efforts to make improvements to RustBucket, I still got black flagged. No big deal, just got a wing that likes to wiggle and jiggle. Outside of breaking down at a grocery store on the way… it was just a smooth drive out. I found out if you keep fidget spinning the shifter, you can completely disassemble it. I crawled under, screwed it back in and was off setting some great laps with friends. Great weekend out on track. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/73eed754-e466-48d5-8f0c-0ea3bb3adece/LaJunta2025.jpg Race Report - 2025 RMTT Season Opener LaJunta RustBucket is back!!! I ended up having to rebuild the entire rear chassis, missing the last 2/3rds of the 2024 season. I completed all the work. Went through every component. The car is better than ever. No better time to drive to the track on balding track tires in freezing cold rain. LOL. It was a scary drive, and that’s before I took a turn in anger on track. On track, things were amazing. I set a new personal best, but it is still frustratingly not sub 1:00 lap time. My leaderboard now has a 1:00.188 as my fastest lap around LaJunta. I went full send trying to find that quarter second. I learned that you can take turn 6 flat… but you absolutely will not make turn 7. I went screaming off into the dirt, almost off the track and into the airport. To think I just washed this girl. The race was great. I missed hanging out with my Time Trails crew. So good to see everyone again. I must have done something right, as with that epic off track excursion I didn’t damage the car. She is built tough as nails with my hands. Bring on 2025!!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/00516509-0d7c-4e14-bb5a-a44ec7b1d4c7/1000005137.jpg Race Report - 2024 CORX Event9 at Honor Spdwy Season Finale and the opportunity to try something new presented itself to me. I volunteered to assist with course design. Hopefully I get the chance to do it again, as it was a lot of fun, and I’d like to scratch my geo-nerd itch by doing some predesign work with google maps. It would be so rad to get preliminary rough layouts on the RallyCross page before the events. Morning course got combed through by safety and was just super tight. The afternoon course we let me original design out with some modifications around ruts. That open design was fun, inviting, and punished overdriving harshly. Stock FWD class was really competitive as usual. We had 4 drivers set the fastest times over our 8 runs. I had a shot at winning it, but in the afternoon, I completely forgot how to not overdrive the car until my final run. Smooth is fast. I repeat, smooth is fast. I even designed the course with that in mind. All good though, I definitely learned a lot, and still brought home another podium. 2nd place in event 9 and securing 2nd place in the 2024 championship. Enjoy this event’s edit. I put a lot of effort into covering all the classes, all the runs, and points. Something I aim to do in 2025. Which I will return, but we will see what class as I plan to acquire my own rallycar. Stay Tuned… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/c7d8c9b9-e94e-4872-807f-20b750f94bfe/CORX+2024+E8.jpg Race Report - 2024 CORX Event 8 at PPIR The 2024 season has seen many short course rallycrosses. A lot of 30~40s runs. Event #8 saw a return to longer course designs. We even had a loop in the morning course. This made the course a lot of fun, long highspeed sections broken by tight technical ones. Felt good to settle in and go full send. The morning didn’t start off on the right foot for me. I picked up some cone penalties and wasn’t on pace. I found myself in 5th place but I had been sharpening my feel for where the limit was with the car on dirt. From the 3rd run on, I would win every run except Run #6. Setting the fastest times in the morning and afternoon sessions for SF class. Run #5 was unlucky for Ian as a vacuum line would pop off and cost him 6 seconds, losing all boost from the tiny TDI diesel motor. In the end the top 3 would be separated by around a second and a half. SF class is always tight competition is super fun cars. It was another double podium for us in the TDI, I brought home my second win, and Ian got 3rd. Dan moved to Prepared FWD in the GTI, bringing home the win, and Alex (Dan’s son) improved pace to bring home the win in Novice PF Class. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/dc15f3a8-e5f2-43da-871b-8efef17142c0/CORX+Event+7.jpg Race Report - 2024 CORX Event 7 at Honor Spdwy Ok, so I didn’t win… but I am so happy after this race. The Mk4 crew of Ian, Dan, and myself came home with a win in PF (Dan), 2nd in SF (Ian), and 3rd in SF (me). What a race, we got 10 runs in. 5 morning course, and 5 afternoon course. Also, check out the video… I finally made a rig to capture the audio of the TDI and the little turbo that could. Limits were pushed, cones killed, but we could not keep up with the Civic SI. Mid morning sessions I coached Ian on clutch kicking a FWD car, and before I knew it he was faster than me in it. This makes the bicycle guide in me so happy. I love teaching and witnessing people go faster for it. I am having such a great season, and looking forward to more racing on dirt. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/7ce0f76d-bf93-412d-9b80-fea6f80cbf79/CORX+Event+6.jpg Race Report - 2024 CORX Event 6 at PPIR I missed Event 5 for the epic Eurotrip. No regrets. I am guessing that 1,600km of driving the Autobahn in Germany rubbed off on me as I finally got my first RallyCross Win! Stock FWD class is always fiercely competitive. I lovingly call that class a knife fight to carve out a podium in. This event was my event to take top honors. Ian and I are really adept at making the 440k mile TDI dance in the dirt. The only thing separating us on this day was one bad run where the car lost power, stalling out before the finish on Ian. It was a sharp turn into deep dirt, so it was an easy pitfall to step in. The course was short, fast, and props to the CORX staff for even racing at all as timing was out. We did timing via stop watches. Which was wild. Long, hot day, but glad to come home with the W. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/7b598d1f-50ad-4d80-b44a-a11f5b09d5dc/CORX+2024.jpg Race Report - 2024 CORX Event 4 at Honor Spdwy I finally just shut out all distractions and just drove my race. Margins were razor thin between 2nd and 6th for Stock Front Wheel Drive class. We also got another 9 run race over the fast and short course. The key was to be on the right side of risk/reward as the 3x.xxx second course, a 2 second cone penalty killed you. This mental approach, and staying ice cold net me another podium, taking 2nd place. If I can continue to push without letting any pressure get into my helmet, 2024 could be a great year for me in Rallycross. Double podium as Dan pulled 3rd in Pueblo. Both Mk-4 VWs were co-driven this weekend. Alex, Dan’s son had his first race ever in the GTI. The kid can wheel, he wasn’t far off pace for the weekend, and he’s still on a learners. He is jumping into the most competitive class, packed with drivers at the top of their game. What better environment to get good. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/02391675-673a-490e-9ce8-92e5c1dcd2d8/IMG_20240602_130230%7E2.jpg Race Report - 2024 RMTT Event 3 PMP RustBucket is running great. The driver on the other hand, is just not firing on all cylinders this race. Pueblo in June is a track that gets hot. When it gets hot, you just can’t get the grip and power that a cold track delivers. Time just falls off. I started the day, just not feeling it. I drove conservatively, and slow. I was 3 second off my personal best, definitely not driving to what I am capable of. On a positive note, I got it together on my later sessions on track. Breaking into the low 1:52s which, while being 2 seconds off my PR, was 1&2 seconds faster than what I have previously put together on a hot, greasy track. Maybe next time I’ll get into the 1:4x.xxx times… But not today. I left Pueblo Motorsports Park with another 10th place finish, 12th in points in Production C class. You know it’s a hard race when you put together a fire edit for the video… and lose all your clips but one mismanaging your video files. OOF. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/52daa44c-57e7-4471-85e2-7bea18e06860/CORX+2024+Pueblo+3.jpg Race Report - 2024 CORX Event 3 at Honor Spdwy The one that got away. Dan, Ian, and I all were just a bad run or two away from a win. This race was crazy close in the final results. What’s wild is because it was Memorial Day weekend, attendance was low, so instead of the usual 6 runs, we had 9. The competition in Stock FWD class is just that good. 2nd to 4th was only separated by 2 seconds. I was just over .5s off of 2nd place. The Mk4 squad all won stages (runs) along the day. I won the 1st and 8th runs. Dan took wins on runs 4,5 & 8. Ian won stage 3. It was really just cones here and there, and a simple mistake that kept us out of a win. The 2024 season is shaping up to be fierce, with every position being hard fought. I made a good showing of it, nabbing 3rd. This is my first podium of the 2024 season. Also my first RallyCross podium since the Labor Day RallyCross double header before Nationals last year. So it feels good to be back on form, and see that my friends are in shape to win one of these in 2024. Enjoy the highlight reel below… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/a1fae38d-b55b-4d35-a8d6-6e282824e698/Slush.jpg Race Report - 2024 Slush Festival at PPIR I’ve been driving RustBucket competitively for about 6 years now. This non-competitive hotlaps, drag, drift, and show festival is just what the doctor ordered. It felt so good to catch up with all my favorite fans, rivals, drifters. It was also good fun to share the track with everyone, even if sharing the track with everyone… really makes you appreciate your Time Trials competitors. The weather was amazing. I spent the day in the TJRC & RMTT display. May have skipped out for lunch to get parts for my drifter buddy and have a nice lunch with the ladies at RedLeg. Dan was also invited to drive and show with TJRC. Turned out to be perfect chakedown for his GTI build. I’m seriously considering bringing Dan & Ian into the z3rocar website to cover all our wild racing antics. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/d7e8321a-5726-4c8d-ad0c-a8b2ec064b86/FB_IMG_1715609918607.jpg Race Report - 2024 RMTT Round 2 PPIR Full course racing at PPIR. This is the first track I have ever raced competitively at, and sadly it has been a long time since I was last around the Roval. How do I mark the occasion, by being the sickest I have been in years. I wasn’t going to let that, or the wet weather keep me off the track, nor the track curbings. Note to safety, curbs can’t be slippery if your tires go airborne over them. Especially after missing round one to being late replacing bushings and a wheel bearing. New classes are power to weight, and it seems like Production C class casts a wide net. The front running cars, I could have been Senna, and not been close to the 1:02 class winning time. I did however set a new personal best at PPIR. I finally got my 1:07, and it was a low 1:07.384. That’s a full .783 faster than my GridLife time around the circuit. I could only endure two of the three competitive sessions over that cold. Reno, Ian, and I were the talk of the race. Our 1:07.3xx times separated us by as little as an inch, and no more than 70 inches across the line in three very different cars. Newer Miata in 8th, MR2 in 9th, RustBucket in 10th. Tight margins and full sends, this 2024 season is going to be so good. Chef’s Kiss , we’re going to be serving up more, stay tuned. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/5a75ce1f-8ff3-486b-b17e-f7a2769ca146/CORX+2024+E+2.jpeg Race Report - 2024 SCCA CORX Event 2 PPIR I was having a morning. I forgot the numbers. My GoPro8 refused to work at all. My OG GoPro had a corrupted SD card. My camera mount brace straight up didn’t work. To be honest I just wasn’t feeling the morning course. I found myself in a rut mentally. It was so bad that I even got lost on my first run. Sometimes you have to just feel that. Stay smooth, stay positive, focused, and attack the course a little better each run. This event was the first time I ever worked start, and that completely changed my energy. Next time I’ll remember my cowbells. COWBELL STARTS!!! I launched every car like it was a fighter off the deck of an aircraft carrier. It was so freaking rad. The stoke stuck. I came out for the afternoon sessions with a vengeance. I nearly clawed my way back to a podium. Stock FWD class is just so tight with the competition. Two races, two fourth place finishes, two SCCA trophies. Props to Ian, this scrappy little TDI got fight. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/731be856-21b2-41af-8cb4-019544739158/DSC_0188.JPG Race Report - 2024 SCCA CORX Event 1 PPIR And we’re back. I got another invite from the absolute legend Ian to copilot the 440k mile Mk4 TDI Jetta. Changing conditions, and changing weather were the least of our worries. This event threw the kitchen sink at us, we spun, debeaded, had timing issues, locked up, this event truly tested our rallycross expertise. The two of us handled it masterfully. On the driving front, I am having the same issues I had last year. My analytical mind starts slow then builds into fast times towards the end. This is seen in my podium for run 3 and class win in run 6. Good for time trials or autocross, but those first runs kill me in rallycross where every run counts. I start the 2024 season with an SCCA CORX trophy with my 4th place finish. Ian had a rough day, but I’m certain he’ll win or podium this season. I think the reruns and issues had him overdriving a little. The last two rally events showed what he is capable of, a podium at the season finale, and near win in the snow time trial. It will come together, and I’m here for it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/b49f79ab-cc97-42d8-bdd8-b1cfffe3db18/Snow+TT.jpg Race Report - SCCA Roaring Fork Snow Time Trials This event was wild! Part RallyCross, part time trials, on snow! I didn’t know what to expect, but I’m glad I ventured out. For this event I would be running the SkiWagen. This car is my daily, an IS38 tuned AWD VW AllTrack wagon. There were just 3 classes at this event, 2WD, 4WD, and Side by Side. We ran the same course that FAT festival ran just a couple weeks prior. It was good fun sliding about in the groomed snow. My daily was out of its league in 4WD class. I got stomped by prepared Subaru rallycars. Mostly cause the VW traction control would say “NEIN” to any drifting shenanigans. It would seriously cut power and stop the car while I’m mid Colin McRae. Competitiveness aside, I had a blast. It was so cool seeing the wide variety of cars we all came to play with in the snow. Got to see my CORX and RMTT friends. It was great. Oh, and Ian got another podium in the TDI, just missing out on the win by .07 seconds! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/97475c9a-5a18-4a5b-8696-5631f74a9a54/IMG_20231015_141057_420.jpg Race Report - SCCA CoDiv Time Trials #5 LaJunta Season finale, and this would be my first time ever at LaJunta Raceway. I gotta admit, from the track layout, I wasn’t expecting much. Just 7 turns on a piece of abandoned runway/taxiway, but… this is my new favorite track. It was so much fun, and I was knocking on a sub 1 minute lap. My best time was 1:00.651 which was 2nd place in Unlimited, good enough for 2nd place in the Championship! I did it! My first season of Time Trials racing! I earned 3 podiums at 3 tracks! Also managed to take 2nd in the championship! What an amazing rookie season. More amazingly, I got to do it with the greatest cast of characters a man could ask for. I’ll be back, not for the glory, but to just go fast with friends. Come on out and join us in 2024! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/b98e0c93-4fcd-4f1d-81ee-c02919f54080/IMG_20231014_115103_129.jpg Race Report - SCCA Colorado RallyCross Event 10 This is it. Season finale for the 2023 Colorado RallyCross season. I did not wake up on the side of the bed that had pace for this race. Ian, on the other hand… holy cow! I found myself a little out of contention all day. Afternoon session began and the assessory belt exited chat. Power steering would work, then di, work, then die, I fought the car to the finish line for that 1st afternoon run. We ran the TDI without the belt for the rest of the event, but I would find myself in 5th. Ian got his first podium. The TDI tires were melted of tread. No power steering. I watched him drift a FWD car through the tightest course of the year, flawlessly, without power steering. Absolutely manhandled that diesel car through the course. While I had a rough race, falling to 4th in the championship. I was proud to see Dan and Ian on podium. We locked 3rd to 5th in the championship, as rookies! Not a bad season at all. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/2e6219a4-cf44-42e3-9559-b5ae9a2de230/IMG_20231008_093607_699.jpg Race Report - 2023 SCCA RallyCross Nationals Road Trip!!! Dan and I hit the road to Topeka KS, for National level competition in the little Mk4 GTI. As rookies, I would 100% endorse going to Nationals if you have the chance. It is a good reality check of what makes a driver/car competitive in RallyCross. A great festival of all the different SCCA divisions across the USA. I also have to say that Nationals is completely different than what local ,or regional competitions put together. The courses were fast, I mean flat out. All that tight, precise, technical driving that we excelled at in CORX, went right out the window. Going that fast, and taking those risks, was addictive. Day one went smooth with Dan and I just outside the podium. Our first runs were off pace, but we caught right back up on the rest of them. I accounted for the only incident, debeading a tire at nearly 60mph on entry. Fortunately, they grant you 1 re-run per event for mechanical issues, so it didn’t impact my overall time. I went for it all on the first run of the finals. Sent it way too hard, and completely missed the second to last gate. I couldn’t go home, and not try to podium. I had to send it. I rallied back, and took 5th, Dan got 4th. Nationals was a really great trip. Lots of racing, Topeka has really good food. Should have taken more time off work though. It was a lot to race and then drive home. Enjoy the highlights, and race rundown below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/378f2111-5c90-4817-b5eb-61dc2a238fa0/MicrosoftTeams-image.png Race Report - SCCA Colorado RallyCross Event 9 Second day of the double header and I’m driving with Dan today to get a little practice in the GTI before Nationals. Yes, you heard right, we are going to compete against the best rallycross drivers in the country. This is our rookie year, are we even ready for this? The answer is a resounding yes. I swept a fresh course in the morning session. My run #1 was a full 3 seconds off pace. However, I would win 3 of the day’s 6 runs, and narrowly miss out on my first win. I fought Brett hard for it, but taking 2nd is my highest ever finish. I’m thrilled. My driving and tactics are right. Bring on Nationals. Dan also had a stellar performance, we double podiumed as he took home yet another 3rd place trophy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/308b28f4-de96-49ad-a1fb-aa9769fd241d/Screenshot+2023-09-13+124010.png Race Report - SCCA Colorado RallyCross Event 8 It has been a long time, but we are back to PPIR. The set-up at PPIR makes me excited, as the large space lends itself to near rally stage courses. I expect to go fast, for things to get tight, and to be a little scared. Which is good cause for me that focuses the mind to go even faster. The risk drives me to be bettter. Stock FWD class in Colorado is intensely competitive. Strong drivers in fast cars across the entire field. You can be slightly out of the podium, and one mistake from last place at the same time. The racing is seriously close. I would drive hard this event, focused on trying to take 3rd in season points, best I could do was take 4th on the day. However, going into the double header, I currently have 80 points, which is good enough for 3rd!!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/80ab50e8-eaf4-48f1-8a46-2f328f165679/MicrosoftTeams-image+%286%29.png Race Report - SCCA CoDiv Time Trials #4 HPR I made a few upgrades to RustBucket. Some improvements to the front aero package, removed the rear diffuser which was falling apart, and a good bit of maintenance. While the car felt better, yellow flags, and high temps really kept me from making improvements to my time. I still set a personal best of 2:14.568, which is only a tenth faster, but improvement in the face of difficult track conditions. I think there is a lot more time in the current set up. On track I felt like I had a lot more confidence around High Plains. I pushed it enough to put a few tires off. I argued 2, but the marshals called 4. Gotta find the limit somehow. All in all it was a great weekend with friends. Different cars and drivers came out to this race, so I came home in 2nd place in Unlimited 2 class. Another podium for the rookie year. First season of Rocky Mountain Time Trials and Colorado Rallycross is going quite well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/c691f27a-13c4-4be0-a8be-dacdba02d20a/MicrosoftTeams-image+%283%29.png Race Report - SCCA Colorado RallyCross Event 7 We have found our pace. Dan, Ian, and I took turns setting top 3 fastest times in every run in Pueblo. With Dan and I both topping the time charts for the 2nd & 3rd of the AM sessions. One cone penalty (2 seconds) separated 2nd through 4th on Sunday. Again, as a team we held 3rd through 5th… and… Drumroll… I nabbed my first podium!!! The course was a shorter one for us, but it had a good blend of high speed, and technical elements, while giving all of us a chance to drift. The dust roost photos from this event are absolutely epic. Be sure to give @hiddenworldracing a follow on Instagram. Excellent rallycross content. Speaking of photography / videography, we played with a really cool camera mount. A long tripod that mounts off the back and filmed the race in 3rd person POV. While we still need to make some tweaks, the footage shows promise. So enjoy my hero run from the 2nd run of the day, this is the one where I topped the time charts and briefly led overall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/cf90c1ee-20ca-4aa5-996b-e431e38ae49a/MicrosoftTeams-image+%2823%29.png Race Report - SCCA CoDiv Time Trials #3 HPR That 4am alarm was rough. However, the long drive out east of Denver was actually really nice. The rolling hills and farms made me nostalgic of summers spent in southern Missouri as a kid. This was my first time at High Plains Raceway. After trying it out, and binning the car in the simulator, I was dreading it. Elevation changes, blind apexes, off camber turns. First laps out there, and the reality was a pleasant surprise. High Plains Raceway was buckets of fun. The course seems to reward Cisu, and you’ve really got to commit to speed. On the straights, the higher powered cars I was up against would vanish into the horizon. However, in the turns, I’d reel them right back in. RustBucket is dialed. Zach at ProForm hooked me up with a hybrid drift/grip set-up which makes the car turn like a go-kart. Turn in, power down, neutral position slides all day. I could not compensate for the lack of straight line speed like I could a Pueblo. Maybe it was that it was my first time, and didn’t gel as well as I have with PMP. More than likely its just limitations of a lower HP car. Couldn’t care to be honest. I was on track with Dan and Ian, and we were all having a blast with racecars. I managed 6th place in Unlimited 2; running a 2:14.651 in my third session. The next Time Trials returns to HPR for round 4… so bring it on. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/0a0929e4-d9d1-4ddd-bf26-907f0a0e6488/MicrosoftTeams-image+%2817%29.png Race Report - SCCA CoDiv Time Trials #2 PMP RustBucket is back on track… Life got in the way of event #1 in La Junta. I was fortunate enough to be able to get back out there for event #2. Pueblo Motorsports Park is one of my favorite tracks. Good elevation change and flow, it is just a lot of fun to drive. This is a big step for me, trying a whole season of full-course time attack competition. Let’s see how this pans out. First runs were stratifying the cars. I managed to stay patient, pass when I got a chance, and set a few clean laps. A 3rd place finish in Run Group 2 set me up well for the day. Second runs were even better. The car ahead of me wanted to see my lines, so they let me pass before the green. I had clean air and won that run group. The final, third run was fun. The remaining cars & drivers all bundled up into one group, I came out swinging, and drove to a personal best 1:50.962, a full three seconds faster than the October race at PMP. Fuel is making it to the engine with the new lines, rail and regulator. However disaster struck. Three laps in the passenger rear wheel hub failed and I had to get towed off the track, and back home to Colorado Springs. It was a pricey tow, but it wasn’t the end of the world. RustBucket will get fixed and I’ll be back. I managed to do well. I took 3rd place in Unlimited 2 class. So, good points and a good start competitively. I plan to fix the car. Make some adjustments. Should be a great season. Stay Tuned. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/75304ad9-e31b-479f-b140-8d6e444b56d5/MicrosoftTeams-image+%2815%29.png Race Report - SCCA Colorado RallyCross Event 4 Travelling down south to Pueblo to go intentionally race in the dirt. Not just sail into it at 90mph like the last time I visited. I finally got an opportunity to codrive with Dan in his Mk4 GTI. Those old Volkswagens are just a hoot to drive in dirt. They love it. I wasn’t particularly fast this weekend. I leaned too much into driving clean and consistently. Probably didn’t help that I was first on course. As corner workers we try, but as cones get killed, the gates open up a little bit. In particular a final series of cones before the finish were a chokepoint for me, but fairly open for Dan. Either way he straight up out drove me this event. We came home 5th (Dan) and 6th for me. Which is good. We are learning, and that gap between us and the front runners is getting smaller. Dead serious, get yourself a beater and just get out there on the dirt. It is perhaps the most fun per dollar you can have in motorsports. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/18060208-64d0-42ee-b72c-bdf551b6b274/MicrosoftTeams-image+%2811%29.png Race Report - SCCA Colorado RallyCross Event 3 Dan enters chat and saves the day!!! My friend Dan got himself a cheap Mk4 GTI and joined us out on the dirt. I truly hope he runs the whole season with us. I’m head over heels for RallyCross racing. Sunday’s course was the polar opposite of Saturdays. This course was long, fast, and tight, with elevation change. We were hauling on Sunday. Things came up fast, the car would slide, the course would evolve and change, it was wild. The field for this race would be a lot bigger than the first day of the double header. The weather was way better. However, I found myself in the mix with a 6th place finish. I learned a lot from my previous outings and talked to the RallyCross racers for some tips. Turns out a lot of us AutoCross / Time Attack racers have that fatal flaw of going for hero laps. RallyCross is meant to simulate Rally, so all the cones are meant to be safe versions of trees. Also, every run counts, so each cone penalty comes back to haunt you. I kept it clean, driving at about 90%. This paid dividends. I was fast, consistent, had a blast out there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/25afe372-96fe-4474-93f9-23641f05ad60/MicrosoftTeams-image+%2812%29.png Race Report - SCCA Colorado RallyCross Event 2 It was snowing when I drove to PPIR. It was carnage. People had spun, crashed, and yeeted themselves off the highway. However, this is Colorado, and this is Rallycross. So, we sent it. The day started in a mud bog, then it rained, then it dried out. I started the day in second. My first run through the mud bog, was just slow, consistent, and ironically my fastest in the morning mud. The other morning runs, I tried to send it, got stuck, and lost gobs of time. By afternoon I was well out of contention. But that’s just how you learn. I wish I could say my driving got better in the afternoon… but I had way more grip than my mind was ready to deal with and I killed every inside cone. I would be the conekiller for Stock FWD class. I racked up 14 seconds in penalties in the afternoon alone, 18 seconds total. Which doesn’t help when you’re already behind. With the comedy of errors, I can’t complain about taking 6th. Ian managed a cool 5th. Ian was actually just a few ticks off a podium. I was ummm not, but OMG did I have a smile on my face. Enjoy the footage. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/38fbbbdb-522e-42dd-a715-aa65c384a965/MicrosoftTeams-image+%284%29.png Race Report - SCCA Colorado RallyCross Event 1 First race of 2023 is on… dirt?!?!? Stay tuned cause I’m shaking things up for 2023. I got a message from a good friend and rival Ian Cook. We’ve pushed each other to 11/10ths and some seriously fast times on track for years now. He has a 440k+ mile TDI Mk4 Jetta, with some cheap snow tires, so naturally he wanted to try Rallycross in it. I got invited to codrive it with him. Who turns down the opportunity to go rallying. You may notice the picture is not a VW Jetta… I was having so much fun… I forgot to take pictures. But we did get some really good GoPro videos. The racing was intense. Both of us had a learning curve. My first run was a full ten seconds slower than my last. In Rallycross every run, every mistake counts. The course changes. Ruts dig in, corners get blown out, safety has to change the gates. It is a cumulative racing experience where it is more about being adaptive and consistent than single run pace. Event 1 had us in 7th and 9th. However, discount the learning curve and we are deep in the mix. I expect this to be an excellent season, I also want to take a moment to talk about the scene. Autocross, and Time Attack can bring out the egos, and the wallets. The Rallycross scene was way more relaxed. There are the serious rallycars, and ridiculously fast drivers. The vibe however is just a bunch of drivers having fun. I’d say what Ian built is the sweet-spot. Sub $1000 car, cheap snow tires, send it. If you love shitboxes, you gotta get to your next local rallycross race, cause they’re everywhere and it’s awesome. Oh and don’t worry about finding an AWD or RWD car… you can absolutely drift and underpowered FWD car. Throttle lift oversteer can substitute a lot of braking, making for surprisingly consistent drifts while holding momentum. Just get out there and send it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/2228e2d7-1d0c-4cc1-a3cb-156aff3a3057/PMP.jpg Race Report - Inaugural GridLife Regional Pueblo Motorsports Park Plot Thickens - The organizers of GridLife are working with the management of Pueblo Motorsports Park to stage a regional series that would feed drivers and teams into the national series that current exists. I have never run Pueblo Motorsports Park before, and there was no way I was going to miss this. Let’s start with the track. Pueblo is just over 2 miles long, has a long front stretch, good elevation changes, and a variety of challenging corners. This track just jumped to the top of my favorite tracks that I have driven. Only because for most of the track there is plenty of run-off… so you can send it… which yours truly tried out himself. The competition was fun. Drivers were mostly chill, fast, and quite skilled. We were all pushing it hard and feeding off each other’s lap times. For my first time out there, I broke the 2:00 marker. I did much better than that eventually running a 1:53.1 which was way faster than anticipated in RustBucket. I led Group C for the Warm-up session. Then I went full send on cold tires, missing the marshall’s stand by less than 3’ for a DNF in the first session. I managed to put the exhaust back together, clear the car off to win the second session. My friend Ian then took off after a spin of his own and set a 1:50.xx time which was impressive, so I didn’t win every session. He is my favorite rival, definitely pushes me to be better. This push led to my first full course win in TrackMod in Pueblo. So lean into those who make you better. I am addicted. Full course is where it is. Look for a completely different season of racing in 2023… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/0cac5cac-3123-4172-9a7c-ab7601e3e710/Slush.jpeg Race Report - 2022 Slush Motorsports Fall Festival I thought I missed this event when I sold my ticket for the June event to go to Normandy. However, the organizers managed to put a Fall event on the books. SO happy to get out there with RustBucket in front of that crowd and bring a lot of positive exposure to SoCo Euros TractionFaction, TJRC, and Proform. No competition, just drive fast and have fun. If we are being honest, this festival is great and terrible at the same time. Great in that, if you want to get out and play; you simply can’t buy cheaper track time. No license, no experience, just $60 and go send it. Terrible, because of exactly that. Either way it was PPIR, hours of open track time. How do you not leave with a smile on your face. The unregulated nature of this event led to the swapping of keys. I got to drive a Z3 hardtop coupe. I also got to let a friend, who has attended every GridLife and been there since day one of RustBucket take her out for a spin. This is what motorsports should bring out of us. A sense of community and shared adventure. Slush was most certainly a community playground and I look forward to the next one. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/b83e18e6-cdda-4774-a72d-e94424ffe4ad/Season+Finale.jpg Race Report - PPIR Track Attack 2022 Event 8 Season finale. I showed up with my GridLife updates and a fresh set of Falken 615 tires. RustBucket put down great times in the cones and secured a top 5 standing in season points. I mean it was exactly 5th in a 32-driver field for LT class in 2022. I finished 9th in a Golf-R sandwich between my friend Dan and another R. It was good to see Dan get into a rhythm and start crushing it out there. I will post this 2023 season spoiler, RustBucket will not return for PPIR Track Attack. If I do come back it will be with Kylie in her Beetle for some on track driver training. The build is very track focused, and Auto-X is just a not a good fit for what the car is truly good at. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/72a4d10e-23e0-4c9f-b4cd-1a29cb4d331c/GridLife.jpeg Race Report - 2022 GridLife Alpine Horizon Fest I matured more as a driver at this event, than any event I have ever attended. I invited Dan & TJRC along as crew. I was tactical with my sleep and rest, when I stayed at track, when I went home for good sleep and a solid meal. Being my 4th GridLife, I applied many lessons. I still have a lot to learn about racing Time Attack. I worked hard to get my car safe and ready for the event. However, with my Grandfather’s funeral the week before, I missed bolt check. Let me tell you this, you don’t want to drop a brake caliper at 95 mph in NASCAR 1. I can’t be too hard on myself though. I was juggling a lot, and fortunately had TJRC in my corner, and we were up and running for passenger laps. Racing in the rain was always on my bucket list. I did get to do the Nürburgring in the wet, but that wasn’t full competition. I learned that as long as there is not standing water on the track, that 200tw race tires are way faster than deep grooved all seasons. As long as they stay warm, they’re tacky. That 1:07.xx time is still out there. I got frustratingly close again. Finally killed those RE-071 tires chasing it too. Passenger laps however, are the greatest thing ever. Come to GridLife next year, come find me, I’ll take you out in RustBucket to chase some drift cars and hit the banking at 95-100 mph. I can’t recommend GridLife enough. The music, the friends, the drinking and passing out in a hammock on Pit Road. Just come out and have fun. Big thank you to James White, Dan Sanford, and the TJRC crew. Y’all made this Alpine Horizon the absolute best. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/3a89a987-b1a1-4ff6-a48a-8f60b5b933ab/Event+7.jpeg Race Report - PPIR Track Attack 2022 Event 7 There are some events that you just don’t want to talk about. This is one of them. It was one of my worst track performances in RustBucket. The great thing about racing is, even when you’re not out there crushing every apex and destroying your competition… you’re still having a good time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/82c33363-3c43-4314-abdd-5f766e91accc/event+6.jpg Race Report - PPIR Track Attack 2022 Event 6 The Top 10 finishes keep coming. I managed to pull out a 7th place finish in Event 6. Still waiting for my new shift linkage to arrive, so I just took it carefully on my 2-3 shifts. Got me through the event without an issue today. Dan was nipping at my times, and ahead of me through the day. I managed to barely cut ahead with a hero 4th run. I probably only have another race or two until he figures that golf R out and he gone, lol. It is really good to have a buddy out on track. I’m pretty sure we are witnessing the actual start of TractionFaction as a team. RustBucket is still the knife in a gun fight. That’s just part of the process. Work on seat time and driver’s mod in the meantime, while having a blast. I am still waiting on parts and saving up to spring for more upgrades to RustBucket. I’ve revised my goals for 2022 to just getting her full course ready. Rollbar, Harness, basic safety and clean-up items. The idea is to just get out there without any worries; pave the way for the turbo build. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/4905ab35-3532-4e27-87aa-8b97bcd65c96/Double.jpg Race Report - PPIR Track Attack 2022 Event 4&5 Doubleheader weekend was a tale of two races. The first race was great. I had RustBucket figured out, my driving style clicked with the course layout, my finish really reflected this. Sunday’s race, was challenging. I made less than perfect choices with my driving, and was hampered by a shift linkage issue which kept me from finding 3rd. I believe it needs a DSSR as that diagonal throw from 2nd to 3rd is the only one that is problematic. For people who are focused and driven, it can be easy to get lost in the to-do list. To feel a million miles away from where you want to be. Sometimes it is good to take stock in how far you have come instead. I mean look at RustBucket, she doesn’t look too out of place parked with the Super Taikyu. The runs we put down on Saturday highlighted that the performance is coming along too in comparison. At the end we’re all human, and on Sunday, those frustrations just got the best of me. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/eaae970c-1806-48c3-8824-9593bcf1c976/event+3.jpg Race Report - PPIR Track Attack 2022 Event 3 RustBucket Returns!!! TJRC got a hold of a ZF trans, new driveshaft, and clutch. Thus finishing my modifications to the E36 driveline in preparation for the turbo build. In keeping with traditions, I got the car just a couple days before the race. Leaving me with limited time to adjust to RWD, new stiffer clutch engagement, and basic driving skills. The race itself was an absolute battle. The course was fast, yet challenging. Everyone in LT got faster with each run. LT class is the perfect place for RustBucket. I was battling for a podium position all day. I just missed out on 4th by .002 seconds in the final run. That’s how close this track attack competition was. I will get faster as the rust wears off, and I acclimate to driving my track weapon again. Cannot complain at all with two races and two 5th place finishes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/f2b07409-4670-4b1a-9cdd-c7eb23f12c64/event+2.jpg Race Report - PPIR Track Attack 2022 Event 2 Wait!?! That is not RustBucket?!? My beloved E36 was occupied eating its own driveshaft. What is it with this car and eating those. I swear she only has 120ish horsepower and that’s overselling it. Anyways, my friend Dan bought a modified 400+ HP Mk6 Golf R the week of the race, so we took it racing. What!?! Modern comfort, convivence, and AWD. This car was like a cheat code for autocross. Probably covered up a lot of rust in my personal driving. I haven’t been racing since October. Its event 2, so yeah, I missed all the practice and season opener. Life, Cars, Life, Stress, we all know the deal. PPIR started a class just below GT, called LT. This was my debut in this class, and it was a great debut for a top 5 finish. That’s right I took 5th. Not a bad way to start the season if you ask me. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1633385143184-IQVN7AC6IXOA2UXDE1U6/Finale.jpeg Race Report - PPIR Track Attack 2021 Finale I saw an improvement in my finishes over the 2021 season. Zach from ProForm gave RustBucket a dialed in suspension alignment that bumped me up inside of the top ten. At the end of the season, the rules state that the lowest two finishes are dropped from everyone’s final tally. I had to drive hard to overcome that loss of consistent points to hold on to the top ten. The course’s layout was well suited to my driving style with RustBucket. Fast, but tight enough to put my car within striking distance of cars with much more power. I was also codriving with Dan again, so each run was getting faster. However, we found ourselves fighting the clutch. Third run it started slipping, and we just couldn’t get her to put the power down. We couldn’t crack back into the top ten. However, finishing 12th in GT class for the season was no small feat. I am ready to take the break seriously. Get the rollbar welded in. Get a new transmission and clutch. Build the turbo set up. Come back in 2022 ready to bring the fight to the top of GT. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1629472465817-68OGJ1YZA7ZG8X0U1XM5/Sunday.jpg Race Report - PPIR Track Attack 2021 Event 7 Finishing top ten in GT class is no small feat. Competition is harsh. Going up against the fastest drivers and cars in the State of Colorado. On Sunday of the double header, that’s exactly what I did. The event 7 course was a modified reverse course of the Saturday race. For whatever reason the car, and my driving just clicked. I hit that place where I was just one with the car and where it was going. Amazing race, I can’t believe I put down a 51.025 for 9th. I also had a special codriver with me. My good friend Dan thought he was just spectating… but I made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. It has been years since Dan raced, so I handed him a seat in RustBucket. It was really nice having a codriver for the event. I picked up a lot of the course and flow from riding along, and it probably factored into my top ten finish. Thank you TJRC, ProForm Suspension & Alignment, and Shogun SpeedShop… this is the first of many big finishes for RustBucket and I https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1629470813372-FHIYN0Z5RLOPPXFNYDRS/Saturday.jpg Race Report - PPIR Track Attack 2021 Event 6 The course design was fun, and challenging, it just didn’t click with me. My smooth and clean runs were all slow, so I just leaned in to the full send side and let it slide. I guess that’s just the way it goes sometimes. Had an absolute ball tossing RustBucket all over the course. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1629140888604-HDAPHU8KY4GPEE25HM1B/GridLife+21.jpeg Race Report - GridLife Alpine Horizon Fest 2021 Jumping straight into the deep end of the pool. This was my first foray into full course time attack competition. Going full send by making my debut on the national GridLife Track Battle series. Being out on track with 20 other cars at full speed was just such a rush. I’m hooked, I’m addicted. I stayed the whole weekend, camping on the infield. The whole scene is just wild. Live music passed midnight, drift cars, rally, baja trucks, and lots, and lots of racing. Camping on the exit of NASCAR 2 was the perfect spot. Could see GLTC racing off the oval, and look right over into the infield from my tent. The only thing that was missing was sleep. Competition wise, I’ve hit the point of diminishing returns with RustBucket. The fastest lap that I could lay down was a 1:08:045. Mistakes were made, I need to build a mount for my phone to the dash so I could improve sections with timing feedback from Track Addict. However, without adding power, the best I could hope for is 1:07.xx. That’s not going to cut it for TrackMod. We all know what’s next. Sort out the fuel, electrical, and safety… then have TJRC complete a Turbo M50 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1626712903506-BCE3THX0TTELC40350HN/Event+5.jpg Race Report - PPIR Track Attack 2021 Event 5 What a difference a change in rubber can make. Gone are the Kenda KR20s and in are a used set of Bridgestone RE-71. Moral of the story… just pay more for your rubber. End of story. Back in the mix in GT class. This event was an incredible shakedown before GridLife. This was my second week of representing SoCo Euros Traction Faction. This is a bit of a personal project for me. I want to bring new drivers into motorsports. Help grow the community and build something that gets people out there living their dreams. Next year I’m hoping to have drummed up enough interest to launch a team for various points championships. Stay tuned and see how this turns out… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1624907097233-P9PP18DKVXXEDVGH0NVO/Event+4.jpeg Race Report - PPIR Track Attack 2021 Event 4 Street tire testing. This has been a wet summer in Colorado so far. The probability of logging wet laps at GridLife is high. I woke up for this event to pouring rain. The first 2 runs were in active rain. No better time to test how RustBucket handles with the wet/street tires. I’m certainly glad I did too, cause this set up needed dialed to work. Outside of tire testing, and racing without the sticky rubber; it felt so good to get back in a rhythm. First run was a 62, on a course that was actually flooded in places. I dropped that to 60, then killed a cone running a 59. That’s when I played around with tire pressure and mentally reset. I let the hand go, it is fully healed, just send it. That is exactly what happened. Pain and injury have a way of clouding your mind. Letting that go freed me, I ran a 56, then a 53.5, and then just messing around a 52.2. This weekend the car felt 80 pounds lighter, and all that weight was in the driver’s helmet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1624912985270-1QEZACWAJLO0YG87COJX/Slush.jpg Race Report - 2021 Slush Motorsports Festival Best $60 I’ve spent all year. I literally got a dollar a lap on the full Roval at PPIR. This show was amazing, and I hope they host again next year. There was HPDE, Drag, Drift, and a mega car show. Absolutely had a wonderful time with my racecar friends. Enjoy the video in the link below to see some passes, drift cars, and shenanigans. No joke I put in around 60 laps in the morning HPDE session. Those laps were valuable as I could use TrackAddict to see how I compared to GridLife 2020. The results, 2 seconds a lap slower. 10-15mph slower minimum momentum through the key turns at PPIR. The tires I have are tough, barely marbled after all that abuse, but they lacked grip. This is probably a big factor into why I am struggling in GT this season. Time to get some new rubber before GridLife and see if those times fall. Times : 2020 GridLife 1:08 , 2021 Slush 1:10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1623076332566-L37015XOB4VNU96445B0/Trackday.jpg Race Report - PPIR Track Attack 2021 Event 3 Gone is the cast, though my right hand is still in a brace. Fortunately I have my wrist free to work the steering wheel properly through the tight corners. Event 3 featured some crazy track elements. There was a full 180 degree turn from the top of the three story banking down to the infield. The most fun element was a series of flat out slaloms across the infield curves. It was wild, and definitely a course that rewarded risks and bravado. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1620669125765-R7TMME8F4WL9KAY3QPX1/gt51%7E2.jpg Race Report - PPIR Track Attack 2021 Event 2 I shattered my pinky in a mountain biking accident about 4 weeks ago. I showed up to the track with 3 pins in my hand and a cast. Gave it my best to go full send, but the cast limited my ability to manipulate my wrist in some of the tighter turns. This forced my to go in slower and use throttle to oversteer the car through the gates. I could also only get in 3 runs of hard driving before my hand went numb. This made for one of the toughest events I’ve ever competed in. Far from my usual pace, but I’ll force myself to rest up and recover for the next event in just two weeks. I should have the cast off and the pins out by then. TJRC came in clutch with the ventilation work and vinyl. Interior temps are about as cool as the car looks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1619576789061-EQ75OFV1FKN6IMVI8QA9/PPIR+Event+1+2021.jpg Race Report - PPIR Track Attack 2021 Event 1 Leave absolutely nothing on the table, 100% full send at the track. Before the race I made a few suspension and sway bar adjustments and the car is just dialed. GT class is fiercely competitive, and until I can pony up for a turbo build on the E36 I am 100+ HP down on my competition. I am just going to do what I do best, drive to the absolute limit, and maybe a bit beyond that. I am excited for the 2021 season after this event. RustBucket had a solid mid-pack finish in GT. I’ll take her in to Shogun Speedshop for cornerbalancing, and TJRC for ventilation ( window sliders and naca ducts). 2021 will for sure be like 2020 where the build made the car faster over the season. Stay tuned and enjoy the show. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1616950865586-TD1YOP13BI04YIO6PF5J/IMG_20210320_141938218_HDR.jpg Race Report - PPIR Track Attack 2021 Practice RustBucket enters the 2021 season with numerous weight reduction and aerodynamic modification. I am also proud to announce that Shogun Speedshop & TJRC will be sponsoring and supporting my 2021 racing season. I spent the practice session playing with tire pressures and dialing in my set up. My fastest run was a 46.8 but I knew there was more time to be cut. I need to make a few suspension setting adjustments to get more grip to the rear wheels as RustBucket was very oversteer happy. Which is fun, but not fast. Overall pleased to be nipping at a top ten finish in GT. I just have to dial it in. Stay Tuned… 2021 is going to get wild!!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1603477499210-QSWA94WUOIZIZ3QXY3JF/202010+PPIR+E36+GH+%28color+framed%29-2+%282%29.jpg Race Report - PPIR Track Attack 2020 Event 7 I made a few upgrades after melting the tires into delamination in Event 6. I am trying out a set of Kenda Kaisers, increasing width from 245 to 255. I also chopped up the carbon fiber splitter from the Hyundai Tiburon PPIHC car and made it fit RustBucket. While these upgrades are legal to RA class, I am focused on running TrackMod for next year’s GridLife. The rules for TrackMod align closely to GT class at PPIR. So I figured I’d make an intorduction. The track was cold, we’re talking 30 degrees cold, and the sun didn’t come out all day. If you have never done a cold track day… do it!!! It feels like go karting with a polished slick concrete floor. My feet and hands were busy balancing the car through understeer and oversteer. So, much, fun!!! Probably a bad time to do a tire review, but the new rubber was predictable and stable, so I am pleased. At $100/corner I will not complain. I’m prioritizing cheap rubber to maximize my development seat time. I left PPIR excited. RustBucket is close. First outing was good for 13th in GT, a class I plan to heavily develop the car into over the next couple months. As I continue to build and develop, I do not see why I couldn’t begin to crack the top 10. I came very close to just that in my first outing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1602195599919-1TFAIW3ZBNLCIDYUNZ19/Event+6.jpg Race Report - PPIR Track Attack 2020 Event 6 This shit-show started off hilariously. I was camping 100 miles away the night before and had to run the morning session. Let’s just say I made a few friends firing up the RustBucket E36 at 6am in the middle of the campgrounds. The first 5 miles of the drive was a dirt stage rally, and the winding passes to the track were absolutely sublime driving. I got to the track with 40 minutes to track-walk, swap tires to the sticky rubber, and prep for the event. I had to make tape numbers as I completely forgot my magnetic numbers. During the drivers meeting I ran into my competitor Ian Cook. He had a wheel bearing go out in his MR2, so I let him codrive. Our lap times dropped through the first three runs, but the last two were slow and absolute cone carnage. Sorry PPIR Track Attack crew. When I got home I discovered why our lap times fell to shit. We had delaminated the inside tread off the front tires. With the front right taking the brunt of the abuse; actually wearing through the cords and running flat in the garage. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1602196069230-2N40AFXDM191F4LVVAWY/GridLife.jpg Race Report - GridLife Alpine Horizon 2020 GridLife was always going to be the crown jewel of my 2020 season, I just wasn’t prepared for just how incredibly successful Alpine Horizon would be for me. The RustBucket E36 was a full 5 seconds faster around the 1.3 mile roval at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Instead of pitting every 10 minutes for soft brakes, the car ran full 20 minute sessions. The chassis and suspension reinforcement work from TJRC also had the car holding minimum momentum speeds within a MPH of an F80 M3. COVID-19 may have kept spectator numbers reduced, with social distancing respected, but the party ran strong. There were Baja trucks jumping drift cars, incredible on track battles in GLTC, motorsports under the lights. Oh, and don’t forget the music, drinking, and camping. I one hundred percent recommend going in 2021. Goals for 2021 GridLife… I’m am taking the plunge and running TrackMod class in GridLife Track Battle. The car has proven itself to run consistent lap times in a safe manner. I plan to spend the next year building up the Rustbucket E36 for the big stage. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1602197218479-O9R6OFB418MWBDU66DW2/Event+5.jpg Race Report - PPIR Track Attack 2020 Event 5 The chassis work, and suspension set up were well worth sitting out the doubleheader events 3&4 for the 2020 season. Huge thank you to TJRC and ProForm Suspension for really dialing this car in. Go figure, the car drives a lot better without the subframe cracks and worn out suspension bushings. Ryan Sotak had a wheel bearing explode earlier in the day, so I let him codrive the RustBucket E36 with me. A little background on Ryan. He’s fast, like proper fast. He usually runs his well sorted e36 328i in RA class, and is always in the top 3. For the three runs that we shared the RustBucket E36, I was within a quarter second of Ryan’s time in my car. Which means my driving is on point, I just gotta dial in the build. https://www.z3rocar.com/2020challenge daily 0.75 2021-01-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1611005976609-WLVBMCY6YGNRHIYHRAT3/Dec.jpg 2020 Challenge - December (Miles 2053 - 2162) Exceeding the Goal I aimed for 2,020 miles in 2020 and ended up with a whopping 2,162 miles! Consistency is king, but also not a possible solution. I had good weeks, and bad weeks, even bad months. The real key was changing my lifestyle. I didn’t make excuses, I just made space for it all. There was never time to get outside and rack up miles. I was always going to be too busy. I just had to do it. There were a million things on my to-do list, and they were still going to be there when I got back. This Challenge changed my day to day life. In a way that really forced my hand to do it again in 2021. I am faster, more confident, and more fit than ever. Getting out to get in miles is how I stay sane in trying times. I leave 2020 different than I came in. I guess the moral of the story is to set stupid goals, and just commit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1609434671502-5WYEJVJW83N427RPECES/Nov.jpg 2020 Challenge - November (Miles 1903 - 2053) Reaching the Goal Ambitious goals are easier with a great crew. I crossed the 2,020 mile mark with a shuttle up Blodgett and long ride all the way back to I-25. I’ve been riding with Tom & Dan for the last decade now. We all seem to push each other, we all are better riders over the time spent. Come hell or high water, I have to return to racing on 2 wheels in 2021. I’m faster and more confident in my riding abilities. I may have hit a point where competitively, I’m more gifted on 2 wheels than 4… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1604348690554-DB4UW8BAPEKDURV0TBH0/Oct.jpg 2020 Challenge - October (Miles 1707 - 1902) Dirt Jumping Back in September, I took my birthday off work. I resolved to just ride my bike all day. As I pedaled by the jump park, I though back to 13 years ago when I used to jump daily. It was on that starting block that my wife called to tell me to come home. She had taken a pregnancy test, and wanted me to see it in person. Life, and fatherhood pushed to the front of my mind back then. I fell out of jumping. After that though, I stopped, and wanted to I’d see if I still have it in me. Dirt jumping has become the best thing to come out of the 2020 challenge. Flying through the air on my bike makes me feel at home. I am slowly returning to pulling a few lame tricks, and progressing back to the bigger jumps I used to hit in my 20s. The last two months have been really good for me mentally. With all the stress of 2020, it was good to reconnect with some piece of my youth. I also reconnected with a community I’d forgotten about. In that short time I’ve already made new friends between jumps. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1603484806877-XVOV607UQL960AW6L6HW/Sep.jpg 2020 Challenge - September (Miles 1528 - 1706) Are you silly? I’m still gonna send it! Not all of my miles were biking. My neighbor invited us up for an epic camping trip on a race weekend. None of that stopped me from packing a racecar, and going out for a weekend of drinking and hiking. On our 14 mile epic we punched above tree line. This lead to crossing over a knife ridge and into the sketchiest 1/4mi of hiking in my life. This band of snow and ice was the trail. Above it, solid cliff rock. Below it a 500 foot drop of you guessed it, solid cliff rock. LOL, when racing cars isn’t the most dangerous thing you did in a given weekend. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1603484341696-IHGO5939V5WN22R2SIZJ/Aug.jpg 2020 Challenge - August 2020 (Miles 1325 - 1527) Riding bikes and racing cars… I stayed the course while the RustBucket was stealing the show for August with the new modifications and the stage of GridLife. I even packed my bike, logging a few miles between sessions. Certainly made getting around paddock a lot easier. Almost 200 miles a month for 3 months straight. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1603483538819-D5FRGSZM1CULUI1G36Y5/Jul.jpg 2020 Challenge - July 2020 (Miles 1084 - 1324) Commit - Go All In… The 2020 Challenge has transitioned from a challenge to a way of life. I finally bought my dream fork a 180mm travel SR Suntour Durolux for the Snabb. I ride in knee pads to take care of myself. After my crash in May I started seeing a chiropractor to fix my misaligned bones. In doing so I ride a lot more, and my Strava times keep dropping. I ride longer and further, with greater frequency than ever. I’m well passed the pessimism of January & February. This challenge has put me in a better mind space. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1603482789909-TCYHZCTEPY2ZC3F72CTN/Jun.jpg 2020 Challenge - June 2020 (Miles 892 - 1083) Halfway there, in time and miles… The long days and making headway for longer rides. Gave me a chance to get ahead of schedule with my miles. I have also started taking my bikes a little more seriously. Making a few upgrades to my full suspension bike to finish the build and spend more time riding it. Over my shoulder is my new Fox Vanilla R coil shock. I do not miss riding an air shock at all. The control and speed are quite impressive on the new set up. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1603481770140-B2M8KIWZXQSSMTKF4MCX/May.jpg 2020 Challenge - May 2020 (Miles 709 - 891) The New Normal… I wake up, I work, I ride bikes, repeat. If you noticed, I am on helmet #3 of the year. I started the year with my old Fox helmet, which, this is gross, had a plastic strap dissolve from friction and sweat. Nearly a thousand miles is not kind to equipment. I replaced that helmet with a nice Giro, while I only had it a short time. I got my money’s worth out of it. I had a huge accident off a small feature. It was just a small jump, but I came off it wrong and was certain I could ride it out. I didn’t ride it out. I landed smack on top of my head, cracking my helmet, cutting my thigh, and damn near knocked me out. Always wear a helmet, you never know when that little thing will catch you out. I take the kids with me when they find the weather agreeable. This month’s photo features Danielle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1603481356194-1IFQEVYXNY7B3JT9LYGZ/APR.jpg 2020 Challenge - April 2020 (Miles 513 - 708) Just try to stay sane… Work from home, teach from home, try to keep everyone from going stir crazy. The bike has become my jail-break and my link to my sanity. I am riding much more frequently now, just about everyday. I believe I only missed 4 days in the whole month. Sometimes I take the family out on a walk. It is good for all of us. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1603480863276-LGIOBI11MX69WUHQQX2Z/Mar.jpg 2020 Challenge - March 2020 (Miles 280 - 512) What the actual F#ck just happened… Ok, so apparently this is the end of the world. Roll credits. The lockdown has me at home, which is nice as I have a very large network of trails just a block away. I am getting out and taking walks. I am riding everyday. Catching up on my miles and each one builds more and more confidence. The photo I chose for March was of me and my oldest. We pedaled downtown, and it was a ghost town. Staying distant from other people. Staying fit. Trying to get through whatever the hell this is. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1603480353489-U3ENZFZEPAWMLHR9XEIO/Feb.jpg 2020 Challenge - February 2020 (Miles 160 - 279) Work has me falling off the wagon… Of the first two months of the year, I have only seen 6 days off. However, having a second job in the Air Force has its perks. I got to finally travel to Nashville. I took the opportunity to do a 5 mile run, and a massive 20 mile walk-about. I often do this when I travel. I get to the hotel, change, and then immerse myself with my new surroundings. Someday I’ll put together a photobook of what I have seen doing this all over the world. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1603479642074-MHPRXHG1XJBSV7ZSPR19/Jan.jpg 2020 Challenge - January 2020 (Miles 0 - 159) What have I gotten myself into? This seemed like a good idea leading up to 2020. 2020, it has a good ring to it. Let’s shoot to ride / run / hike 2,020 miles in 2020. My New Years Resolution was settled. I would complete the 2020 Challenge and do 2,020 miles in 2020. January felt completely defeating. I wondered if my resolve would fail first, or would it be my body that gives up? I started running a few miles in the gym at work. I also ride a lot more often. Not quite daily, but more often than not. I am honestly unsure how I am going to do 5 1/2 miles a day, every day, for a year. https://www.z3rocar.com/2021-challenge daily 0.75 2022-02-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/72b0e34d-f527-4f83-8ac8-7440cf3c5762/DEC.jpg 2021 Challenge - December 2021 (miles 1975-2057) That’s not a typo. I coasted to the finish line with just 74 miles in December. I broke two more rear wheels on the Snabb. With the holidays, and work, and stress, I just hit my wall and burnout is real. Either way here we are. Just over 4,200 miles into the 2020’s. 2022 needs to be a year where I take care of myself. I wear a smile. Build loud, crazy fun bikes and cars… Just sometimes the outside doesn’t match the inside. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/b99b967e-3745-48b7-9fa2-c52980e8f937/NOV.jpg 2021 Challenge - November 2021 (miles 1814-1974) Like the phoenix rises from the ashes, so has my fleet. Fall of 2021 was some dark times. Where the story of Spring was one of the broken body, Fall was broken equipment. My bikes are looking better now than they ever have. I am going to have to open up another page to showcase my builds. The jumper got a fresh powdercoat, lavender sparkle, and top to bottom rebuild. Looking and riding gorgeous. I didn’t even try to hide the scars on the Snabb. I opted for a Yakuza finish. I covered her in ink from headtube to rear axle. I logged a few more miles, and have the bikes back to form. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/8c716a45-3f27-4091-a49d-10f40b6df38b/OCT.jpg 2021 Challenge - October 2021 (miles 1642-1813) Too close for missiles, we’re switching to guns. With the Snabb in pieces, what better time to completely tear down the Jumper and find myself without a bike. Wait, I have a collection of 7 more, they’re just in kids sizes. Feel free to swing by anytime and I’ll crack a few beers and race them down the street with you. Still racking up the miles, and taking some time to catch up on a lot of deferred maintenance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/b7f52971-434e-48a8-9f1e-0d6dee51f706/SEP.jpg 2021 Challenge - September 2021 (miles 1424-1641) Absolute, and total destruction. In one race run I completely annihilated all the work I’ve done getting the Snabb back into action. My return to racing went like the movie Tin Cup... Roy: I just made a 12. Molly: You sure did Roy, and it was the greatest 12 of all time. No one’s gonna remember the Open five years from now, who won, who lost, but they’re going to remember your 12. I had the fastest first 90 seconds, then I thought I dropped a chain. Then the rear wheel stopped moving. The derailleur disappeared, cracked the cranks, shattered the chain, wedged the end of the chain into the brake. I spent 10 minutes on the side of the course breaking the bike free from it’s own carnage. Then coasted to a 6th place finish. I wasn’t about to let the mountain win, I was always going to finish that race… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/f7d0e5d4-6c10-48d4-a1f9-e1a4331ac05f/AUG.jpg 2021 Challenge - August 2021 (miles 1207-1423) Dirt jumping, racing GridLife, good times with friends. Summer is where it’s at. Got another 200 miles in this month and I fully recognize that I’m riding on borrowed time as far as the hardtail is concerned. I got all the parts in for the Snabb, and I am getting ready to race my first bike race in a long, long time. Hanging all my medals and numbers in the shop lit a fire under my ass to get back to trying to kill myself on two wheels. I’ve missed the feeling of shutting the world out, going flat out with total commitment. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1628026723849-7Q8UQQXER5G26N3CMHB6/July.jpg 2021 Challenge - July 2021 (miles 984-1206) Burnout is real. This wasn’t a physical burnout. It was mechanical. I’m over 3,000 miles in since I started in 2020 on the same two bikes. Wear and tear this month was such that niether worked really well. It is hard to stay motivated to stay on the bike when its bombarding you with problems. It adds stress to something that is supposed to clear the mind and relieve stress. Uggh this month was hard and frustrating. However, I got a lot of miles in. More than 200 in the last month. I am also catching up on things. I am closing in on fixing all the issues with my trusty fleet. I even put in an order for a 3rd. Stay tuned and you’ll get a chance to see this build. I’ll make a special entry when it comes in. Till then just keep moving forward. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1627678841227-G8CTYFW9WM77PE8AXOOT/Jun.jpg 2021 Challenge - June 2021 (miles 706-983) Making up my miles with a vengence. Sitting off the bike as long as I did gave me a great habit of walking with the wife and kids consistently. The sun is up late, so I also have time to ride. There is a lot of pent up aggression towards sitting idle, and the bike is the perfect outlet. My hand is coming back, I still have limitations, but it is coming back. This month was a good one. It got me back out there. I got me back to where I needed to be for the second half of the year. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1623080534382-1T6RO0MQBLY8WMCK03LC/May21.jpg 2021 Challenge - May 2021 (miles 553-705) You can absolutely call it a comeback!!! 6 weeks, surgery, snapping scar tissue in physical therapy, I pressed 100% commitment to get my hand to close again. It was a hard, gory, painful process, but it was worth it. Nothing worthwhile in life was easy. It feels amazing to overcome such a tremendous setback. With all of that being said. I’ve made a few changes. I have put an increased focus on safety equipment. I have a dirt jumping helmet, armored gloves, I even ordered a HANS device for my racecar antics. I think the shattered pinky was a wake up call not to change my ways, but to change my protection and safety gear, I am still going to give it 100%, I just need to make sure that I’m wearing what I need to minimize the risk. Now, if you don’t mind, I have a lot of miles to catch up on. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1623080831782-1NFY9S9WY6MTOCXD8BM0/APR21.jpg 2021 Challenge - April 2021 (miles 453-552) I didn’t think much of it. I was out riding a trail that I hold the KOM time by a large margin on. I wasn’t pressing for a fast time. It was just my backyard local trail. I crossed some roots and slid 6” off line, and my handlebars glanced the tree. I even almost rode it out, but lazily fell off the bike. When I got up, my pinky wasn’t where it belonged. I’ve been here before. I must have dislocated it. Time to trail reset them. I pull and there’s no pop, nothing solid. I try again, same result. Shit, I’ve broken my hand. It would take surgery and three pins to get the seven pieces of my pinky back together. This is certainly not how I wanted to catch up on miles for the 2021 Challenge. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1623081259633-YBFW1XZYIEM3YBX0BOWT/Mar21.jpg 2021 Challenge - March 2021 (miles 278-452) The absolute highlight of my March miles was our family trip to Crested Butte. Three days in the high country does a lot of good for the mind. The snowy & icy spring has made mountain biking difficult. Even with the weather challenges presented, I have almost caught up on my 2021 miles. I currently stand just 48 miles off pace. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1627677682519-NECFRA13OAK25R4U80IU/Feb.jpg 2021 Challenge - February 2021 (miles 176-277) Snow, Ice, Cold… Just get out there and make it happen. On the positive side, crashes hurt less with a few more layers. The snow and ice also make for some seriously wild drifts and slides. Where others hang their bikes in their garages, a dedicated few are still out there getting seriously fast. The lack of daylight hurst the most. Just barely broke 100 this month. Still 100 less than the month before. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1627678083964-VVRSF00SNARSZ9R94I3P/Jan.jpg 2021 Challenge - January 2021 (miles 0-175) Going back to zero sucks!!! Thankful for dirt jumping to keep my spirits flying high for a new year, and a new challenge. I know the commitment it takes to make it happen. I have that going for me this year. 175 miles is a healthy start to the 2021 challenge. If you have a goal, aim freaking high. Shoot for the moon, you might surpirse yourself and land it. https://www.z3rocar.com/2022-challenge daily 0.75 2023-04-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/f5850652-60bf-44d0-b22e-a5ae32710470/MicrosoftTeams-image+%289%29.png 2022 Challenge - December 2022 (miles 2101-2202) What just happened? I mean 2022 was quite the year, but it has all been just a blur. I wrapped up my service in the USAF. I stepped forward in my career at FedEx. I am going to all my kids’ events. I am even racing and building more. Life should be good, but stress, a feeling of a lack of time, and I don’t know adulthood are fucking hard. Held an average of 220mi/mo and that was wild. I gotta shake things up for 2023. I have to take better care of myself and get my projects done. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/a7371b8e-f1df-4bb4-a731-170977db6366/November.jpeg 2022 Challenge - November 2022 (miles 2023-2100) With my goal achieved, I needed to rebuild. While my bikes were “mostly” healthy, my shop, my base of operations had completely fallen apart. I had Air Force items lying about, gear absolutely everywhere, it was a mess. I unapologetically took the month to rebuild, reorganize, and come up with a plan to come back stronger. FedEx saw me travelling to Memphis again. I even got to rent this baller Benz by luck of the draw at Hertz. Who says the rental car shortage is all bad? That was a great week of food, good company, and work. James Mother F*cking White has also joined the two wheeled chat. He got himself a big bike, so look for dumb decisions all next summer on that front. I took a rejection to heart this month too. I applied to a race. I didn’t get in. The silver lining, it lit a fire up under my ass. I bought a 3.0l crank for RustBucket and we are going to add serious power. I’ll make my doubters eat their words. The days of bringing a knife to a gun fight are coming to an end. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/8ceb349e-6faf-4eaf-be02-8fd35b5d46dd/October.jpeg 2022 Challenge - October 2022 (miles 1797-2022) That just happened. I completed my goal a solid two months early. 2022 has seen a record number of 200+ mile months. I stayed focused, healthy, and kept my bikes working well. Go figure, the level of difficulty goes down when you don’t shatter your hand. Life after the military is great. I am racing a lot, got two full course track days in, and even managed a win. I’m there for my kids. The TCA Cheerleaders look forward to what costume I’ll wear to the next football game. As a family we snuck in a trip to Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, and DC. I am hoping to make family travel much less rare. There is no shortage of adventures in Casa Hamilton, so stay tuned. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/cdf72caa-0f50-4fa3-9cc1-75339233306d/September.jpeg 2022 Challenge - September 2022 (miles 1591-1796) Severe turbulence. September was a time of change, saying goodbye, building something great. I started the month with my 40th birthday, and a funeral. Which pretty much sums up my month emotionally. I also said goodbye to 13 years at the 731st AS in the USAF Reserves. I have a limited amount of time, and in the end, I think I just joined the military too late to give it a full 20. My career at FedEx is taking off, kids are growing up and one foot out the door. I need more time. Riding my bike was key to keeping my head through all this. It certainly is a lot to process. Just me and the wilderness, the speed, the danger. The only thing that matters in two wheels is putting the bike where it needs to be at speed. Any other thoughts can put your face in the dirt. Certainly, a welcome distraction. I will always miss flying, but the cruel thing about life is… you only get so much of it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/6f49a1f0-3037-4615-9ac7-2444e6001d98/August.jpeg 2022 Challenge - August 2022 (miles 1357-1590) New trails and new adventures. Mountain biking in N. Colorado Springs is a dynamic environment. The trails are changing, some good, some bad. While I welcome the addition of dozens of new trails, I stand cautious and ready against the tearing down of the old guard, The new trails have safety in mind. They are often smoother, wider, lower risk. The older trails built 15-20 years ago when Freeride DH was popular and definitely unsanctioned, required attention, skill, accepting a lot of risk. As trails are ripped out, I’ve found myself paying more attention. Who is around? What work is being done? Is this feature visible to other trail users. This month has awakened another side of me. I was part of the old guard that built the original trails. We’d build, it got found, destroyed, repeat. The cycle has come full circle. We built trail organizations. They added trails. Got comfortable, then started policing everything. As this policing continues, the fight begins. Defund these parks on the ballots, look for opportunities to reopen features. Go back to the underground. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/498331d7-c165-459a-af2c-79dc001f9b6b/July.jpg 2022 Challenge - July 2022 (miles 1104-1356) Riding bikes and racing cars. Life is good. Cranked out a lot of miles. Showcasing my extensive pit bike collection of pixies. Loads of dirt jumping and getting back into doing tricks in the air. I even managed to squeeze in a park day of big money sends. This is what I spent those long hours building. Time to enjoy it. In terms of miles/month this was one of my best yet. I am on pace to exceed my 2022 goal by a good margin. Summer is short and I fully intend to make the most of it. With that being said I am off to go crank out as many of those evening dirt jump sessions while the sun still allows them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/550d915e-af38-4969-9749-8d39f322639b/June.jpg 2022 Challenge - June 2022 (miles 937-1103) I got to explore France on the trip of a lifetime. I was selected to go to Normandy for the 78th anniversary of D-Day. Flying in formation over ceremonies over hallowed grounds on the C-130 was almost the highlight. Right up to the point that I got to drop paratroopers out of a C-47 over Sainte-Mère-Eglise. The experience of celebrating liberation with Europeans at the cities where it happened is surreal. They dress up in vintage WWII uniforms, drive Willy’s Jeeps, and have an unparalleled sense of gratitude and history. Everything going on almost made me forget that instead of spending $200/night an individual to stay there in a hotel, we rented a beach house for the same $200/night for the entire team. I could go on forever, but TROGDOR!!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/abb79af4-f197-44e5-865c-68c36ac3b51c/May.jpg 2022 Challenge - May 2022 (miles 736-936) Pixie bikes have always had a special place in my heart. This spring I’ve spent a lot of time revamping my fleet of 6 pixie bikes. I am trying to get them all in tip-top shape for my big 4-0 in September. Of my builds I am most proud of the Princess bikes. I polished the stock paint, added graffiti, tattooed princess stickers, and some stout BMX parts. This bike is one of my favorite pit bikes, and beer drinking downhill racers. If you haven’t made it out on one of my bikes for a run down the street… come on over, down some liquid courage, and let’s ride. Oh and I also got in 200 miles this month. Not bad. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/e8fea23f-e625-4fe0-b95a-0a219f3d5cce/Apr.jpg 2022 Challenge - April 2022 (miles 531-735) I had a realization last month. That I hit a comfort zone, and stayed in it. I haven’t been pushing myself and getting outside of that comfort zone. I realized this when I pedaled passed what I call “Stupid Rock”. It is a tall slab of sandstone that I used to ride down when I felt like doing something stupid. I thought about it and realized I haven’t ridden it since I broke my hand. So, I decided to make a change. I’ve been packing my GoPro and that makes me hit something worth filming. It is a bit of a process, but slowly I am getting back to my old full-send self. I also started a Tik-Tok as part of doing more and more progression. Just playing around with my antics in a cleaner 30 seconds or less edits sense. Let’s see how this plays out. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/46ea0e2e-b896-48b0-b20b-03bec43f6526/Mar.jpg 2022 Challenge - March 2022 (miles 391-530) In 2022 I’ve kinda taken a liking to some hiking. Especially when it is cold, snowy, and what others would describe as miserable. I genuinely love it. You get the place mostly to yourself, which is rare these days in Colorado. The first mile sucks, but then you build up body heat, start snacking on spicy snacks and its magical. I’ve also managed to scout some new trails, and find a few things I never knew were in my town. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/4159d619-a7bd-43fc-b62d-85609902a636/Feb.jpg 2022 Challenge - February 2022 (miles 211-390) So, the grainy photo is due to my phone falling out of my pocket at 40mph. Let’s just say it wasn’t in the same shape after bouncing off the pavement on the way to the park. I mean seriously, this shot looks like it was taken in the 1800’s before I left to fight in the Civil War. Anyways, February is winter, winter is cold. As usual the snow didn’t keep me inside. I mean, yeah… we’re in the Rockies. February is also Lent, and for Lent I am taking to fixing up my equipment and taking care of business. I have a special bike that I am building, and well… riding 2000+ miles/year is hard on equipment, so I am also catching up an maintenance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/0e0a3732-b85d-40e5-a32a-eb90e29e66ef/JAN.jpg https://www.z3rocar.com/2023-challenge daily 0.75 2026-03-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/ad7a540b-4034-4b61-aba9-3ad206593115/Dec23.jpg 2023 Challenge - December 2023 (miles 1951-2105) Another year down, another goal met. Strava did this cool partnership with The Feed and got this water bottle as a trophy. Since 2020 I have managed to log 8,526 miles. I’ll be over 10k miles come next fall. With miles comes carnage. I estimate I put about 4~5k miles on this fork, and the bushings bit the dust. So, there is some reassembly going on with the fleet. MTB is definitely not a cheap hobby. 2023 was a great year. I have my sights set on 2024. I need to get back to my roots. I carry a lot of stress on my shoulders. I need to get back to racing bikes, snowboarding, and find that center on track. I also need to give back, but do it with the right people, I’ve been doing trail maintenance with the city, but I’ve found myself burned when I do this, then they turn around and bulldoze trail that I enjoyed. I can’t spend what little time I have supporting something that breaks my heart time and time again. Look for a few key changes from me in 2024. I guess aging is just evolution. We determine if that is for the better or worse. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/c4bace3e-5245-4336-950b-4a25bcc506a4/Nov23.jpg 2023 Challenge - November 2023 (miles 1737-1950) Uggh, why is DST still a thing!?!?! I swear it just ramps up the difficulty to getting out after work. Thankfully I am working East Coast hours and out by 3-4pm most days. Racing season is over, but school functions have really taken off. They never tell you that school plays are hand built by the parents til you got a drill in one hand and a saw in the other. Thankfully I am fortunate enough to have a really rad 8-12 mile loop of MTB just off my back porch. Come visit and I’ll take you out on the fleet for a lap. Another 200+ mile month to get me on the precipice of my 2,023 mile goal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/83d438ed-3e98-4c9a-b907-916528360f0d/OCT23.jpg 2023 Challenge - October 2023 (miles 1565-1736) VACAY!!! Took the family to Universal Studios Hollywood for some much needed time off. Our days in the beautiful California sun had us walking ~15 miles a day. Ate a hole-in-the-wall Taco spot just outside the park… chef’s kiss, it was so damn good. Even with closing out the RMTT & CORX seasons, and attending SCCA RX Nationals, I still found time to pedal, and be with the family. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/2952e579-b0bf-4e88-97ef-953c14c04380/SEP23.jpg 2023 Challenge - September 2023 (miles 1328-1564) Literally pedaling the cranks off the bike. At the end of the month my crank bolt exit chat on the pedal back to the start of the jumps. Glad that didn’t happen while I was airborne, oops. Good weather, great racing, all making for a really good month. Fall is really the best time of the year. The sun stays up late enough, the trails stay dry, I can just crank out 10 miles a day after work. Good times. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/5335e55c-f72d-4361-8330-f7961f8b2a8d/MicrosoftTeams-image+%283%29.png 2023 Challenge - August 2023 (miles 1124-1327) Playing catch up on miles with another 200-mile month. I also managed to take the family out for a little summer adventure. It was like stuffing money into a bonfire, but if you get the chance, Snowmass is a damn good time. We ate good food, Julia and I shared a few drinks, and we just enjoyed our stay thoroughly. We went up to the mountains. Did some hiking, a little frisbee golf, and a lot of mountain biking. Kind of a last hurrah before summer ends and I gotta take these kids back to school. We should 10 / 10 do this a lot more often than we do. Put down the work, responsibilities, and just go outside, do something together. Good times. Smiles all around. You also can’t argue with the scenery from the top. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/b8212d81-38d3-4ad4-95fc-1a42cd3715f5/MicrosoftTeams-image+%284%29.png 2023 Challenge - July 2023 (miles 911-1123) First 200 mile month. It’s been a tough year for miles, but July helped me catch up. Took the kids out for the first full course of Frisbee Golf in a long time. Palmer lake is worth the trip. There is an active railway in the course which makes for some cool photo opportunities. When you’re done throwing discs, there is an amazing icecream spot just 2 blocks down the road. Riding has also been getting better. I went down to one bike, the dirtjumper. That bike is always the sole survivor, I swear it’s crazy dependable. The rest of the fleet sat for much of the month to repairs. 2,000+ miles a year is hard on equipment. The good news is that I finished the month at full strength. Ready to do all the dumb stuff in August. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/7a2e38d5-9cf8-43ac-bf15-76aa6295bc74/MicrosoftTeams-image+%2824%29.png 2023 Challenge - June 2023 (miles 731-910) Glory & Gore goes hand in hand. Stupid single-speed tensioner gave out at full speed with me pedaling hard. I guess I was overdue for a complete yard sale. Which is how I would rate June. Busted the racecar, busted the bike, busted myself. Sigh. I made good miles, even with the weather being so crazy. So that’s a plus. At some point I’ll get it all figured out, just not now. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/c2fcdc85-7092-48d6-9b41-6d6eefe2bb22/MicrosoftTeams-image+%2821%29.png 2023 Challenge - May 2023 (miles 562-730) Pigasus lives!!! I started this project in November. Then changed direction when Ken Block passed. I turned my single speed, long mile, build into a Hoonigan tribute to the legend. I settled on a Hoonipigasus inspired livery. The original plan stuck though, of a light, singlespeed bike with no amenities. Short travel, easy pedalling, trail bmx bike. What I got was more than advertised. She descends like a beast and pedals fast. I probably should lower the gear ratio for climbing, but it is great all around. Gives the bike a personality of mocking you for struggling to pedal. Like the bike heckles you to get good. Perfect trainer bike, and absolutely just racks up the miles quickly. Has become my favorite go-to bike when I just wanna get out the door and ride. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/7ab0e3de-dd77-4908-a0f8-305daa36ae73/MicrosoftTeams-image+%2819%29.png 2023 Challenge - April 2023 (miles 398-561) Getting back on track with my miles. Which is about all I can do with work kicking my ass of late. April was pretty much work, workout, attend school stuff with kids, maybe ride, repeat. The grind can get you down. I guess I am trying to say I am not immune to it. Managing a decent amount of miles is quite the measure of success. Sometimes shit is just hard. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/cabcdc99-02e4-4c8b-ba7f-4ab75e5ae9c1/MicrosoftTeams-image+%287%29.png 2023 Challenge - March 2023 (miles 248-397) The only way to bounce back, is through. I tried rest and rehab. It wasn’t the ticket. Started pushing the envelope with lifting and strength training, climbing on my new hanging climbing wall; Massive improvement. I’m still not quite 100%, but it is getting better. So is the weather. The sun is back. The mud and ice have receded. Catching up on my miles. I also noticed that as I eased back into riding, I started taking the smoother, easier lines… and I got faster. Well, setting PR times on my favorite trails, with the exception of stopping for the occasional downed tree. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/25d6c6f3-84ea-44c9-8043-6eb8ed53fb5b/MicrosoftTeams-image+%286%29.png 2023 Challenge - February 2023 (miles 106-247) Ok, sent it too hard. Went riding on the ice and going full send. Which means I have been out pushing the limits, and going over them and crashing. I suspect it was one incident where I completely yard-saled on ice where I aggravated my elbow. The most bougie injury of them all, Tennis Elbow. That’s how I started my month. Taking some rest, going easy, gotta recover for race season. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/49cab72d-05db-49ac-bcc2-7c93474603b3/MicrosoftTeams-image+%285%29.png 2023 Challenge - January 2023 (miles 0-105) It ain’t even a question anymore. New year, new miles, just a way of life. The snow, mud, and let’s be honest… I’m north of 40, the cold hurts my old injuries; it all kept me down on miles. I didn’t get out much, but when I did, I sent it. Looking forward to 2023. New Year, new opportunities, going to mix it up, try new things and bring back some O.G. things too… https://www.z3rocar.com/2024-challenge daily 0.75 2026-03-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/c545012b-c0a9-472d-ac5d-cb51701fae03/Dec24.jpg 2024 Challenge - December 2024 (miles 2217-2427) 2024 is a record year for me. I exceeded my goals by a full 403 miles. December was a great month. When it snowed and got wet, I rode urban. The jumps for the most part stayed in decent enough shape. Even got out with a few friends to hit up the pump track. Since I started this challenge in 2020, I have gone 10,953 total miles. Which is just wild to even think about. December saw the cheerleaders make it to State Championships for Cheer, and they went all the way to the finals. Danielle made the basketball team, and she is starting 5. I never have time for anything, but now I automatically make time for myself. I’m wrapping up 2024 with a picture highlighting the best piece of advice I can give out of this experience in doing the year in miles challenge. Find something you love, you’ll never have time to do it, but find it, and when you do… steal time to go do that. It comes automatically to me now after 5 years of this, but here I am lying in a net at this quirky little park off a bike path a couple miles from the State Championships venue. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/a2533f35-159a-461f-907d-c3d273883b20/Cheer.jpg 2024 Challenge - November 2024 (miles 2031-2216) Well, that was one way to close a chapter. Titans went and extended the season all the way to the State Championships and came home with the W. Kylie’s senior season of football cheer ended on the highest of highs. I captured the moment the Titans took the lead with seconds to spare. The entire playoffs run was exciting, perhaps too exciting where the team was down in the last seconds and came back to win. Through all that travelling and schedules I managed to keep moving. Falling just shy of 200 miles in a month is not bad, especially considering it is November. I don’t really think about the miles anymore. It is just something I do. However, I have added an element to my routine. When I take a short walk or have to hike my bike back up the big hill to my house. I’ll log into DuoLingo and polish up my German. I plan to reconnect with my base German language skills before I work to add Spanish to that list too. Just a little self-improvement to add to well… self improvement. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/33862f1d-abb5-43e7-9b86-32e5b957b174/IMG_20241015_182852.jpg 2024 Challenge - October 2024 (miles 1806-2030) Wait a minute, this is October, and this is the 2024 challenge… 2,030 miles before November. First time I have met this goal in October. I didn’t take a day off since May 12th. Miles and workouts every day. Consistency is key. We took a break from life though. Europe was amazing, but the travelling was a bit stressful. With Kylie and Danielle in Cheer; Kylie applying to colleges, senior year, all that stress we took the opposite of our European vacation. We did nothing but swim and walk the beach in Mexico. If you get the chance, book an all-inclusive in Conzumel. Drinks, tacos every day, swimming with fish, playing cards. Living that good life. It was the break we all needed. Hopefully we get the chance to do it all again. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/f2e6f039-d3a2-49b6-ac80-dbd36ba251cf/Sep24.jpg 2024 Challenge - September 2024 (miles 1608-1805) A quick ode to the end of summer and the beginning of 42. Kids are keeping me busy with cheer, and school, outside of that just working out and riding bikes. Been going heavy in the gym recently. This is paying off pretty well on the bike. All my bikes feel lighter. My jumps have are a foot to two feet higher. When you get more air, you get more time. So, tricks are flowing pretty well, and I feel like my tables are getting really flat. I didn’t quite get 200 miles in this month, but for as busy as I was… more than satisfied. I need to get a few things in order for a good run of racing next year. Not just cars… I feel fast, faster than ever on two wheels. I need to return to DH. I miss the speed and danger of it all. I know it will make me a faster driver too. Anyways, season is changing… soon we go from ice-cream to ice. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/81a9bc60-4522-42db-88db-1bbff78f3a57/IMG_20240831_171119%7E2.jpg 2024 Challenge - August 2024 (miles 1379-1607) Ok, Senior year hit harder and earlier than anticipated. First football games, Highschool and Middle School as both girls are now in Cheer. Kylie toured CU Boulder and has her wish list complete. Senior photos are incoming as the photoshoot was at the end of the month. Back to school nights, new schedules, and activities… I stepped into a time warp. The good news is, I’m still taking time for me. Working out, lifting heavy in Body Pump. Then riding a lot, and back to my full send self. If I wasn’t so busy, and overspent from Europe… I would have returned to racing bikes as planned earlier this year… but you know life. Which is sad cause I crossed 10k miles this month from when I started in 2020, and I’m feeling fast. Oh well, I’ll get back to it eventually. If I give one piece of advice to anyone reading this who bikes… 9pm dirt jump sessions in August at sundown are just magical. Do it at least once at the end of summer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/6a83be0e-968b-4037-8092-b06fd9e5b60b/IMG_20240701_172551.jpg 2024 Challenge - July 2024 (miles 1113-1378) We stared the month in East Germany. Do yourself a favor… Go. Caught a break from the rain in Dresden, which was absolutely stunning. Honestly only drove to Dresden after a cold, very wet night in Bamberg, and needed a tour indoors to lift spirits. From the hotel room we found that VW has a factory you can tour in Dresden and watch cars get built on the line. It rained while we were in the Glass Factory, but was dry as we cut through the city center to leave. Kylie saw the Prussian royal grounds as we crossed the bridge out of town, and we made a day out of it. Dresden was worth being late to Berlin. Walked the Royal Gardens, crashed a violin concert within, and even witnessed an anti-AfD protest. Berlin was way, way more than could be done in a day. Easy to navigate with Berlin Welcome Card that lets you ride any mass transit all day. We saw the museum district, choosing to go in the DDR museum which was a window into life in East Germany. Saw what remains of the wall, the fernsehenzentrum, tiergarten, and had the best shnitzel in Berlin. All this before saying goodbye to Mezzo Mix, schokolade croissants, and no speed limits on well maintained roads before coming home. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/b97daacd-9974-4d0d-949a-b7e69061feb2/IMG_20240629_140802.jpg 2024 Challenge - June 2024 (miles 862-1112) EUROTRIP!!! I finally set out on an adventure that I have promised my oldest her whole life. What better time than going in to her senior year of high school? To be completely honest I turned the send-o-meter on my riding from 11 to 9ish. I really didn’t want to get injured before going across the Atlantic. The rules for the trip were simple. Aircrew style. I wanted them to experience it how I experienced Europe on my days off from flying on NATO orders. We got in the car, drove somewhere without any itinerary, and let the world take us where it may. We had a blast. Ice cream in every city center, crashing Euro24 soccer parties, eating and drinking with friends, and so, so many cars. We hopped across Germany, into Luxembourg, then France, and even Austria. Different languages, cultures, foods, experiences. I gave my girls access to a world view that should set the foundation for a life of success and perspective. Bank accounts be damned. This was one of the best months of my life, and I even got to catch up with friends living abroad. Life is good. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/ba1c67be-add2-4ad4-a436-3f6aa73187f2/IMG_20240523_162854.jpg 2024 Challenge - May 2024 (miles 655-861) Here’s to another 200+ mile month. Mixing it all up too, drift cars, mosh pits, long hikes, walks with the kids, just living the good life. I am also managing to keep up with my gym workouts, adding plates to all my sets. On the bike, things have been flowing well. I am dirt juming, throwing tricks on urban features, freeriding trail, and setting PRs wherever I go. If the money/time lines up, I’d love to return to racing in July. I’m feeling faster and more competent than ever on 2 wheels. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/aa4cbb8c-afb7-4c70-be91-5ff031031474/IMG_20240430_164408244.jpg 2024 Challenge - April 2024 (miles 445-654) I got the first 200+ mile month of 2024. The weather, bikes, equipment, after school activities all aligned to let me get some quality miles and me time. Speaking of me time, I finished the month with some of the best people on this Earth, the 731st AS. I received an invite to hike The Incline with some familiar faces from squadron. It was so good to catch up with some of my favorite people and take in the views. Plus The Incline isn’t too busy yet, so the wildlife was out, saw a fox, and this cute chipmunk who actually posed for this shot. Stay tuned here, I may have spent more money than I have to book some truly amazing adventures in 2024. Kylie is going into her senior year, so I want her to see the world, experience some things, and have some core memories of having fun with her family. God only knows what lays ahead of her. I’m sure its amazing, but I gotta make the most of what little time I have before she is an independent adult in this world. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/d72ab973-7e7d-4943-ac81-65d023fe18b7/IMG_20240423_162251817_HDR-01.jpeg 2024 Challenge - March 2024 (miles 273-444) There is a mentality of if I have more than one bike, at least one will actually be working. Oh how wrong that is. Almost as wrong as thinking having multiple bikes helps spread the load making maintenance easier to keep up with. No, it’s like having multiple kids, it just multiplies the workload. The theme of this month was to get out when I could, and spend the rest of the time wrenching. Which paid off, cause the pig is back. I love this little pink bike, it is so freaking fast. I may have limped into March with my bikes, but I’m coming out of it full strength with all four rigs working. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/34f451c0-d746-4ad7-af07-39f05d297fd3/IMG_20240216_162943_200.jpg 2024 Challenge - February 2024 (miles 124-272) The conditions, as well as basketball season, cheer, and the gym are killing the time I can get on trail. Danielle is tearing the courts up in Basketball. Kylie is doing well at Cheer, volunteering to do literally every home game. February was also Stout Month. Got to go to Red Leg and drink dark, desert beers with friends between all the snowstorms. I think balancing a social life is important, the miles will come. On two wheels, I’m down to 2 bikes, as the Pigasus XC and DH Sylvie bikes are in the middle of maintenance awaiting new parts. Just the hardtail and the race bike. I’m still out there pushing, in the wind, cold, and the ice. It all isn’t too bad, when it gets nasty, I get the place to myself. Which in the world we live in, is worth something. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/b8897993-373c-4851-a16f-eebbfead1868/Jan24.jpg 2024 Challenge - January 2024 (miles 0-123) Another year and we are back to zero. I promised changes, and a return to my roots, here is the proof. With work, cheer, school, basketball, and how damn expensive/crowded resorts in Colorado have become… We haven’t gone in a long time. Cuchara Mtn is operating as a non-profit. They are trying to raise enough funds to get their lifts certified to reopen as an independent resort. Which is what Colorado needs. We drove out there and got a few runs at their base. They shuttle you up in a sled-trailer thingy towed behind a snowcat. It was a blast. We shook the rust off and had a great time. On the bike, the snow and ice hasn’t stopped me… but the mud… killing me smalls. https://www.z3rocar.com/2025-challenge daily 0.75 2026-03-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/112ae5f5-274d-4e5b-82fd-8b6706744d00/1000045689.jpg 2025 Challenge - December 2025 (miles 1951-2082) The fleet is back! I took the parts from the XC bike, with a few tasteful upgrades, over to the Snabb. The result is an endlessly pedalable enduro bike with poppy, playful suspension. This bike begs to be ridden like an absolute idiot. Oh and it is fast. Seriously fast. The new bike is something else. I tried to ride a XC bike, it resulted in 3 dead forks, a snapped frame, and various other parts failures. That style of bikes just isn’t made out for 30 mph whips off huge jumps in the woods. So I dug a legend out of obscurity into the modern world. I built a 2012 Transition Double, custom damped Fox 36 for 100mm travel front and rear. A short travel slopestyle bike to be a dirt jumping menace, and an absolute weapon on flow trails. It is 60-70 degrees and sunny in Colorado. I’ve been shuttling DH trails that are usually snow capped with patches of ice this time of year. While the weather is certainly concerning, it makes for good miles. I made my goal. So I set about getting in more sends than miles. It feels good to be back, to have the fleet running at 100% again. Which has inspired me to go big in 2026 with some goals I’ve been excusing and holding off on for too long. Stay tuned, things are about to get wild. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/af155ad9-dc02-4d8a-a708-c399efbaddb9/pro-SOqMX3SE.jpeg 2025 Challenge - November 2025 (miles 1837-1950) Rebuilding. Stripped down the bike fleet leaving just the Jumper and the DH rig. Made for an interesting month of freeride. What a month November was. The boreal lights visited Colorado. I got a few rounds of frisbee golf in with friends. Honestly spent most of the month tied up helping Danielle through recovery from her knee surgery. November was a light month for miles, but family, friends, building things, made it a very happy month to be me. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/5c70d07a-e679-44d8-a448-1aa3e5581382/OCt25.jpg 2025 Challenge - October 2025 (miles 1592-1836) Where do I even start? Good news or bad news? We’ll end on a high note… October was a month for breaking. Danielle tore her ACL planting and turning to pull a flag. The best flyer TCA Cheer ever had; Paulina Garcia broke out hearts when she passed away. On a much less serious note, I would blow up the rear shock on my enduro bike and snap the frame of my XC bike. A government shutdown would also nearly break our finances, but… proud to say I now make enough to cover the family. If you voted for Trump, I can’t begin to tell you how hard your choice has made our lives. Good news. Before any of this went down. Julia and I decided to do something big to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. We paid for a second honeymoon to an all-inclusive resort in Antigua. A week in the Caribbean, just us, the sea, good food and drinks. I tried out kayaking and stand up paddleboarding for the first time ever. I have to find a way to get Jerk Sauce in the states. I am addicted to Caribbean fare, the food is so damn good. Go to Antigua, book the Shirley Heights excursion, most beautiful sunset, with BBQ & live music. Just do it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/c1c455e2-580d-41ba-91a8-752e0d3ba9c8/Spe25.jpg 2025 Challenge - September 2025 (miles 1394-1591) So this is 43. Danielle is tearing it up in Flag Football, leading the JV squad in pulled flags on Defense. I ended up volunteering at all the TCA games as the down marker. No lie, it is the best seat in the house for a proud dad. On the topic of volunteering. I gave my time and skillset to SCCA Women on Track program, more of that on Race Report here at Z3rocar. I’m in a good rhythm. Work, Gym, Ride, Repeat. LOL, yeah that’s a lie. It is 100% overwhelming but just taking it all in bite sized pieces and marching forward. This month was homecoming, Kylie came home to watch Danielle play, it rained out, but she was home for a weekend and that was good. I also got to go back to squadron. My flight chief retired after 35 years of service. His official ceremony on flight line, and unofficial gathering at the brewery were reminders of my home at squadron. I miss flying, and the people, even if my life went a different direction. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/54cf7fd8-4db5-42d4-955e-123152a7500b/Aug25.jpg 2025 Challenge - August 2025 (miles 1179-1393) It is a lot to process. Going from having everyone at the house to one away at college. Awkward describes it best. Kylie shipped off to Colorado State University. It was a process, the move, preparation, then the new normal. Thank God for mountain bikes, dirt jumping in particular. That feeling of flight, weightlessness at every jump helps take the weight of the world off your shoulders. I couldn’t tell you how I managed to squeeze in a 200+ mile month into so much activity. Long summer days? I got nothing. School is back, Danielle is in Flag Football, with our driver at college… we’re back to the carpool line everyday. Find that something that keeps your head above water. Then never let it go. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/e3b7f276-bd21-4135-acc5-3b889c3fb6c9/July25.jpg 2025 Challenge - July 2025 (miles 993-1178) Busy doesn’t begin to cover it. Building racecars, running my youngest to training camps for 3 sports, getting my oldest ready to go off to college. I’m overwhelmed. Thankfully, I took a break to adventure atop Pikes Peak. 8 miles of hiking, to and from the summit, all above tree line. Adventure is important, especially in times like these. I truly miss my bicycle guiding days. Constantly being on the mountain. Meeting new people. Living in the high alpine air. I miss it. Was good to steal a little time with Kylie before she is off living her own life. It’s all so short, go get it while you can. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/2cb96fb3-1a5b-4b88-8d01-5728b189bf99/Jun25.jpg 2025 Challenge - June 2025 (miles 812-992) The kids aren’t the only ones learning and growing. I’m finding my voice and finding my people. No Kings Day was my first ever protest. It was wild, we had over 1000 people in Colorado Springs. We stretched from downtown to Colorado College. Felt good to know I’m not crazy or alone, that what is going on is wrong. Even better to see tons of people standing up against it. I pedaled to and from the party, went dirt jumping before and after. It was amazing, if you are thinking about joining us, drop right on in, ask me anything. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/24bb437d-45b0-46cb-952f-77dd195140ea/May25.jpg 2025 Challenge - May 2025 (miles 635-811) They grow up insanely fast. Here we are at Graduation. Launching Kylie into the world. I feel old. Class of 00 means math is lobotomy easy to figure out how long ago that was from class of 25. So excited to see what she is up to next at Colorado State University and beyond. This year was never going to be about the miles, but I am racking them up. Just my focus is different right now. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/0d5be446-c485-49d6-b498-6de532763e51/APR25.jpg 2025 Challenge - April 2025 (miles 467-634) Four years of Cheer and that is a wrap. So proud of this kiddo, and what she has done with TCA Titans Cheer. Now we are on to the plot twist. Danielle and her Basketball teammates decided to try out Flag Football. So we are throwing the football and hanging out watching football games. Where was this for years and years? Oh my God this is so fun. The girls are insanely competitive and wild to watch on field. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/7bda3982-7286-47d7-9001-3ea9b897e3b7/Mar25.jpg 2025 Challenge - March 2025 (miles 309-466) So, the world has gone insane, might as well join them. I proclaim our cat Roxi as the Queen of the Bananas. All hail the Banana Kingdom, who is going to conquer our Banana Republic. Let’s freaking go. Thank God for the rallycar build, and my bikes for keeping me, umm sane in times like these. Whatever, look the internet was created for cats, here is one, with a banana hat. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/23fd24c3-a209-4478-894b-1491baf1c78e/Feb25.jpg 2025 Challenge - February 2025 (miles 126-308) Uh-Oh. I invited trouble into my life. Found an abandoned, but running Subaru Impreza. It was abandoned in a backyard under a tree. The owner was selling it as he was tired of people using it as the hang out and drink spot. The car is in rough shape and going to need a lot of wrenching and sweat equity. The dream behind this build is ambitious. Three roles, Rallycar, Daily, Track Trainer. The girls have expressed interest in trying out rallycross. We can seat swap and compete together in Colorado Rallycross, and maybe some ice/snow racing as well. Throw some cheap sticky rubber on her, and she is a grippy, underpowered car that is perfect for learning full course without getting in too far over their heads. Might even be fun to just take out for a go in the lower classes in time trials every so often. I also need a back-up car, so I can garage the SkiWagen and give her the attention she deserves. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/4657144a-b749-42bc-b1c1-c090d7d9fa21/Jan25.jpg 2025 Challenge - January 2025 (miles 0-125) Here we go again. With a new year I’m back at zero. Busy doesn’t begin to explain things right now. Basketball season is busy for a Cheer-Dad, Danielle is tearing it up with Middle School basketball too. Spent most of my month watching games on the hardwood. Good to see the girls out killing it. Living in Colorado is pretty wild. There are days I ride rocks and ice, then days like the one in the photo, where you’re out dirt jumping in the low 60s. On the topic of dirt jumping… I’ve been adding a few plates in my lifting class. This has paid off in an extra couple feet of air off all my jumps, more pop on take-off. https://www.z3rocar.com/2026-challenge daily 0.75 2026-03-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/88db0d03-0348-43c6-a50e-e399cb940af8/Feb26.jpg 2026 Challenge - February 2026 (miles 155-367) Perhaps the first winter in Colorado without a winter. I am getting summer miles in, 213 to be exact. This never happens. Lived here since 97’ and this is just wild. The warm weather has allowed me to get my head around the new slopestyle bike. I replaced the XC bike with this and they could not be more different. This bike is tiny, like a trail sized BMX bike. However, I’ve never ridden a better handling bike, and it just invites you to do stupid things. Big drops, big jumps, flat out corners, this bike doesn’t care. Bends your personal limits til it takes a piece of you. So far just a chunk of my shin but damn this bike is fun. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/2d51399b-035b-42ab-b711-da9e9c79ffbe/Jan26.jpg 2026 Challenge - January 2026 (miles 0-154) This has probably long transitioned from a challenge to a way of life if I am being honest. The key is changing your mindset to just doing something every single day. Even if you’re not feeling it, at all. Just walk the block, do something. When you shift that, it gets easier and turns into just who you are. Which is great, cause that attitude is contagious. It has spread to my discipline with learning and practicing German. Jedes tag lerne ich Deutsch. This winter is weird. There are sprinkles of snow in there, but it is crazy warm and dry. Spent a lot of the month riding in shorts. Fun little secret, the best riding is out there when nature gives your favorite trail a little drift sauce. Usually nobody else dares to ride, so you have the trail to yourself, and you get some sweet drifts too. https://www.z3rocar.com/zerocar-garage daily 0.75 2026-03-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/430be3f8-2baa-4cd0-a608-72efd1161b41/Bottom+End.jpg ZeroCar Garage - Subaru - Bottom End First time ever building a junkyard engine. Looks clean, passes the bearings test, doesn’t matter I am phoning a friend. Got a 2nd opinion and we are going to send it. Both my daughters have interests in racing RallyCross, AutoCross, and Time Trials… time to beef up the oiling. Installed a Killer B Motorsports baffle, oil pick-up, as well as an oil cooler, and swapping to a 06 WRX pan to fit it all. Don’t ask, learned the hard way that’s just how you have to make it all fit. The new to me engine came with a fresh water pump. No need to touch that, the oil pump however… Look if you’re doing anything down there. Just change it. Mine was disgusting and packed with sludge. Gave the whole block a deep cleaning. The bottom end is ready. I am building. No more tear down. We move forward. This car is becoming real. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/18986e67-e20e-41b2-9dc9-7a8c12fc2ba2/Intake+Manifold.jpg ZeroCar Garage - Subaru - Intake Manifold You’re going to have to excuse me for a moment here. I am playing this upgrade a little close to the chest. I want to wait to really show this off until I am closer to completing the build. It is something really special. Here is a teaser, with details, but the whole reveal will have to wait. The manifold as a whole system was subject to a lot of neglect. I spent days cleaning, deoxidizing, prepping. With the new build being higher compression, it shifted my vision from pump gas to E-85. High compression early torque, be in the curve when the rest of the class is working towards boost. I had to go Cherry Blossom Red, with a wild livery. Fresh rubber lines, deep cleaned then painted the rails in faux rust paint. I mean it is my signature. Also did a lot of research figuring out how to work STi Pink injectors into the stock system. This will allow E85 to fuel the build. Oh this car is going to be fun. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/360f24ec-ae43-4ef3-b69b-0852c81c0845/Engine+Build.jpg ZeroCar Garage - Subaru - Engine Build It all goes wrong. I took the throttle body and manifold off to clean it. Last mechanic reused gaskets, and they’re missing chunks. What else had shortcuts taken? I take the head gaskets off, and the Drivers head gasket shredded on disassembly. Surely that’s the worst of it. Nope. The cross-block coolant pipe had dried coolant crystals around the seals. Time to pull it. Well, from it sitting in its own power steering, and neglect… it corroded to the block and shattered the block. But that wasn’t game over. I found a $200 2.5-liter block from a UPAP forester. swap blocks on the stand again, and we have a new starting point. I will keep the 2.2-liter heads, build a franken motor that’s a RallyCross torque monster. New engine in the stand, we are so back. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/75740b3c-f487-427e-a1a2-3afede385a3f/M52.jpg ZeroCar Garage - RustBucket - BMW M52 Teardown Engine is out of the Subaru. Problem is I have an Aluminum M52 sitting on my engine stand. I mean it was sitting on a spare tire for a year and a half. No judgements, it is in the way now. The only thing I am keeping is the block. Time for a full tear down, so I can put it on a shelf for building later this year. I need to get this Subaru resealed and ready for racing. This poor engine has seen a lot of skipped oil changes. It was packed with nasty sludge. Took me a hot minute to figure it all out, get it disassembled, but I made it through. The block was stripped bare. Factory crosshatch looks good, and it is light. According to the BMW specs pages, this block is a whole 50 pounds lighter than the iron M50. 50 pounds is a lot in a racecar; I am excited to see what it can do. That will have to wait, Subaru first… So, on the shelf goes my freshly stripped block. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e607540bd5c0b3b5cee315f/1d2f482f-c0f7-4b97-9d3c-71c1cdaa0439/Start.jpg ZeroCar Garage - 2026 New Years Resolution I made a resolution to finish my cars in 2026. As in all 3 of my cars. The RallyCross car, RustBucket, and the Daily. I sat out all of the 2025 RallyCross season, chasing issue after issue with the Subaru. That’s over. We are building. First Item on deck. Pull the motor, seal up the oil leaks, figure out what is wrong with the clutch, and drive this thing out the garage. I’ve never done anything like this before, what am I doing, screw it, let’s send it and figure it all out as we go.