[bruecksteve]

I sent this out on The Evolution email list so pardon me if you've already read it...

I have to brag on my 14 year old son....

A few weeks ago he qualified for the Red Bull Driver Search which was a feat in itself. He has no kart racing experience and he ended but out qualifying other older and more experienced kids.

Sunday Matthew ran his first autocross in a borrowed 14hp FJ4 kart. He had never driven the kart before, much less run an autocross. His only experience to date was running the 6.5 hp karts at Andretti Speedlabs, our indoor kart track here in Atlanta.

My fear, knowing how novices drive, was that he would DNF by running off course or spin out, or mangle a thousand cones. During the course walk he wouldn't walk with me, he wanted to do this on his own so I let him go. Now I can't imagine running an autocross in a kart where the cones are at head height. A sea of cones is what many novices see from a seat that's several feet higher than the seat of a kart so sitting at ground level must be considerable more difficult.

We made 5 runs that day... here is what he ran
MATTHEW BRUECK 97 KART 30.296 30.653+1 29.649 29.153 29.579

Come to find out the two left tires were going flat during his runs so I'm sure he could have gone faster.

But the amazing part of this is that Matthew ended up PAX'ing 1st... First time in an autocross, first time in the kart. Now we had 206 drivers running that day and we have some very good drivers here in Atlanta. Take a look at this list at some of the names he out PAX'd... This was no small feat. I don't know of anyone that's ever PAX'd first their first time, I'm sure some of you probably do, but I was amazed at his car control, his maturity at handling the pressure of it all.

1. 71/FJ4 MATTHEW BRUECK 97 MARG KART (0.834) 24.314
2. 6/FJ2 CHARLES QUILLIAN VI - FREE KART (0.792) 24.603
3. 34/FJ2 AARON WATERS 96 GO K GO KART (0.792) 25.125
4. 66/GS ROBERT CARPENTER 01 TOYO CELICA (0.781) 25.229
5. 67/CSP C. HEATH MCMILLAN 85 HOND CRX (0.837) 25.359
6. 9/125 SHANE METZGER 04 SUBA WRX STI (0.938) 25.366
7. 99/FJ2 MITCHELL DEGIOANNI 95 COYO GO KART (0.792) 25.374
8. 53/ES MICHAEL PLUMER 93 MAZD MIATA (0.804) 25.443
9. 48/STS HEYWARD WAGNER 91 HOND CIVIC SI (0.791) 25.545
10. 129/ESP TOM PULLIAM 00 CHEV CAMARO (0.824) 25.585
11. 74/ESP STEVE BRUECK 94 CHEV CAMARO Z28 (0.824) 25.760
12. 134/FM CLINT MCMAHAN 04 MCMA FATDADDY 0 (0.889) 25.819
13. 10/STS JOEL FEHRMAN 89 HOND CIVIC (0.791) 25.853
14. 167/CSP BLAKE MEREDITH 85 HOND CRX (0.837) 25.857
15. 1/BS TEVIN RICHARDSON 03 NISS 350Z (0.826) 25.873
16. 7/SS PAUL BARROS 01 CORV Z06 (0.836) 25.900
17. 60/FJ4 HUNTER DUTTON 00 KART KART (0.834) 25.976
18. 110/STS RYAN THOMPSON 89 HOND CIVIC SI (0.791) 26.002
19. 29/ESP STEVE WATERS 00 CHEV camaro (0.824) 26.008
20. 18/BS MATTHEW GLAGOLA 00 HOND S2000 (0.826) 26.100

So that's my ranting... like I said, just a very proud dad. We'll see how well he does in a RM-1 Rotax 34hp kart http://www.rm1-kart.com/ . The next round for him will be held at the F1 Outdoor track http://www.f1outdoors.com/main.html in Boston on August 3-5.
http://popularmechanics.com/outdoors/outdo...ing/print.phtml

[robz71lm7]

Man he outpax'ed Robert Carpenter! (he was my evolution instructor)

That is amazing! Congrats! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[bruecksteve]

I know Matthew isn't as good as Robert or probably many of those others but to do that on your first time in the kart AND the first time to autocross was pretty amazing to me. I've heard others say (complain?) the the PAX index is too soft for the karts but... Looking back at our results you don't see the karts PAX'ing at the top like they did this time. The course was smooth and fairly short be our standards and maybe that had something to do with it.

We run again at Gwinnett Fairgrounds where the surface is not as smooth and the course will be much longer. We'll see how well he does there.

[sgarnett]

:thumpup: <-- you'll have to use your imagination

[mitchntx]

Uh Oh ... I think you have a problem.
He is either gonna be driving the #74 ESP car or you will have to fund a 2 car team.

(IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

Fantastic job, there Matthew. I would like to have his autograph, while he is still accessible.

[rmackintosh]

AWESOME!!!!

(IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

[bruecksteve]

Actually, next year when he gets his learners permit, he can co-drive my car with me. That's the plan right now.

[Trance]

Excellent job! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[trackbird]

:thumpup: <-- you'll have to use your imagination

I'm going to have to work on that one.....

Anybody good with PHP/HTML code?

[RedHardSupra]

Anybody good with PHP/HTML code?

What do you need? I'm no web designer, but I'm a resident geek that does everything no one else wants to do. Which sometimes happens to be PHP/HTML (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
Quickest way to get ahold of me is AIM: bushmannt
I'm doing a whole lotta nothing tonight, feel free to bug me.

[94bird]

Glad to hear it Steve. A lot of us hope our sons grow up to get the chance to race more than we did when we were young. I'm glad to see it's working out for you.

[AllZWay]

Another :thumbsup: (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)