It's been a while since I've done one of these. Coming off one of the best weekends of my life... it seemed fitting. I didn't do the best job of documenting this journey... so bear with me.
About 10 days out from the event... Gregg called me and told me my application for GRIDLIFE had been approved. I was like... but I didn't apply! I felt pretty reluctant to do it for several reasons. The main one being that I haven't driven like that in a LONG long time. 2010 was the last time I drove Road Atlanta... and I haven't drifted anything that fast since. The second was financial. It's been a slow start to the year work-wise. 27 year old me woulda sent it... while 47 year old me was trying to be more responsible. Gregg talked me into it... and knowing how psyched Tyler would be was a major deciding factor. But the car needed work... and all of the safety stuff was from 2005... so it would need updating too. So it was on.
Ashley and I stopped at The Pool Room for Bully Burgers to celebrate Chase's win in Texas on our way to Discovery Parts o'er at Atlanta Motorsports Park.
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I picked up a new seat to replace the outdated one. I decided to just pull the passenger seat for the weekend until I can update that seat too.
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I got the car on stands to get to work updating the 5-point harnesses with 6-points. I went ahead and pulled the wheels for fresh tires.
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I got all of my wheels out of storage and stopped by Gran Turismo East for tires. I cannot stress it enough how amazing Kieran is... and how none of this weekend would have been possible without him and his continued support. He is seriously the best!!
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I love this old poster in the shop of Road Atlanta from way back. It's so cool knowing the history of that place... and that we would soon be getting to go drift there.
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Back at the house... it pained me to pull this off the car... but I did save it.
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It took way longer than I'd expected... but I got the new seat mounted and new harnesses installed. I had to relocate the hand brake to fit the new seat. I'm tempted to redo that whole hydro setup altogether.
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I had to replace the o-ring where the dipstick meets the oil pan. That was WAY more complicated than it shoulda been.
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I replaced the upper/lower intake boots while I was in there... and while I was doing that I broke this stupid vacuum connector:
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In typical BMW fashion... I tried my damnedest to find one locally, but could not. I made a hail mary tryna find one at Pull-A-Part and saw this thing:
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There weren't any connectors... but I did scoop a fresh set of amber tails and an emblem for cheap.
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I had to overnight that $2 connector from 4 different vendors just to increase my odds of getting one on time. In the meantime I had to ziptie a temporary fix just so I could get the car on the trailer in time for tech.
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Loaded up to head to Road Atlanta.
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Made it in time and passed tech with flying colors.
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I pitted with the ol' Koruworks crew for the weekend... which made me VERY happy.
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Austin was my pit crew for the weekend... and was MVP for SURE. More on that later.
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I got a PROPER aluminum vacuum connector just in time.
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We had MANY wristbands.
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My parents came out which meant the world to me. Their love and support is everything... and they've always been THE most loving and THE most supportive!! It was so great to get to share this weekend with them.
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Drivers meeting.
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It was go-time... and I was a nervous wreck. It had been 16 years since I'd driven Road Atlanta... and I just don't get to drive at this level anymore. It was an overwhelming place to be trying to knock the rust off.
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Knowing I had updated all of the safety bits in the car was a huge relief though. For a long time I haven't taken the safety stuff very seriously. I don't know if it's wisdom with age, or what. But I've turned a corner on that and want to take it seriously moving forward.
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It was so crazy to be gridded back atop that hill.
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I totally fumbled the FOERST few attempts. I was SO in my own head that I wasn't concentrating properly. I was so worried and scared out of my mind. Once I got past the FOERST turn it was like riding a bike. But that initial entry was going to take some work.
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After the FOERST session... I was a mess. Anxiety was spiraling, and I honestly felt like I'd bit off more than I should have. That Road Atlanta was NOT the place to be remembering how to drive at that level.
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Austin, though... did something I will never forget. After that FOERST session he asked if I needed anything... that he wanted to run to the house real quick. Unbeknownst to me... he had convinced GRIDLIFE to let him run. So between sessions he ran home and got tires, came back and put his car through tech... and then he pulled up behind me in line for the second session. It was an audible sigh of relief from inside my helmet. Austin has been in my rearview running my door thousands of times. It was exactly what I needed to realize "you've been here before... you've got this". And from that point... it was ON.
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Each run got better and better. I kept biting off just a little more with each run... and things were starting to come back to me. I opted out on drifting the full course, because I just wanted to get back to the top of the hill to practice the old FD layout. And Austin was behind me every time. It was THE BEST.
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This photo that Travis shot is everything. My Dad with the thumbs up... and Austin right behind me as we barrel into the keyhole.
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The love of my life.
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I made some DriftMechaniks helmet visors for the homies. The only way to get one is gonna be to drive together. I surprised Sebastian and Gregg with theirs.
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We took a stroll through the FD pits.
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And a quick stroll through the GRIDLIFE pits.
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Ashley and I with Kieran and Austin. I could NOT have done any of this weekend without each of them! REAL TALK.
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Sunset 10/10. I picked up a HANS from Jim Downing himself. It's a bit of a story... but it was his personal HANS... and the last one available at Downing Atlanta. I feel honored to have it and to be the one using it. Now that I've used a HANS, I won't ever NOT use one. I honestly cannot believe I've gone this long without one. In my humble opinion they should be as mandatory as a helmet is on-track.
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After the halftime show was over it was time to watch the big boys. Rowdy VIP forever.
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Rowdy VIP... of course... wouldn't happen without this guy.
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I'm happy I got to see Tuerck on his farewell tour.
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This was Ashley's FOERST time experiencing Formula Drift... AND Road Atlanta. I'm o'er the moon to get to share this world with her.
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The level pro drifting is at these days is absolutely mind boggling compared to how it was back in the day. It is WILD.
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The questionable calls ain't changed a bit though!
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The finals were James Deane vs. Vaughn Gittin, Jr... with Vaughn coming out on top.
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And that about wraps up my weekend at Road Atlanta. This was easily one of the best weekends of my life. I felt very emotional, and felt like I really overcame something to get back out there and bomb that hill again. I felt like Tyler was out there with me cheering me on and helping me through. It was everything. The friends... the family... it was all just... everything.
One things is for sure... I will move mountains to do this again next year.
I put together a li'l video getting suited up for the final halftime show... and my last run of the weekend out there.
I feel like I got there eventually!! It really felt amazing being back on that hill. I got SUPER emotional several times in my helmet after each session. It was all incredible. I sure as heck missed seeing your face there, though!!
