Year end wrap up.

GCRallyX2005 was a great year for the team! We had set our sights on a strong finish in the CRS rallycross championship and we will take home 2nd in class. We also finished our first and second rallies: Gorman Ridge – with a 20th overall and a great test of what the car was capable of, and Prescott – where we started to see the real speed of the car and a surprising 4th in class. We had a fantastic time in both and learned a great deal about ourselves and the car. Ze’Neon is a tough little car and has proven to be reliable, even while working through some initial problems.

The rally in Laughlin was a little too far out of our reach this year, so we will be there as volunteers! We kept within our budget and will be better prepared for the New Year, and we’re already looking at what rallies will be on the calendar for 2006.

I would like to thank all the awesome people we met this year that helped us and supported us at these events! They are: John Black, Ryan Tilder, Jay Farina, Cyndi Stivers, Kaiser Chen, Brian Driggs, Nicole Miller, Dave Wenzlick, Kim Stephens, Pete Morris, Leon Styles, Jeff Rados and Guido Hamacher! All the great competition from: George Doganis, Mark Anton, Lisa Klassen and Guy Sappington. Special thanks to all the organizers: Ray & Donna Hocker, Mike & Paula Gibeault, Michael Taylor, George Scott & the entire Gravel Crew. All our friends in NESIC, AZ2GNT, CRS, and Neons.org. All the support from our sponsors: rallydecals.com and Energy Suspension!

Have a great holiday season – we’ll see you in 2006!

Add this to your Christmas list now.

Dust To Glory‘Dust To Glory’ If you have not seen this film – buy this for yourself for Christmas. Have someone else buy it for you. Rent it at least. It’s a fantastic documentary about the 2003 Baja 1000.

It captured the excitement and the disappointment of a grass roots sport that allows million dollar trucks to compete alongside hundreds of low budget small team entries. (sound familiar?) There’s almost no prize money, teams spend thousands to compete, and the risks are real. Why do it? Because it’s awesome.

Rally License!

A license to rally!I am now an officially licensed rally driver. In a boyhood fantasy way – “This is sooo cool!!” It really doesn’t entitle me to much, but it says to the laymen – “See that guy? That guy knows how to drive.” :p If I’m ever in a panic situation where there is a pregnant woman requiring a ride to the hospital and several gentlemen are quibbling over such matters, I can trump their arguments with the use of this card. To which the fine men reply: “I say dear boy – why don’t YOU have a go. My years of driving cannot match the skills that you possess on principle alone!” “Yes, yes – I must say! Get that girl in the car. He’ll have her back in time for tea! We haven’t the gall for such treachery!”

Of course this isn’t 1952 and I don’t live in the English countryside… but it could totally happen. :|

It’s German you know…

Ze\'Neon in CaliforniaI always refer to cars as female. I guess it’s an old sailors tradition. I’ve never given a car a name – I think that goes a little too far. But this has become the nickname of our rally car. It involves talk-ing like ze Germans. :p Sadly it’s not mein Porsche. But ve were going way too fast in ze’Neon.

I just started calling her that.
And then I needed to register the car and wanted a creative plate like ‘SiDeWAYZ’ or ‘WRC555.’
Andrew, my roomate at the time, gave me the idea by simply saying “How about ze’Neon?”
“Yes! Perfect! Daimler Chrysler! It’s German you know…” :lol:

Meine neuen Kalifornien Lizenzplatten!