Winner of August FOTM: I <3 FocusSport - Ataru!

[Ataru]

The Competitors


The Winner:


Ataru

Each month I go through and decide a new theme for FOTM. When deciding on a theme, I usually try to pick different categories to give as many different cars a chance each month to participate. It just happens that out of 36 months of FOTM, I have been nominated for eight of them prior to winning this ninth FOTM competition.

July 2006
March 2007
August 2007
January 2008
September 2008
November 2008
February 2009
May 2009

After all those nominations, many with the highest total nominations for that month, you start to realize that people like your car, but not QUITE enough to put you on top....especially when you lose the voting stage 8 different times. Looking back at all the nominations, some losses were obvious, while others were tough to take. January 2008 had to be the toughest since my car is one of the few ZX5s on the forum, but an old member that many didn't know about (hell, I didn't even remember him!) came out of the woodworks and took a well deserved win.

Is my car super custom or fancy? No. Hell, it's probably one of the mildest modded Focuses on the site when you look at all the mods, and that probably has a lot to do with why I never won those eight other times. It's hard to get across to people what a car means to its owner. Where I have gone and what I have done because of Sonic makes him more valuable to me than any modification you can add to a car. Those who nominated me every month understood what my car means to me, but when the voting starts, some might not understand this, or find it important when they are deciding the best car of the group. Losing eight times is difficult when you are hoping that people see what the car means to its owner, but somewhere along the way the message gets lost...

The thing that matters is that I love all the things I have been able to do with Sonic. I've been able to hone my driving skill every year with tons of autocross competitions as well as track days but the fact that I had the opportunity to drive all over the country and met HUNDREDS of other super cool and enthusiastic Focus owners means the most. The Focus community means a lot to me. Hell, it's been a large portion of my life with 9 years of my 35 years on this planet being a part of Focaljet and 6 of those with Sonic in the garage.

Now, I want to thank everyone who voted for me this month. You know who you are, and I know who you are too. Admin powers.

But I would especially like to thank:
170499
02AllBlackSVT
hotrodkris
OmniFocus
Ray
sleeperlove
Spatakula
tparker

All of these members voted for my car 5 or more times out of the 9 times I have been in the voting. Some of them might not have voted for me everytime, but every one of them knows without a doubt what Sonic means to me.

Especially Spatakula.

7 out of the 8 times he voted was for Sonic. Shawn and I were both in two different FOTM categories, and the only time he voted against Sonic was when he voted for his own car once. The other time he voted for Sonic and not his own car!

I know that there are others out there that know what Sonic means to me as well, and that is not forgotten either.

Thank you all.

Winning the August 2009 FOTM is bittersweet. First, I bought my car on August 21st, 2003, so this month marks the 6th birthday for Sonic. Second, August 2009 is when Sonic rolled over 150,000 miles on the odometer. And finally, August 23rd marked the last regular day of driving for Sonic for six months as he is now parked while my wife can't drive, and I drive her Tribute until she can drive again.


























"Sonic" - 2003 SVT Focus ZX5 -151,000 Miles

Engine:
Amsoil Absolute Efficiency Air Filter
Focus Sport 8mm Blue Spark Plug Wires
VF Engineering Rear Engine Mount
Amsoil 7500 5W30 Synthetic Oil

Suspension:
H&R Race Springs
Koni Yellow Adjustable Front Struts
Tein Super Street Adjustable Rear Shocks
P-51 Rear Shock Shims
Auto-X-ZTS Adjustable 24mm Rear Sway Bar
Steeda Front Strut Tower Bar
Momo Corse REV Wheels (17x7 - 42mm) with 215/45ZR17 Kumho Ecsta ASX Tires (street)
Motegi TrakLite (16x7 - 45mm) with 215/45/ZR16 Kumho XS Tires (autocross) - Painted Red with white stripe and Sonic logo centercap
Centric Rotors with Hawk HPS Brake Pads

Interior:
Corbeau 4-Point Double Release Harness (autocross)
Steeda Tri-Ax/F Short Throw Shifter
Instrument Bezel and Stereo Bezel Painted Sonic Blue
Redline Tuning Dead Pedal
Redline Tuning SVT Floor Mats
Redline Tuning SVT Hatch Mat
Custom Video Camera Mount
XM Roady XT Satellite Radio
Custom SVT Wheel Cigarette Lighter Plug
iPod Dash Mount with Wired FM Transmitter
Lumar Window Tint - 30%

Exterior:
ST170 Headlights
1998 European Focus Grill
2006 Focus Street Appearance Package rear diffuser
2001 Special Edition Mustang Aluminum Fuel Door Painted Sonic Blue
Smoked Bumper Lights
Mazda 3 Rear Wiper
Bosch Icon Wiper Blades
"SVT" Third Brake Light cover
"HEDGHOG" License Plate
Black Brake Calipers
Antenna Delete
Build Number Decal on Bumper
Sonic the Hedgehog Decal on Hatch
Autocross Graphics by I-Zoom Graphics

[Redlight]

Congrats Jason! You deserve it buddy!

dave.

[SVT3658]

Congrats Jason! It's about time

[fastway40]

So what new mod will Sonic recieve considering the $25 FSWerks prize?

[Ataru]

Sonic is getting a replacement Koni Yellow strut for the blown one that he is riding on now.

When contacting Randy about the prize for this month, I knew I was in the voting, so I told him that I would decline the card if I won. I didn't want it to appear unfair to the other four since I'm an admin on here. It's up to Randy what happens with that card now.

[TwiBlue02]

Sonic is getting a replacement Koni Yellow strut for the blown one that he is riding on now.

When contacting Randy about the prize for this month, I knew I was in the voting, so I told him that I would decline the card if I won. I didn't want it to appear unfair to the other four since I'm an admin on here. It's up to Randy what happens with that card now.

Stand-up Citizen right there..Congrats!

[1svt4u2c]

Way to go Jason! Congrats!

[02AllBlackSVT]

Wooo finally Jason, Sonic deserves it after everything hes been through. Congrats again man.

Andrew

[stilix]

congrats dude love your svt

[ZXTHR33]

Congrats on a close one!

And the way I see it is like this... Sonic has probably gotten more votes total than any other car on the site. If you add up every individual vote ever placed for Sonic, you've got an all-time winner on your hands.

[Ray]

About damned time. Sonic has always been one of my favorite cars here. Not over the top. A car i could drive everyday, and take to a track day.

[Spatakula]

About freaking time my man. Thanks for the shout out brotha!

Sonic is a true insperation and will always be one of my all time favorites.



-spatakula

[Phacade]

Good job Sonic! (oh and good job Jason too) I could have sworn I too voted Sonic everytime he's been on the FOTM chopping block, but I suppose you winning is reward enough. Seriously, I'm happy for ya!

[Dev]

F I N A L L Y !!!! Yay Jason!

Well deserved my friend!

[Davor]

Congrats, Jason. You and your SVT have been through so much vandalism over the years yet here you are showing us showroom condition car with 150K miles! You deserve it, buddy !

[FORDSVTPARTS]

Congratulations Jason

[OmniFocus]

About damn time!

[bigdaddyG8]

About damn time!

my thoughts exactly.

[getn2focus]

Great job Sonic.....and Jason! Well deserved.

[barryf1fan]

Congrats Jason!!! Your car is the reason I got another Focus. [thanks for everything, bud]
You, and more importantly SONIC, deserve the victory.

Time to...




btw, wut ya gettin' with yer gift card?