Hoppe pulls off the Nationals win

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Wed Sep 15, 2004 12:47 pm

http://ww2.scca.com/soloresults.php?ID=43

.191 sec margin of victory!!

Shawn finished 8th moving up 2 spots from yesterday!!

Congrats to all!!

Kevin Allen · **Joined:** Thu Aug 28, 2003 6:42 pm **Posts:** 3479

Must be those cheater tires... :wink:

Donnie Barnes · **Posted:** Wed Sep 15, 2004 7:31 pm

Those tires didn't help him today in the wet, I don't believe.

--Donnie

David Teague · **Posted:** Wed Sep 15, 2004 10:15 pm

hummm it looks like he finished 2nd according to link you provided.

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Wed Sep 15, 2004 10:39 pm

The previously posted results showed Tom in First Place. Adding the best times for the guy currently shown in First adds to a slower total time than Tom's. Something is "wrong" with the results. Has anyone heard from Tom?

MilesBeam · **Joined:** Fri Aug 15, 2003 1:57 pm **Posts:** 427

There is an unconfirmed rumor from an unnamed source that there was a judging error. The International Olympic Committee had personnel involved with timing and scoring. The rumor is that they've asked Tom to give his first place trophy back. If he doesn't, the IOC is recommending they just give two first place trophies instead. :shock:

shawnwhipple · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 6:28 pm **Posts:** 603

You can see the other thread in the autocross section for an explaination of the protest that probably screwed up the results. I was going to post my view of the whole protest thing but then I decided I probably shouldn't use that type of langauge in the forums. :lol:

You've just got a love when the person in 29th place is protesting you and the worst thing he can find wrong with your car is that the rear brake dust sheilds are flipped around backwards to allow the legal rotors to fit. I guess that is what you have to expect when you prep the car to the limit of the rules?

On to happier thoughts. Tom drove great both days, posting the fastest time on Tuesday and the 2nd fastest time on Wednesday. He was fast in both sunny warm weather and wet, soggy conditions. He did some outstanding driving and probably equally importantly he did the some outstanding work getting the car setup for this level of competition.

Did the FK541s help? Yes they probably did, we ran them Tuesday and the car was super fast. Honestly the car was working so well that I should have been sitting higher up in the standings than I was, I just didn't drive a very good until the last run. We also started on them on Tuesday and found that they have low grip on the wet so we swapped to some almost full tread depth Azenis for the next 2 runs.

Shawn. <---- who has always said that one day we will be saying that we used to know Tom Hoppe back when he was just starting out.

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

shawnwhipple wrote:

I should have been sitting higher up in the standings than I was, I just didn't drive a very good until the last run. We also started on them on Tuesday and found that they have low grip on the wet so we swapped to some almost full tread depth Azenis for the next 2 runs.

Shawn. <---- who has always said that one day we will be saying that we used to know Tom Hoppe back when he was just starting out.

Dude, you beat, what, 44 other people in your class, and took a trophy, at NATIONALS. Nice job! "Should have been higher" LOL

Go Shawn and Tom!!!

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Thu Sep 16, 2004 8:05 am

Tom and Shawn,

Congratulations :!:

Two fine performances.

Be carefull on the drive home . . . your thoughts will tend to "wander".

Dick (a "has been" Nationals competitor)

MilesBeam · **Joined:** Fri Aug 15, 2003 1:57 pm **Posts:** 427

Quote:

Dick (a "has been" Nationals competitor)

Dick, it's much better to be a "has been" than a "never was" or a "never will be!" Don't you have two national titles-- one in a Z and the other in a Lotus?? Correct me if I'm mistaken.

Congrats Shawn and Tom! Nice job!

Kevin Allen · **Joined:** Thu Aug 28, 2003 6:42 pm **Posts:** 3479

Quote:

Dude, you beat, what, 44 other people in your class, and took a trophy, at NATIONALS. Nice job! "Should have been higher" LOL

The mentality of the national-level competitor -> never be satisfied. I've heard a certain other person who drives that car complaining about how he didn't win the overall pax by enough at a local event. :lol:

I'm looking forward to hearing about this protest - I figured some asshat would have to bring up the rear dust shield issue. :roll:

Kevin Hoff · **Posted:** Thu Sep 16, 2004 9:55 am

For probably too much info about Tom's protest look here:

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthr ... ge=6&pp=25

--Kevin H.

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Thu Sep 16, 2004 10:06 am

MilesBeam wrote:

Quote:

Don't you have two national titles-- one in a Z and the other in a Lotus?? Correct me if I'm mistaken.

Miles,

You are correct. Z - DS - 1977. Lotus - ASP - 1986 (Tarheel member in 1986

). Just trophies in the Formula Ford. All ancient history now which is why I like to see younger Tarheelers doing so well on the National scene. By the way, the absolute fastest driver last year, and maybe this year, was George Bowland of Tryon, NC. The very first A Mod Champ was Stan Cox (1973) of Mooresville, NC. Since then GH Sharp, Donna Frank, me, and now Tom Hoppe have added to NC's Championships. Note that Ginette and Jinx Jordan who I think now live in NC are multiple time National Champs.

Edit to add: Mark Chiles in now an NC resident. He has multiple championships.

Tom Hoppe · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 10:16 am **Posts:** 387

Thanks guys, its starting to sink in now!

Shawn drove very well and I was glad to see him kicking some butt! He also finished 4th at the Pro Finale.

Here is my excerpt from the nasioc thread on the protest for anyone that cares!

1) It was Richard West and IMHO there was a little bit of personal attack in the protest as well. That is all I will say on that.
2) There was no material removed and the "Brake Dust Shields" notice the quotes were the same exact part on the correct corner of the car. I removed the shields and then reinstalled them backwards so they faced away from the rotor. This way they did not rub. THAT is very important and THAT is why there was no penalty.
3) It was the INTENT of the SEB/STAC/etc to have this rule in there, and it was the INTENT to be able to upgrade the brakes. In order to upgrade the brakes the dust shields have to be "taken care of" in some way. Since there was no rule there that they could clarify, they had to set a rule change. The only way they could do a rule change is to put it in effect next year. It was an oversight in the original rules.
4) I knew it was a grey area, I banked on no one filing a wussy protest and if one was filed that the SEB would agree with me. I also got a few opinions from SEB/STAC members BEFORE I did this mod which is the reason I did it in the first place.
5) If people didn't put them on because it was a grey area that is their fault. Innovate. Same thing with the FKs. KC, Steve, Shawn and I were on a tire that was faster then anyone elses. Be the first

4 and 0 in national protests. Maybe I should stop doing grey area mods.

Oh by the way. This is NOT setting any sort of precedent at all. Like I said above, this was always the intent of the rule, it just got left off. Good luck applying that argument to something else

And yes, I did get lucky as hell too, so I'm not trying to be high and mighty here. I gambled by taking a calculated risk which I thought would go my way and I won Anyone here play holdem?

-Tom

Brad Mackey · **Posted:** Sat Sep 18, 2004 7:51 am

My congrats to Tom and Shawn AND Jim Pastorius for his mid-pack finish in a competitive E-Stock class.

We gotta remember... this is TOP competition from all over North America. Beating 1/2 of the field is damn good in my book.

Great job, guys! We're not worthy... We're not worthy... !

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Hoppe pulls off the Nationals win

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