MotoIQRadio Call Recapping the Pacific Tuner Car Challenge Weekend!

Posted on April 26th, 2012

Michele Abbate at Buttonwillow

Here’s the link! I am the 2nd guest on the show, between 10 minute mark and 20 minute mark!

http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/112511

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Octane Academy Episodes on YouTube!

Posted on April 25th, 2012

For those of you that missed the episode, or didn’t have access to Fuel TV here are the 3 clips from the episode I competed in!  It’s not the entire show but luckily it shows all of my competitions!!    Thanks for watching!

Michele Abbate on Octane Academy

Challenge one:    http://youtu.be/Hm06f0hy_cE

Challenge two:  http://youtu.be/NAQBgeCneOg

Challenge three:  http://youtu.be/1IEVVUfYkxU

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Round 1 of MotoIQ Pacfic Tuner Car Challenge at Buttonwillow Raceway

Posted on April 24th, 2012

Michele Abbate driving the the Scion Racing Dynamic Autosports/Gruppe-S tC

This past weekend, April 21-22, marked the first race of the year in the MotoIQ Pacific Tuner Car Challenge.  It was held at Buttonwillow Raceway in Buttonwillow, CA.  This was my second time in the 2011 Scion Racing Dynamic Autosports/Gruppe-S tC.  The last event was my first time in the car in which we competed in the Modified Magazine Tuner Shootout.  I was super stoked to finally get this car in the event it was initially built for.

MotoIQ PTCC is a wheel to wheel race based on cars that are classed according to their power to weight ratio; much like NASA’s other race groups. You must have a NASA race license to compete, in addition to a car that passes race tech through NASA CCR’s.

Saturday came quicker than we anticipated but Dynamic Autosports did get a chance to make some nice changes to the car, including upgraded brakes.  Both days were formatted the same:  3 sessions, one warm up, one qualifier, and then the race.  My best lap time on Saturday of a 2:06.2 qualified me 3rd for the race.  Unfortunately we were the only car running on a street tire and during qualifying we had a severe malfunction in one of our shocks.  It left he car’s balance all out of whack but it was still drive-able.  We managed to hold our consistency and place on the podium with a 3rd place finish.  I was excited to place in the top 3 for our first race and I was pretty stoked to turn a lap that was about 5 seconds faster than what I had ran in last year’s Scion Racing Crawford Performance tC.  This showed me that the car’s horsepower has some definite potential in this racing series.  We had some tough competition including a former World Challenge TSX and current H1 race car.

Michele Abbate at Buttonwillow for her first race with the Scion Racing tC prepared by Dynamic Autosports!

On Sunday I made a goal for myself to hit a 2:03.  I know that the car had it in it, I just needed to smooth out a few of my lines to carry more momentum through the turns.  We made some adjustments to the suspension and left it in a much better state than it was on Saturday.  During qualifying I managed to get a 2:04.9, over a second faster than yesterday, but not quite a 2:03.  I was hoping to maybe get it in the race, but once again we had some engine issues.  I was still able to run the race and defended my 3rd place!  A double podium finish for the weekend left smiles on all our faces.  It was a suscessful weekend and we got to find out some good feedback from the car and its upgrades.

We have a good amount of time before our next event, so we will be hashing out some things and definitely making some changes for the better!  The 2011 Scion Racing tC prepared by Dynamic Autosports/Gruppe-S is definitely a competitive car.  For those of you that don’t know much about it, you should definitely read about how we did in the Modified Magazine Tuner Shootout that will be out in a couple of months.  But until then, here is some basic info on the car:

Michele Abbate leading the NASA race group pack!

Overall it’s a simple and clean project, representing something any one of their customers could replicate. A GReddy turbo kit gives the tC extra power while a set of Weds SA55 adorn each corner. A TRD big brake kit combined with KW’s 3-way coilovers gives the tC enhanced braking and handling performance. On the exterior, Seibon and APR pitch in plenty of styling upgrades while Papadakis Racing comes in with a one-piece roof – clearly a result of their drifting program.  The car was prepped and prepared to race in wheel to wheel races and will serve as a very competitive platform!

Special thanks to:  Scion Racing, Dynamic Autosports/Gruppe-S, KW, Greddy, Hankook, Wedsport, Brian Crower, ACT Clutches, TRD, Mishimoto, Seibon,  Eddie, Eugene, Hubie, & Anthony.  Also, thank to every one of you who reads my blog  It means the world to me to have your support and I promise you this will be an exciting year!  Stay tuned for video updates and more pictures!

All updates are posted first to my athlete page:  www.facebook.com/M1cheleAbbate

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LOCAL WARNING: AMERICAN RACING SUPPLY HAS TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE

Posted on April 20th, 2012

This is my first and last experience with the local shop, American Racing Supply (222 W Utah Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89102) regarding a purchase I made for HANS device tethers.

On March 20^th, 2012 I called American Racing Supply to see if they had a tether in stock that I needed for my HANS device.  They confirmed they had it in stock, I asked for the part #, and as them to place it on hold.  On March 23, 2012, I went into the store with my friend who was visiting from out of town.  I had to wait about 10 minutes before I was helped (not a big deal; there were other customers in the store before me).

Once I it was my turn the salesperson, David, asked me what I needed.  I told him I was the one whole called and put the tether on hold for my HANS.  The tether could not be found.  He then asks me why I need the tether. I first referenced the stock # for him because I knew it was exactly what I needed.  He totally disregarded me and tried to talk me into buying about 3 different items including: a quick release tether, instead of a sliding tether; a new anchor system for my brand new SAH helmet I have already bought and didn’t need, and he also tried to see me a whole kit for the sliding tethers, when all I needed what the tether itself.  After waiting for literally over an hour, he had been on the phone with HANS, and printed out all kinds of paper showing the device on the tether, he finally grabbed the exact item # I had asked him for when I walked it, have it being exactly what I needed…

Before purchasing it on my credit card, I asked him if it was infact the wrong item would I be able to exchange it for the correct one and he answered with “yeah, I don’t see why not, just come see me”.

Low and behold it was the right item, BUT it was manufactured in 2008, which expires this year.  As soon as I noticed this at my race over the weekend, I called American Racing Supply on Monday (March 26, 2012) and asked to speak with David.  He told me he would call me back and let me know.  HE never returned my call. I work during business hours in the week and my next available opportunity to call him was Thursday, March 29^th.  I spoke with David again, he told me that he called HANS and was waiting to hear back from them, and once again he told me he would call me back.  I had another race that weekend of the 30-31 and never heard from anyone at American Racing Supply.

On Monday April 2^nd, I called HANS again, spoke with David, he told me that the tether was ordered and it should be there in a couple days due to it coming from Georgia.  I asked him to please call me as soon as he receives it and I also asked him if he still had my number because every time he tells me he is going to call me back, he never does.

Come Wednesday April 4, I still have not heard from anyone at American Racing Supply.  I called them again, and spoke with David.  By now, everyone knows me by my voice since I call so often.  David tells me it shipped SHOULD be here in a couple days.  Once again, I ask him to please call me as soon as he gets it and verified that he still had my number.  I understood it probably takes about 5 to 7 business days, so I waited a while before I called this store again.

Five business days later, I am calling American Racing Supply again. On April 11^th, David tells me it is supposed to be there today, or tomorrow for sure.  Again I ask him to please call me as soon as he gets it and verified that he still had my number.

No call back on the 11^th or 12^th. (I got off work past 5:00pm so I could not call to follow up).

I was out of town that weekend for the Formula Drift event in Long Beach and soI called American Racing Supply on Monday, April 16^th, 2012 and ask for David.  The employee, Jesus, who answered the phone tells me that he is aware of my situation and that David has been terminated over the issues of his failure of service to me.  Jesus tells me he will look into the situation and speak to the owner to find out what’s going on….  I explain to Jesus that all I hear is that I will get a call back and I never do. He ensures that he will call me…

Jesus never calls me back. Two days later, I call American Racing Supply again.  I ask for Jesus, he tells me that he talked to the owner and he doesn’t know what to do because the owner says he can’t help me.  I am frustrated at this point and I ask him “what do you mean you don’t know what to do.  You need to either refund my money, or exchange the item for a valid tether that has been manufactured in the last year”.  He stumbles over his words and asks if I would like to speak to the owner. I said yes, I just wanted to talk to someone who can give me an answer.

The owner, Steve, comes on the phone and has no idea what exactly is going on.  He keeps me from talking as much as possible and he tells me he needs to call HANS and he will call me back in 30 minutes.  I ask “and what if you don’t”, and he ensured he will.

Low and behold he calls me back and tells me I have to contact HANS directly via email.  I said, “I don’t have to do anything, you need to refund my money or exchange my item”.  He then tells me that HANS is going to handle it and exchange my item.  I told him I will be contacting him once this is situated to finalize everything.

I sent the HANS contact an email and the gentleman there was beyond helpful.  He was knowledgeable about the products, understood my situation, and agreed that American Racing Supply had no idea what was going on, even when he spoke to them on the phone.

HANS over-nighted me the item I needed.  And American Racing Supply couldn’t care less about the situation.

AMERICAN RACING SUPPLY HAS THE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER. THEY DO NOT TAKE OWNERSHIP FOR WHAT THEY DO, AND THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS.  I WILL NEVER SUPPORT THEIR BUSINESS EVER AGAIN AND I WILL TELL EVERY PERSON I KNOW TO NEVER SHOP THERE.

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First Female to be Invited to Compete in the Modified Magazine Tuner Shootout!

Posted on April 9th, 2012

Michele Abbate driver of the Gruppe-S Scion Racing tC built by Dynamic Autosports

March 31st, 2012 marked the 6th annual Modified Magazine Tuner Shootout in Chandler, AZ sponsored by Continental Tire.   I had been invited to compete in the FWD class and was lined up to drive the 2011 Gruppe-S/Dynamic Autosports Scion Racing tC!  This was such an amazing opportunity because it put me into the tC platform that I raced with all of last year, but now, it held the power of boost!   This turbocharged tC has some great kick to it and it showed when we competed against all the other teams at the event.

For those of you who are not aware of the Modified Magazine Shootout, here’s the deal (source: http://www.modified.com/news/modp-1202-2012-modified-tuner-shootout/index.html):

After five years of our no-holds-barred Tuner Shootout event, we’ve decided it’s time to mix things up a little. Just like in previous years, the Shootout is being held in the Phoenix, AZ area, with UMS Tuning hosting the dyno competition (March 30th, 2012) and NASA AZ hosting all the on-track action at Firebird Raceway (March 31st, 2012). The Shootout is also still going to feature an autocross, a time attack, and a drag race, along with a power test on the dyno.

But to put a new twist on the event, the 2012 Shootout will cater to street driven yet still highly tuned vehicles, rather than the all-out race cars that have dominated the event in years past. This means the entrants this year will be cars with full OEM glass, OEM fuel tanks, and OEM lighting (headlights, turn signals, and taillights), full interiors from the front seats forward (aftermarket seats and harnesses permitted), and a full exhaust system (no cut-outs or bypasses) including a functional catalytic converter and muffler.

To measure what we consider two of the most important aspects of any street driven tuner car, we’ve added an emissions component (using a tailpipe sniffer) and an exhaust sound level component (using a dB meter) to the dyno competition. As a result, the winner of the dyno competition may not be the team with the most powerful engine, but rather the team with the best combination of power, low emissions and legal exhaust dB.

Once again Continental Tire is the title sponsor, and given that this year’s event is meant for street driven cars, we’ll be requiring all teams to compete on Continental street tires (most likely their Extreme Contact DW, which come in a wide range of sizes).

There will be four events that will judge the performance of your car. Dyno (25 points) + emissions (10 points), Drag (75 points), Autocross (100 points) and Time Attack (100 points). The car with the highest overall score from these four events will win the overall championship. Trophies will also be awarded to the highest scoring FWD, RWD, and AWD cars.

Abbate getting ready to head out in the 2011 Scion Racing Gruppe-S tC!

The results of the event will be in the August issue of Modified Magazine, which will probably hit the stands in June/July.  I can’t tell you much but I can tell you we were the fastest FWD car in one of the racing events!  This event was a perfect season opener for me and the Gruppe-S team and I am extremely excited to announce that you will see us working together more throughout the 2012 season!

Abbate killing it at the Autocross in the Modified Magazine Shootout!

I’d like to take a brief moment and thank the following people for their support for this event and many more:  Scion Racing, Gruppe-S, Dynamic Autosports, Eddie Kim, Eugene, Anthony Philleo,  Jeff Abrams, and Jay Bronquillo. Also, huge thank you to my home from home the NASA AZ region who always put on great events!

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Accomplishing goals my last weeks of being 23 years old! :]

Posted on March 12th, 2012

Michele Abbate getting ready to go on the track!

February 27th, 2012,  a day I accomplished one of my most desired goals… I earned my NASA Provisional Race License.  Only 4 days later, I found myself in the seat of a race car, competing on track in my first NASA wheel to wheel race!  But before I get into that, I have a few things I would like to say.

First and foremost, I have so many people to thank that have contributed in MANY different ways to help me get to where I am today.  It was hard enough to point out the ones who helped between 2005-2010 by putting their names on my carbon fiber race hood, but even since then I have even more amazing generous people support me.  It is an absolutely amazing experience and feeling to see.  I can’t thank you guys enough for everything… The simple “good luck!”‘s and the many tremendous helping hands.  Without my friends I wouldn’t be here and I can’t thank each of you enough.  You all know who you are, and well… some of you probably don’t even know that you’ve helped me.  But the truth is, without you all I can’t say I would love my life and racing as much as I do.  So thank you.

Now, let’s get to the weekend!   [March 3 & 4, 2012)

In my previous 2011 season racing with Scion Racing & Crawford Performance I attended every Southern California NASA event, and met some really great competitors.  One of them being Donn Vickrey, an avid time trialer and race group driver.  Through the wonderful social networking website, facebook, we got in contact during the off season and he offered me an amazing opportunity.  He welcomed me to test & race his 2000 Porsche Spec Boxster at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana at the first event of the year.

I gratefully excepted and made my plans to compete at the event...  This was one of the most exciting opportunities.  I had never driven a Porsche and also never raced wheel to wheel with NASA.  I felt confident due to my past wheel to wheel racing with other organizations, but this finally felt like the real deal.  I was finally able to get my experience recognized and written on paper, to earn myself a new license... one of the most important ones.

I arrived in Fontana Friday night, and got to bed early so I could have a full night's rest before race day.

After reviewing the schedule it became familiar that race group runs 4 times in the day:  warm up, practice, qualifying, & race.  Initially I wanted to take it easy all of Saturday so I could take the little time I had to learn the car.  In the warm up session and practice I got the car familiar with the track, and tried to learn my shifting points.  During qualifying I pushed the car a little harder... hard enough to get a full 360 rotation!  haha  The boxster is a mid engine car, something I had never driven, but feel in love with quickly...

After qualifying I was still learning the car and would be gridded 4th place, but I wasn't trailing too far behind from my other competitors.  When it came time for the race, I had one goal, race clean and finish; and I did just that.  I ended up 3rd overall and learned a ton!  It was an awesome experience to be on the track with all the other classes and be competing with everyone.

When Saturday came to an end, it was such an exhilarating day.  Racing in a true spec car, wheel to wheel, against everyone else.  My expectations were met 100% and I was so proud to say I earned my way to it all.  A podium finish in my first race and another day to go, I was feeling on top of the world!  Not to mention, Donn won his race!  We were all in high spirits and looking forward to Sunday.

Donn Vickrey & Michele Abbate's cars at Auto Club Speedway

Sunday was even more exciting for several reasons.  One of them being, my parents took a road trip out to the track to see me race; and not only them, but my best friend, Amanda and her boyfriend Joe also took a few hour drive to met at the track.  Having the support from the people I love at the track is always a huge emotional booster;  my family means the world to me and my friends mean just the same!   ON top of all this I was feeling much more confident in the car and looking forward to bringing my times down…

I still used the warm up & practice session to try different lines and shift points.  Once qualifying came, I really wanted to push the car to earn a spot on the grid.  I ended up spinning the car again!  AND in the same spot as Saturday!  (Videos to come )  I was really pushing speeds in the sweeper that puts you onto the straightaway/oval.  I learned my mistake the 2nd time around and was sure that I wasn’t going to make it again…

I qualified 3rd!  A perfect start to my day.  I was feeling very confident in the car and much more comfortable.  I worked to push my braking zones farther and my entry speeds into the oval higher and higher.  The race has been uploaded to you tube, and you should definitely check it out :  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4u0QBOHOLI

The most exciting part of the weekend was the start of Sunday’s race.  I went into turn 1 of the oval 4-wide with 3 of my competitors… and pulled out into the lead.  You can see a glimpse of it here from Anthony’s cell phone camera:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1EtCp8gI6c It was such an awesome feeling to be head to head like that!

I ended up 2nd over all with occasional passes and over takes, as well as a best time of 2:01.3  (I want to get under 2 minutes next chance I’m out there!).  It was a great race, super clean, and I learned a lot from it.  Every time I get in a car I aim to learn something new and, well, this weekend had loaded me with knowledge and motivation to keep on going.

I can’t say thank you enough to Donn Vickrey and his team John Bessey and Tom Nysether from Competition Classics for keeping us set all weekend.  It was an honor to race with you all and be a part of your team for the weekend.

As for what’s next,  I am looking to revamp the  Abbate Motorsports logo, get some swag like shirts, stickers, and maybe some bracelets or coozie’s.  Stay tuned!!  Some exciting announcements to come for the end of the month!!!

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Michele Abbate given the opportunity as a contestant on the Octane Academy!

Posted on February 15th, 2012

Michele Abbate chosen as a contestant on FuelTV's Octane Academy!

Huge news hits the internet when Octane Academy updates their site and announces their candidates for Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s camp!! I will be joining 7 others in the competition to be the best at Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s camp!

If you haven’t heard about Octane Academy, here’s the break down (source: www.OctaneAcademy.com/about)

This isn’t a reality show full of spoiled housewives, bronzed idiots or overgrown cupcakes. It’s a world of intense competition, challenges, irreverent personalities & humor. It might have been founded by Ford, but it’s ruled by four action sports superstars: Ken Block, Brian Deegan, Tanner Foust and Vaughn Gittin Jr. They’ve got street cred you can only dream of, but they’re giving you a shot to experience it.

If you’re lucky enough to get picked, you’ll spend four days taking on other fearless competitors through a ton of different challenges born out of the crazy minds of these guys. It won’t be a walk in the park—your athleticism, attitude and audacity will be tested. If you rise above the rest, you’ll be crowned a champion and drive home in one of four brand-new rides from Ford.

This is the life these four guys live every single day. If you want a chance to make it you’ve got to show them you can take it.

Check out the premier Monday February 27,  at 11pm ET/8pm PT on FUEL TV

Driver Breakdown

Driver: Ken Block
Car: Ford Fiesta
Hometown: Park City, Utah
Sponsor: Monster Energy
Highlights: Gymkhana Series

Driver: Brian Deegan
Car: Ford Raptor
Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska
Sponsor: Rockstar/Metal Mulisha
Highlights: 13 X Games Medals

Driver: Tanner Foust
Car: Ford Fiesta
Hometown: Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Sponsor: Rockstar Energy Drink
Highlights: 5 X Games Medals

Driver: Vaughn Gittin Jr.
Car: Ford Mustang
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland
Sponsor: Monster/Falken Tire
Highlights: Formula Drift Champion

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2012 – Hit the Ground Running first weekend of the year!!

Posted on February 15th, 2012

It’s been busy over here since the first of the year!  The first weekend into 2012 I put myself behind the wheel of the Thunder Roadster, but this time I was on the road course for the Silve State Classic!  It was a fantastic weekend.  I got to pit next to my brother and dad.  While they wrenched on their legend, Anthony and I wrenched on the Thunder Roadster to make sure everything was staying tight and set.

On Saturday I placed 4th in the main race, and had a blast!  There was a 9 car field so I got plenty of practice with my wheel to wheel driving throughout the traffic.  I held on to third place for almost the whole race but got into one turn too hot right before the white flag and had my self a little bit of a spin.  Not disappointed at all I was glad to had learn the car a little better and looked forward to Sunday!

Michele Abbate wrenches on her Thunder Roadster as her brother gives her some tips

Feeling more confident behind the wheel on Sunday I drove a bit more aggressively, trying to stay smart.   It was a clean race with some contact but nothing major, I ended up finishes 6th on Sunday.  Another great racing weekend.  I really liked the feel of the Thunder Roadsters, it’s a nice middle point between a full size race car and a go kart or legends.  I like to think of it as an antique looking Ariel Atom. haha

Looking forward to more races in this car but seeking financial support as usual.

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Final NASA Socal race for Michele Abbate in the Crawford Performance Scion Racing tC

Posted on November 7th, 2011

Michele taking her first win in the Crawford Performance Scion Racing tC

As I headed out to Buttonwillow from Vegas, 90% of the drive was in the rain… and all I could think is, “I hope it rains all weekend at the track!”.  The forecast showed sunny for Saturday and rain for Sunday and I just kept my fingers crossed.  Buttonwillow is always a pretty challenging course and knowing I have only done the #1 CCW configuration I knew I had a lot to focus on.   The first time I ran this configuration with the tC my best time was a 2:20.0 so that was my starting baseline to improve from.

On Saturday it was sunny all day, everyone got some good track time and the real battle was in our last time trial session.  We had some very close times and I had been in the lead in the morning, but we had a new comer jump in and place first just ahead of my fastest time of a 2:17.1 with his 2:16.2.  I was happy with my results, my improvement was obvious and I had beaten my competition that I was aiming for all day.  The 2^nd place finish felt great, but I still wanted more.

Saturday night the forecast still had rain for Sunday, and this is what I was praying for!  When we woke up on Sunday it looked like the rain had come and gone.  Everything was soaked and the track was swimming with puddles and surrounded by mud.  Buttonwillow can be very dangerous in these conditions so we were all very aware of the situation.  We decided to sit out the first session for a couple reasons.

1. The times wouldn’t count, it was just a practice session
2. I needed new tires and we could use the time to swap them
3. Give the track some time to get cleaned up by other classes/drivers.

Once it became time for our second session, it looked as if things were clearing up.  It had been sunny for a few hours and the track was drying off.  I wasn’t sure if the conditions would get better or worse so I decided to change a couple of entries into two corners of the track and gave it my best.  The Crawford team was very excited when I came off track, and said that I was flying out there.  The times posted and I had ran a best time of 2:14.9!  The car felt really great on track and I knew I went faster but the time surprised me as well!

We weren’t sure what the weather would bring but shortly after that session some winds pushed through the rain we had been anticipating.  It rained in both of our last two sessions and though our times were much slower, I still placed 1^st overall in all of the TT classes; kind of like when it rained at Auto Club Speedway!  My prayers had been answered and I got my rain!  There is nothing more exciting to me than racing in the rain, especially in a FWD!  With the track being so wet, my fastest time was untouchable by any of my competitors and I had finally locked in our first win in our first season of NASA Time Trials!

This finish placed me 2^nd overall in points for the season and my teammate Ariel finished 3^rd overall.  It has been an awesome year for the Crawford Performance Scion Racing tC’s and I cannot thank our sponsors enough for their continued support throughout year.  Special thanks to Toyo Tires, K&N, TRD, Tein, NGK, Motul, and Advan wheels!  Your support was greatly appreciate all year!  Stay tuned for our last event, Super Lap Battle, which is happening this Wednesday, the 9^th of November!

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Crawford Performance/Scion Racing Event #6 at Buttonwillow

Posted on October 30th, 2011

Michele and Chris Rado on Buttonwillow

After the long 2 month summer break from the NASA SoCal events I was ready to get back on the track! Buttonwillow’s clockwise 13 turn configuration is one of my favorites and I was ready to improve my best time, from April, of a 2:12.6 as much as possible. On Saturday, I focused mostly on my entrance and exit of the straightaway. These are two of the most important turns on any race track and if you can determine the fastest way to take them, you will be fast. I push my braking zones farther and farther and ended the day with a new personal best of a 2:11.8! This time placed me in 2nd, a great finish for our first day!

I used Sunday to experiment with different gears and speeds on the track. The ‘Bus Stop’ is my favorite turn on the track, and I focused mostly on it and ‘Magic Mountain’. Previously I had been down shifting for both of these turns, and as I pushed through them faster, I ended up carrying enough speed to pull the momentum through Bus Stop without downshifting. I tried to do the same for Magic Mountain, but I had just a little too much speed and I found myself venturing off the track! It made for some good photos but not the greatest lap time. The first session marked me for my fastest time, which also was a new personal best and a half of a second faster than Saturday, 2:11.3! This locked in another 2nd place finish for Sunday, as well as my teammate Ariel who finished 3rd! Which was very good considering she competed with my tC, the evil twin of hers!

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