Wow wow wow!!! This past weekend had some insane driving going on! I know I usually say the driving was exceptional, but this weekend in particular was full of incredible runs. I have to say, if you want to test your skills, Super-G SuperShowdowns are definitely the place.
REMEMBER – IF YOU ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE POINT SERIES:
OCTOBER 5 – SuperShowdown Round 10 = DOUBLE POINTS!!!
OCTOBER 19 – SuperShowdown Finals = DOUBLE POINTS!!!
Monthly Competition (Point Series is separate)
The point series is run in the background of the monthly comps and at the end of the season, at the Super-G Anniversary Session the West Coast King of Drift will be crowned.
Don’t fear if you missed any of the SuperShowdowns. We (the official judges) have been ironing out the details, and we have decided since everyone has an off day, people get sick, and basically life happens, each competitor will have their 2 worst event scores dropped. What this means is, you can miss up to 2 events and still not be penalized. Beyond 2, and you are on your own.
Points are as follows:
15 pts– First Place
12 pts– Second Place
10 pts– Third Place
9 pts– Forth Place
8 pts– Fifth Place and lower (Participation Points)
2 pts Bonus– Top Qualifier
The spec tire for the event was DS Racing – RWD FFFF Zero Mark II all around.
New Layout and Judging Aids
Since we have been seeing such good driving recently, I has thought it could be due in part to running a familiar layout. So this round we changed it up and also added some magnetic cones to help with judging some of the harder to see areas. Simple and straight forward, knock over a cone, you are too far out of bounds.
Qualifying:
The qualifying rounds this weekend were impressive. The majority of the drivers were within a few points of each other. However, the Top Qualifier of the event was a full 2 points above the nearest competitor. Jason Fordyce threw down an AMAZING pair of qualifying runs. Both were enough to lock down TQ, but his final run outdid his previous which had everyone left speechless. Congratulations Jason for a commanding TQ!
Top Qualifier – Jason Fordyce
2 – Kevin Motter
3 – Mikko Yang
4 – Tim Mulhmeyer
5 – Aydin Angulo
6 – Manny Campalans
7 – Hao Huang
8 – Sam Angulo
9 – Mark Santa Cruz
10 – Nick Lepisto
11 – Jeff Yang
12 – Alfredo Chan III
13 – Josh Espinoza
14 – Mark Solnyshkin
15 – Corey Carlstrom
16 – Shaine Collins
17 – Alan Benites
18 – Philip Lucas
Tsuiso Battles:
The Tsuiso battles are the core of what the Super Showdowns are all about. This month we had 18 competitors, so we made a Top 18 bracket.
This month we were a little short on the judging with Colin “Cool Breeze” Chambers MIA. So it was left to Shaine Collins and myself. Since we have access to the Super-G Replay System, we didn’t skip a beat. Not only can the judges review the runs from multiple angles and in real or slow-motion speed, but the spectators and competitors can also see what the judges are reviewing. At this point, everyone is pretty clear on who and why, and the judges just give the final say. The Super-G Replay System is a very necessary judging tool, as we have found the human eye misses quite a bit.
The Top 4:
I usually start my recap at the Top 4, but this weekend the battle between Kevin Motter and Mikko Yang to decide who battles for 1st and 2nd were the most intense! It was so close, we had to go to OMT (One More Time) twice! It came down to reviewing on the Super-G Replay System to finally make the call. without the replay system, it would have been impossible to see the deciding factor. In the first clip, Kevin fills the entire clip for the full length. Mikko entered the clip, then his line takes him outside of the clip, then back in to complete the zone. Both appeared to fill the clip, but from the Birdseye view it was clear Kevin deserved the win.
So for the Top 4, it was Josh Espinoza vs Mikko Yang for 3rd and 4th, and Jason Fordyce vs Kevin Motter for 1st and 2nd.
First up was Josh vs. Mikko! Josh threw down a great lead and Mikko answered back with a great chase. Then on Mikko’s lead, he put down a really clean lead run and Josh actually had better proximity, but as fate would have it, he was a little too close on one of the transitions, interfering in Mikko’s transition and giving Mikko the 3rd spot on the podium.
Then it was time for the finals! Jason vs. Kevin. These 2 are no strangers to battling it out for the top spot. Great friends and teammates, these 2 really put on their game faces when it comes to winning. They both act like they don’t care, but we all know better! Ha! First out was Jason on the lead. Being TQ of the night we expected to see a great run and he didn’t disappoint. Deep in the clips with a lot of angle! Kevin did his usual and was right on Jason’s door for the entire run. Amazing run! Then it was Kevin’s lead. As expected, Kevin went deep and Jason was right there within mere millimeters. Unfortunately Jason had a miscalculation and had slight contract with Kevin, then found himself having to let off to avoid contact, allowing Kevin to pull away with a smoother line and also the Top Podium Spot! Jason takes home a well earned 2nd, and his teammate Kevin takes home the win!
Congratulations to our winners, First Place – Kevin Motter, Second Place – Jason Fordyce, and Third Place – Mikko Yang!
Official Point Standings:
1. 117 pts– Kevin Motter (1st – 15 pts)
2. 96 pts– Mikko Yang (3rd – 10 pts)
3. 82 pts – Manny Campalans (5th – 8 pts)
4. 80 pts –Jason Fordyce (2nd – 12 pts / TQ – 2 pts = 14 pts)
5. 79 pts– Tim Mulhmeyer (9th – 8 pts)
6. 74 pts – Mark Santa Cruz (5th – 8 pts)
7. 70 pts – Nick Lepisto (9th – 8 pts)
7. 70 pts – Shaine Collins (17th – 8 pts)
9. 69 pts – Colin Chambers
10. 68 pts– Alan Benites (9th – 8 pts)
11. 63 pts – Josh Espinoza (4th – 9 pts)
12. 59 pts – Hao Huang (5th – 8 pts)
13. 54 pts – Sam Angulo (9th – 8 pts)
14. 51 pts –Alfredo Chan III (5th – 8 pts)
15. 49 pts – Aydin Angulo (9th – 8 pts)
16. 48 pts – Mark Solnyshkin (9th – 8 pts)
17. 32 pts – Ethan David
18. 30 pts – Jeff Yang (9th – 8pts)
19. 24 pts –Cory Carlstrom (17th – 8 pts)
19. 24 pts – Jelani Robinson
19. 24 pts –Jason Ragasa
19. 24 pts – Jose Sanchez
23. 22 pts – Travon Yancy
24. 21 pts – Albert Martinez
25. 16 pts – Philip Lucas (9th – 8 pts)
25. 16 pts –Jeremy Meyer
25. 16 pts –Don Hadix
25. 16 pts –Juan Duran
25. 16 pts –Karlo Malabanan
30. 10 pts – Daniel Tragner
31. 8 pts – Kris Steele
31. 8 pts – Mike Underwood
31. 8 pts – Don A
31. 8 pts –Jay Jay Ragasa
31. 8 pts –Jian Allen
31. 8 pts –Tyler Hill
31. 8 pts –Michael Markentin
31. 8 pts –Matt Caputo
31. 8 pts –Alex Dagondon
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