Autocross Most Interesting Man Award

Subtitle:  Inspiration from An Unlikely Source

I consider Craig one of my Miata inspiration mentors…he’s one of the few steadfast SASCA members that stays involved, many times beyond the call of duty.

Craig has been having fun autocrossing, not taking things at all too seriously, for some time.  Originally he campaigned a Mazda RX-7, but now he enjoys plying the challenges of car/engine mods and autocrossing with a 1990 Mazda Miata.  He calls it the Teal Turd.

At the recent SASCA End Of Year Party, partly in seriousness & partly in jest, Craig was awarded the 2009 SSM Most Interesting Man Award.  Thanks to Stanford & others in the SSM Class crowd for all of the following:

(Cheesy Latin voice-over)

• He drives forward… sideways.
• He once experienced a moment of understeer… just to see what it was like.
• The sound of his car at WFO, on snow tires, makes crowds cheer (and course-workers run).
• His in-car dash-cam faces the passenger, capturing life’s fine line between terror and euphoria.
• He cares not how he places, but instead he lives to entertain the course workers.
• He is… the 2009 SASCA Most Interesting Man.

“I don’t always drive sideways… but when I do, I prefer a screaming rookie next to me.”

(Craig has given the most ride-alongs in 2009 overall and undoubtedly has hooked more rookies via his ride-alongs than any other club member).

• Produced the number 1 rated SASCA YouTube video “Spin Cycle”.
• Only SASCA car to be in Drift, AutoX, Drag Racing, and Harris Hill events.
• More Hello Kitty stickers per liter than any car in Texas.
• Only fusion powered MX5 on record. (note the photo of his car carrying the welder, above)
• On video beating a motorcycle at San Antonio Raceway.
• Can organize a fun run / group drive with a single silly grin.
• Isn’t joking when discussing mechanical considerations for putting turntable floor in a garage.
• Took the most interesting picture on the SASCA website. With a cell phone no less.
• Produced balls of rubber the size of a baseball with 1.2 liters of displacement. (See the famous “rubber snowballs” after the RX7 burnout, above)
• Can turn an EZ-Up into a tropical rain forest with just the stuff found in a Miata trunk.
• Makes parts disappear from one friends car and reappear on another friends car.
• Accused on another forum of having the fastest NA RX8 for a while.
• Never uses the same wheel / tire combination twice.
• Able to estimate maximum range of a Ruger LCP if you were to lob the shot.
• Led SASCA’s only partial license plate number search based on rear bumper impressions.
• Happened to have a “spare” hard fuel line around to help a friends SC install project.

He coined the phrase… ‘Let’s duct tape it.’

Racing Ready credits Craig’s inspiration for my becoming a Miata owner, last summer.  If it hadn’t been for a relaxing conversation with him over some stouty beer, I’d still be trying to save up to repair my old Nissan Maxima, to then sell it at a loss.

Thanks again Craig – you ARE a Most Interesting Man!

Dan

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