Given that 2000 appears to be the year of Street Modified, and given that
we need 15 drivers in SM at Nationals to qualify for a jacket, I think it's
only appropriate that the DTN be a Street Modified driver.
However, I have someone who I think qualifies for consideration for DTN on
his own merits.
Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to nominate Ian McFetridge for DTN 2000.
Ian is not from my Region, but I have known him for a couple of years now
through his presence on the Talon Digest and here on Team.Net. I first met
him at Harrisburg in 1999, where he ran in ESP, in an early Talon with
nonfunctional shocks. (I took the car out for a spin, and it was like
driving four pogo sticks in loose formation) He has also made it as far
west as the annual DSM Shootout in Ohio, but he never seems to make it to
Kansas.
Ian did something really special this year: Not only did he jump into SM
with both feet as one of the early adopters, he took my "go forth and
recruit newbies to the sport - and then keep them there!" philosophy
completely to heart, and then proceeded to do a much better job of putting
that into practice than I could. Ian has been dragging new people into the
sport of autocross at an alarming rate, and the people he brings in seem to
stay in. If I had an Ian in every region, SM would rule the world. :) Ian's
Region consistantly has the highest participation numbers in the country,
and I suspect Ian is a large reason why.
And he's also managed to develop into a first-class competitor, and is a an
all-around nice guy to boot.
Given the amazing amount of work he has personally put into the promotion
of Street Modified and the sport as a whole, I can't think of a better way
to reward this level of personal dedication than to make Ian DTN 2000.
For your consideration, ladies and gentlemen.
(Karl, Kent, and Karen, this is where you back me up :)
DG
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