Sunday was another fun day or R/C racing, especially because my girlfriend came to watch for a bit. It's always nice to have the people you care about sharing something that makes you happy. The car on the other hand, was less than a thrilling experience.
The track layout was different this time due to a longer straight and a more technical infield. I liked this layout much more than the old one from two weeks ago because of the greater variety. I ended up getting 350cSt shock oil and this helped tremendously in terms of steering but I lacked overall grip all day. I used a variety of different tire sauces but unfortunately none of them cured my lack of traction problems. After the third qualifier, I was becoming more and more frustrated with my situation because nothing I tried was working and to top it off, I was getting absolutely demolished in terms of power. As I've stated before, the Tekin RS is the ONLY way to go if you want to go fast. Nothing can keep up with it and I unfortunately caught the tail end of the deal with my KO esc. I knew I could drive well, even with a car that had no traction but the power of the other drivers easily made up for it.
In the main, it was again the same story. I tried a different traction compound (FXII) and lowered the rear shocks all the way down but I still didn't like it. Most people were using tire warmers which aparently helped a lot but I was not able to secure a set to try. The main started out with crashing but I pushed through (maybe too aggresively) and lead most of the race. Another driver had a good handling car but wasn't driving quite as well but again, because of his ESC, he was able to catch me at the last minute o the main. As he crept on me, we got tangled but he was a good sportsman and let me proceed for the win.
Trying not to whine (well I guess I am) I was frustrated because I didn't have the right equipment. I drives me nuts to know I could have done so much better if only I had the right stuff backing me up.
In the end, I know I need to calm down some. I was getting upset with the car thus I wasn't a fair driver in the main and pushed through drivers whereas I would have normally tried to slow down to allow all of us to run cleanly. I was not being a good friend or sportsman and I should always strive to be. I am more mad now that I acted this way and didn't take my win graciously. I learned that no matter how my day is going in the pits, I can't carry that to the track. I also think this can be applied to everyday life. You can't let some spilled milk ruin your day and impact other things in it.
Until the next race, I will focus on getting the things I need to compete. I'm just glad I have an internship this summer to help me :).