A boy has to have toys to play with, right? These are my big scale playthings. Pictured above and below are some of the reasons that I get so few models built anymore.

Above is my 2004 MINI Cooper S. Mods include;
- light weight Centerline wheels
- 215-40-17 Falken Azensis tires
- red painted calipers
- Borla sport exhaust
- K&N Typhoon intake
- H-Sport lowering springs
- Megan racing control arms
- 4 Hella 500 off-road lights

For the interior I made custom floor mats and rear seat backs from stainless steel sheet and then brushed the panels in a circular patern that matches the factory dash trim. For a crowning touch I had MINI logos laser cut from vinyl and placed them on the mats.

Pictured at the bottom is a matching blue 2000 Suzuki SV650 which joined my fleet for a short period in the summer of 2004. It had an aftermarket exhaust, a rejetted carb, and aftermarket fairings. After several "discussions" with my wife I decided it would be better to stick with 4-wheeled toys, so the bike found a new owner.

A few years ago, I discovered autocrossing and have been actively competing ever since. Autocrosses, are timed events where cars race through a course, generally marked with traffic cones, to see who can get the fastest time. Similar cars are broken into classes to compete against each other. It's a great, low cost and safe way to experience to the thrill of racing. It's kind of like drag racing with left and right turns in the middle. To learn more about autocrossing (sometimes referred to as solo II) click on the SCCA website link. To learn more about solo II in the Central Ohio area click on the Ohio Valley Region link. I also run events with the Buckeye Miata club.

Below is my 1994 Miata that I bought slightly used in 1996. It's a summer fun toy and has never seen snow while the MINI is my daily driver. I ran in class "B-stock" for the '97 through '01 seasons, but it's been retired to street duty. It rides on 16 x 7 Prime wheels with 205-40-16 Falken Azensis tires, Borla stainless steel exhaust, mild alignment settings, K&N filter and Koni sport single adjustable shocks. Also, I've added the factory front and rear spoilers and painted brake calipers. I still have a ball driving this car and autocross it occasionally with the Buckeye Miata club.

Pictured above was my original autocross weapon. I ran this Neon in E stock in the '94, '95, and '96 season before it was returned to full time street duty.