DeAnza is always the third Sunday in May, this year May 20. I'll miss it
this year, as I'll be working either a Vintage race at Sears Point or a
NASCAR Winston West race at Laguna Seca, still undecided as to which.
Josh already knows this, but I'll post it for the DeAnza novices in the
group. "Applause Generation" is partially a function of time at DeAnza.
Though "spectacular" (think of Ben Martinez' drifter racing run...) can
generate healthy applause at any time during the day, the crowd becomes jaded
as the day wears on. I had an absolutely killer run late in the day in my
C/S RX-7 a couple of years ago, but went between Frank Stagnaro's C/P Shelby
GT350 and Barry Goldine's winged Top Time of Day A/Mod Tui late in the
afternoon, so I looked like chopped liver to the crowd at that point in time!
So.... If you're in Stock or Street Prepared cars, the best chance for
applause comes relatively early in the day.
A couple more DeAnza tips...
Get there at 0 dark :30! 6:00 AM will get you maybe 10th in line, 6:30 will
get you somewhere in the 100s, 7:00 may not make the 275 car cut-off!
My preferred routine is to get there a little after 6:00, register and walk
the course, find some friends to go to breakfast with and allow the tech line
to snake its way through the paddock for a couple of hours, then get teched
closer to the 11:00 AM closing time. This unfortunately puts you in the "low
applause" group.
The other way would be to get there by 6:00, get teched early, and run early.
CHD
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