So how come my name always comes up in these recaps? 
After a trying first qualifying session in the rain where I didn't go w/ my complete wet setup, spun on on my first two laps, and qualified fourth, I had perhaps the must fun session all year in the afternoon qualifier as John Cummins, Jon Kofod and I sliced and diced through the forty four other cars sharing the track with us. Given the density we weren't terribly fast but the three of us worked well together and made some great moves. That John was sooo excited about that session after all the years he's been racing only confirmed be belief that racing could be fun again.
So, I was Jon was on the pole, I was 2nd, BillH was 3rd (congrats on the big move up once again), John was fourth and I think my teammate Bryan Pritt was fifth (or maybe it was Owen Schaffer in his newly minted Miata).
Anyways, I got a small jump on Kofod on the start but not enough to get inside for T1. As we made our way up to T8, it was Jon, me, John Cummins, and Bryan Pritt all nose-to-tail. Bill Hutchins and Chris McClary were about 15 car lengths back. As I usually carry more speed than Jon out of T10 onto the front straight I gave him a little room and made a great run. I drafted right up to him and then took the inside going into T1. Jon came underneath me but that gave me the inside line going into T3 and I took the lead going into the chute.
Coming out of T10 I had about five or six lengths on Jon and he didn't seem to draft up that close. In fact, I think I opened up a bit of a gap, starting to work lap 3.
Knowing that Jon would probably try to make up some ground under braking and maybe make a late turn-in, I moved slightly to the inside. I turn in and...WHAM!!! It was damned near immediate and I never saw it coming nor did I see any car to my inside when I went for the turn. Apparently John's throttle stuck open and he pulled out from behind Kofod to keep from collecting both of us.
Knowing how wet the grass was from the rains on Saturday and Sunday AM, I don't know if John could have safely made the move to drivers' left and off the pavement. So instead I got t-boned w/ the initial impact at my front passenger-side wheel, and scrubbed off a good deal of his speed. I suspect that I got tagged at somewhere north of 70mph and ended up about 15ft into the gravel trap, facing oncoming traffic while Effie (John's RX-3) was another 30-40 feet behind. Although I was alert, I wasn't about to exit the car with traffic coming straight at me. Regardless, John was the first one to me, even beating the corner worker. He pulled me out of the car and we ran to a safe spot. The folks on Rescue 1 must have thought we were going to kill one-another as they tried to separate us immediately after coming on the scene. Nothing could be further from the truth.
I looked around and didn't see Jon Kofod's car. How he didn't get collected, I'll never know.
So, like I asked at the top, "How come my name always comes up in these recaps?" After a disastrous season last year where I was definitely driving over my head , saw a friend's car destroyed and was responsible for countless hours cars spent on frame machines and in body shops, I made the decision to slow down learn how to drive my car. I'll admit that Mr. Troxell's help w/ suspension tuning made a huge difference in how I felt behind the wheel and how controllable the car was, but I did my level best all year not to get over-excited behind the wheel and drive beyond my abilities. I'd like to think that I progressed a reasonable amount for someone who's only been racing for 3.5yrs.
I knew as soon as the car came to rest that someone w/ as long a history of great racing as John has would never have made the low percentage move I might have tried last year. John's throttle stuck open and this stuff happens in racing. Sure, my tub is done...maybe not from this accident but from all of the other stress I've put on it in a very short period of time. John's car, which he has been running since the early 80's, is also a write-off, but these things happen in racing.
Both John and I will be back and want to thank everyone who showed their support and offered their help in the past 60 hours or so. I have met so many wonderful people through racing in the past few years I couldn't even think of walking away.
BTW--If anyone has video of the incident I'd appreciate you contacting me offline. I would also ask that, if contacted by the DC Region person in charge of doing our "video montage" for the Banquet that you not provide them with that video.
Gregg Ginsberg
'96 Civic EX -- MARRS ITA #72
WDCR-SCCA Rookie of the Year 2003
MARRS ITA/T3 Drivers rep
Of course in the afternoon dry I went backwards to 18th overall, 13th in class for the race on Sunday. To describe the race as eventful would be a gross understatement, but I managed to stay out of trouble, finishing 9th in class and 17th overall. The old reliable video camera failed to operate, so there was no VEV. It was grim coming down the front straight and seeing Greg Ginsberg and John Cummins in the gravel. The second hand report was that John's throttle stuck wide open and took them both out under braking. I did not see Greg's car, but he was OK and understandably disappointed... I saw John's car getting towed home and it was in very tough shape. I've been around that car and driver for 15+ years now and it was not a pretty sight. I did not hear about John's condition but assume he is OK. I hope to see both old friends again next season.
Matthew Yip and the # 01 General Li disappeared in the first couple of laps, but later broke. Sorry to see that, Matthew. I was looking forward to racing Matthew Rowe, #96 Dodge Shelby, but traffic and circumstance prevented another drag race to the finish. I spent a good deal of time dicing with 3 2002s and I got called up to the tower as a witness to a couple passes under yellow. We were all chewed out, slapped on the wrist and sent home. I also drove the pace car for a few races in the morning. It's REALLY HARD to do 40 MPH coming out of turn 10 with guys breathing down your neck!
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Fun race, though I'm definetly going to go thru everything on Sven before next season. I'd like to finish more than 2 out of 5 races next year. 
I know something wasn't right, because I wasn't lifting for the chute, and was going deeper into turn 1, but still couldn't pull off a faster lap time than what I turned at MARRS 6... aggervatin'... I saw Jason DNF'd so I figured he was having problems. And yes, we both got an awesome start. Don't you love when everyone else stays in two lines? 
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