Greetings!

 to my readers in the Republic of Korea! I notice on my 'footprints' that I have had some heavy readership on the other side of the world. I am deeply honoured by this patronage and wish to extend my kindest regards to whoever it is. In case anyone missed the link to my video, I am bringing it foreward. Here it is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIKElSFmxF0

dear gentle readers.

 Since facebook I don't blog so much any more. Now the racing is done I probably won't have anything to feed you until we start work on the Prelude for next year. That will be January, so the old chickenlamp will be taking a vacation until the new year. A Merry Christmas to you all and be good or Santa will leave you a lumpy old crankshaft.

         Yesterday morning 30 floors up. Vancouver 7am

2009 season stats. Hornet class. Car #56 Brent Postlethwaite

    Total races: 28  Best qualifying laptime: 17.007

Top 3 finishes: 17  Win ratio: 25%

1st place : 7 > 3x C-Dash / 1x C-Heat / 3x B-Main

2nd place: 7 > 1x B-Dash / 2x C-Heat / 1x B-Heat / 2x B-Main / 1x A-Main

3rd place: 3 > 1x B-Dash / 1x B-Heat / 1x B-Main

Overall season: 13th out of 45 cars registered.

Trophy haul: 3x C-Dash / 3x B-Main

                  / 2009 Hard Luck award / Rollover Trophy.

Season's end.

  The season ended with a Halloween 'Great Pumpkin' 200 lap fancy dress enduro race which I cup-caked on because my shoulder was still in bad shape. Not many drivers showed up and the showing was poor from the faithful too, but for those who did attend it was memorable. They did 50 laps for the first time 'backwards' as the first leg. The guys seemed to enjoy doing it 'widdershins' (now there's a word you don't see everyday). Bill dominated in all three legs, the second two 'the right way around' and both 75 laps long. The rest of the day involved me leaping about in a skull mask dodging roman candles fired at me by 'Mad Mike' Webb, and Billy chainsawing coffins in half while Wayne Goodwin drove his car through another one behind him. In fact, it's probably a good thing not too many people showed up, the Celts were a fey bunch that day. When Bill went to the winners circle, Webb and me plus an accomplice scampered out and whipped up his hood so Mad Doctor Mike could pretend to chainsaw his engine while I-(gor) was passed a series of parts, starter motor, camshaft and the like to toss over my shoulder. I think that was a good cam too, hope I didn't wreck it. In a moment of macabre and spontaneous humour, during a pumpkin toss over the high guard fencing, a lady competitor slipped with her pumpkin and fully brained her nearby husband with it! I think she busted his schnozz because the paramedics had to go over there. Hey, it was Halloween and the spirits were being mischievous. There were two Trophy girls, Brittany (Cleopatra, seen above) and Sarah who was dressed as a Hornet and at 11 years old it was a first for her and I think the speedway too.

  The year end awards dinner went well, Billy got his name on the Big Trophy for the third time, this time in first alongside the previous two years second place finishes. A hat-trick of excellence, etched in metal far all to be awed by. I'm only being a little bit sarcastic because actually, I am awed by it. What an achievement Bill, Bra-effing-vo dude, really. Badass.

Here is Billy who is positively excited. As you can see.

Wayne Goodwin recieved the 'Crowd Pleaser' award and rightly so,

I of course, well, 2009 Hard luck award, (2nd year running, damn yer eyes) and The 'Rollover' Trophy too.

Mike Webb was impersonating Ozzy and accepting trophies for everyone who didn't show up. 

Billy took the laurels, Wayne honked his 'ahh-ooo-gah' horn and made the kids laugh and I did stunts to entertain the crowd. Brittany was the Gorgeous doll. It sounds like a comedy troupe, and so it sometimes is. I love it. See y'all next season racefans. Here's a few final pics that were never published.

The Trophy Girls being scandalous.

Pirate and Princess.

Sarah coloured this pic and presented it to me. You know it's on my fridge.

Goodwin Racings' all-star drivers pose with Sarah Forrest and her signed racing tire. Billy, Brent, Ashley and Dad, Wayne.

Drive safe my friends.

Laurels of Victory. (Glorius Basterds)

                                    Brent and Milly.

  Last night was the championship for the season. I am proud to announce a crushing victory for my team mate Billy Bell who took the season champion title, and well deserved it was. Four years in the making of a champ and the man has arrived. Well done Bill. Now that's said, I can vent. WELL, LOOK AT YOU, AIN'T YOU SOMETHIN'! You know I'm kidding, someone has to give you a hard time since the racing fund can't keep buying you bigger and bigger helmets. Oh, I'm just basking in the warmth of the sun shining from your ass. Ok I'll stop now. I can't complain though, there was still some glory left for me and Wayne Goodwin, we both won a heat each and I took the B main despite early handling problems in the dash. There were two smokin' hot trophy girls last night, one on each side cozying up for the winners circle photo. I absolutely can't bitch one bit. The season ended with Mr. Goodwin in 6th, which is a staggering feat considering the box of crap he's driving. After a blown engine and a rollover I wound up in 13th spot (lucky for some). I never did break the 17 second barrier either, last night I pulled at least two 17.0 somethings. Bugger! I know that car will do it too.

  I'd like to take a moment to highlight Wayne as a person. Not in all my life have I met an individual so eager to make a positive difference in the world with his life and deeds. It just drives the man, he recently came back from Hawaii where he did a 100 mile bike ride for cancer research. Waynes knee blew up after the first 14 miles and he unclipped one foot from the pedal, and ran on one leg with a steady intake of gatorade and tylenol. He beat out thousands of people and came in third. Definitely badass!  "Yeah, that guy that just beat all you guys, he did it on one leg, how do you feel about that sir?" "I'm afraid we can't say that on the air sir." Well, he did tell me he got the leg going again eventually, hence the tylenols, but still...Anyway, Wayne goes up to bat without hesitation and let me just say this, from what I know of you, you're a better man than I am Wayne Goodwin. Honoured to be considered a friend.

  Ok, enough butt kissing. Not much more to tell, seasons over. I did have one nasty moment last night that's worth relating. During the dash race my car was a nightmare to handle. I was struggling to keep control when some contact with another struggling fool spun me 180 degrees and I found myself rolling at speed toward the inner wall going backwards. After my Captain-Destructo act last month I felt just sickened as I waited for the hit. Backwards too so I couldn't see it coming. I smashed in my rear driver side bumper and fender but was able to continue. After another spin barely a lap later I headed for the pits. Crew adjusted the outside rear wheel pressure by dropping 5 pounds and the rest is history. Bizarre how that little adjustment changes everything. From bowl of jello to tight racer in a squirt of air. As I headed out for the next race, not knowing how it was going to handle, my crew chief noticed I looked pissed. When I came back to the pits 2 race wins later with a trophy he quipped, " I like pissed, pissed is good!"

   The trophy girls' ride. (complete with mandatory fuzzy dice)

  I can't help myself on this last little poke at Bill. He was leading the A main for many laps and I was almost daring to think it was in the bag. Then a yellow caution flag and restart with only 8 laps to go. Somehow, the great one manages to get caught napping on the green flag and nemesis Jordon Schuss and 2008 champ Kris Mckenzie  mugged his ass in the worst possible way. (Schuss got the win too, owch.) Bill, I only mention it because I actually prefer things like this. If you had won that race, it would have meant you would have won the last four A main events over two racedays in a row and took the championship to boot. That is legendary stuff I know but I prefer that you're human like the rest of us. That would have been an embarrassment of riches and I'd hate it if I had been made to resent you for being so frikkin' great. Congratulations, Racemeister. 

This is Bill in his rookie season with his first trophy of many more to come.

  As a reminder that glory has its price, as I am all to well aware, local racer Travis Rutz who moved up to sprint cars nationwide was in a horrific crash which has left him in critical condition in a drug induced coma in Indiana. I don't know the guy but several of my racer colleagues do so our thoughts go out to him and his family.