The Duel at De Anza is a fund raiser for the local community college auto shop program. I attended it as a relocation program in high school and only took it for one semester but learned tips and information I still use to this day.
Every year about the third Sunday in May it takes place in a parking lot on the campus. Local shops and other individuals sponsor the event and lend a helping hand to make everything come together. Michael Brandt has been one of the main teachers keeping the event going through out the years. Peggy and Dennis Hale from the UFO make sure everything is positive from helping register to announcing and of course bringing some of the needed equipment. Mike Camicia of Gunn High School announce and keep the crowd laughing, giving insight to different driving styles (worth watching the event just for the commentary), and yes he does actually know what he is talking about first hand!
OK, so back to the driving stuff.
Your driving time is determined arrival time to the tech line. After tech, they file you into rows and they simply go down the rows. So if you are first there you run first, nice and simple. If you have multiple drivers the first driver runs, comes back, the car waits on the sideline while the next driver jumps in. So my row gets called up. Top time of the day at the time was my friend, Rob Boynton and a car I co-drove a few years ago the seal grey 2002 Porsche GT2. We warm the engine of Tom Kubo’s Miata, push it up to into the main line and about three cars away from running they stop for lunch.
Nice, a couple more course walks never hurt.
Get back from my extra course walks with a few new ideas about different lines and run the course. The car is a little loose in a couple corners but for the most part working nicely. 46.985 quick enough to take Top Time of the day away from Rob.
Now the waiting game begins.
Tom Kubo (owner of the Miata) goes out for his runs and wasn’t able to continue his 2 win streak and ends up second in class with a time of 47.9–.
Vic runs his monster SM E36 M3 at the end of the end of the day and ends up beating my time leaving me with a 1st in class and 2nd overall.
Another great year driving at the Duel at De Anza
(pictures and movies to come in the next couple days)