First off.....it was stinking freezing!!! It was in the 40's when we got to the track at 7:00am (late again). 

The track was the same from the Sidewinder event a few weeks ago so I kind of had an idea of what was going on.....until I hit the track for practice. I few new holes and some of the lips on the jumps were a little different. So needless to say I was a little worried.

First qualifier I was off to a good start and was on a very good run. I didn't make any mistakes the first four minutes and then I made one little mistake jumping up the hill with a slower car but it didn't ball me up too bad. I ended up 5th over all. My 801x was handling so well compared to the last time I was at Thunder Alley and owe it all to my AKA rubber I used for the first time with this buggy. 

Second qualifier I was feeling good so I took a few more chances and pushed the car a little harder in and around turns really putting the tires to the test....the only problem was I didn't know what to do with the extra speed I had coming into the turns and traction rolled twice. So I need to work on some different lines with all this newly acquired grip. Anyway I was a little slower second time around but my first qualifier held up to start 5th in the A-main.

By the time the A-main rolled around it about 40 something degrees again and windy now. So I hid in my truck for about an hour before the main to get nice and toasty so my hands would not freeze during the main. 

At the tone I got off to a good start but got caught on the inside of a pile up and went straight to last. As soon as I got back on track I just put my head down I tried to get back to the front. The track was beat up now and people were crashing left and right. So my plan now was to take the pace down a little and not crash. Well it worked well. I came in for my one and only pit in sixth and then came out in fourth thanks to a speedy pit by my Tamiya teammate Bill M.. Now I was fighting for a podium spot and didn't even know it until I was announced as being in third with only 2 seconds between me and second. I tried to attack but my fingers were now frozen and second place didn't make any mistakes to pass so I would have to settle for third.

I learned this weekend that tires are HUGE in set up. I knew they mattered but wow.....good tires make my car really quick. 

Thanks to Bill M. for pitting for me all weekend and waking me before every heat trying to stay warm. Also thanks to Jimmy Wright for the tips on corner speed. That helped out a lot.I found my 801x has a lot more to offer. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!!!

Brian Givens