Sitting here, writing this, I am patiently looking forward to driving my buddy Shawn Hill's F125 shifter kart this weekend. I have driven it once before. Badly. But it was a blast. The sheer speed at which things happen in a short wheel base, high power to weight machine like that is awesome. Then throw in, while auto-xing, that your head isn't much higher then the top of the cones themselves, and the sense of speed gets a boost again. It is all quite an assault on the senses. Quite the challenge. And, quite fun.
Running the Kart this weekend was all part of the plan developed at the beginning of this year. I was going to co-drive the kart with Shawn this next year, using the few events after Nationals to begin getting acclimated to it. It would be perfect. It would give him a co-driver to help with expenses, and driving the kart would help me round out my "training". What is my "training"? I hatched this plan awhile back. I decided what I needed, as a driver, was to experience completely different cars. Different drive-train layouts, power levels, and so on. Thus far, I have ran a CS MX-5 (RWD), STU Subaru STI (AWD), and, this year, STS CRX Si (FWD). Power ranged from close to mid 300's, to right around 100. Race tires, and street tires. Stock suspension, to triple adjustable coilovers. The final piece to my plan was a kart. It would be the fastest of them all, require the most focus, and be super fun as well. Everything else would be slow, by comparison. Which is exactly the effect I wanted.
So, what is the is the conundrum then? I had hoped, and thought, that I would do well at Nationals this year. I wanted to finish high in the standings. And I did. Higher then I thought I might, really. However, finishing 2nd, I feel like I owe it to myself to go back and try to get first. And I feel like, with another year of seat time, I could really get the car down. But the seat in the kart is only open for this next year. After that, it will be filled by Shawn's nephew. So it is now, or never. Thus, the conundrum. Do I finish my training, or return for another round in STS?
Thankfully, I have some time to decide. And this weekend will help in that decision making. Thus, I patiently, but eagerly, wait to run Shawn's kart, this Sunday.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
When in doubt, flat out. Or something like that.
In my previous blog, I mentioned my dismal results at the 2009 Nationals. I wanted to expand upon the lesson I learned from that event. As previously stated, I had buggered my first two runs with cones, and haphazard driving. Thus, I concluded I should back off a bit, and get a clean run in. While I succeeded in making a clean run, the time was terrible. I had gone from a possible top 2 time, to 15th. Obviously, not the kind of time I was looking for.
You hear the sayings all the time. And, I presume, most people are like me and are all gung ho about them. Terms like, "When in doubt, flat out". Or, "Don't give up without a fight". Or, "If I am going down, I am going down swinging". All great sayings to rally behind. No one ever rallies behind, "When you're in a bad spot, play it safe"! And I think there is a reason for that. That is not how heroes are made. Folk lore is not born of playing it safe. That is not how you get the fair maiden or, in this case, trophy or jacket. But which do we actually practice? When it is crunch time, which side of the line do we fall upon? I know which side I fell upon in 2009. I tried playing it safe. And I got burned.
Fast forward to this year. Running "Bubba" (1988 Honda CRX Si in STS) at the Middiv Championships. I have a comfortable lead going into day two, and am feeling good about things. I head out on my first run. Three cones. Stupid cones, at that. But the time was there. Second run, not quite as fast. Made a few mistakes, and hit a cone as well. Starting to sound familiar? I knew I could probably back off, and still win. But it would be close. Then, I remembered last year. I remembered what happened when I tried to back it down. So I switched philosophies, and went all out. No guts, no glory! Someone asked if I was going to back off a bit to get a clean run. I believe my response was something like, "Bleep that, I'm going for it". To be fair, I had to back off toward the end, but only because the tires were getting hot, and the car was pushing. But I still gave it everything I could. Time was a bit slower then I wanted (due to the overheated tires), but it was clean. And, it was fastest in class, sealing my win.
Now, I am not saying it will always end like that. There will be times when you go out and put it all on the line, and fail. It is going to happen. But much like the saying, "It is better to have loved, and lost, than to never have loved at all", I believe it is, "better to have gone all out, and failed, than to have wussed out, and come in 15th".
You hear the sayings all the time. And, I presume, most people are like me and are all gung ho about them. Terms like, "When in doubt, flat out". Or, "Don't give up without a fight". Or, "If I am going down, I am going down swinging". All great sayings to rally behind. No one ever rallies behind, "When you're in a bad spot, play it safe"! And I think there is a reason for that. That is not how heroes are made. Folk lore is not born of playing it safe. That is not how you get the fair maiden or, in this case, trophy or jacket. But which do we actually practice? When it is crunch time, which side of the line do we fall upon? I know which side I fell upon in 2009. I tried playing it safe. And I got burned.
Fast forward to this year. Running "Bubba" (1988 Honda CRX Si in STS) at the Middiv Championships. I have a comfortable lead going into day two, and am feeling good about things. I head out on my first run. Three cones. Stupid cones, at that. But the time was there. Second run, not quite as fast. Made a few mistakes, and hit a cone as well. Starting to sound familiar? I knew I could probably back off, and still win. But it would be close. Then, I remembered last year. I remembered what happened when I tried to back it down. So I switched philosophies, and went all out. No guts, no glory! Someone asked if I was going to back off a bit to get a clean run. I believe my response was something like, "Bleep that, I'm going for it". To be fair, I had to back off toward the end, but only because the tires were getting hot, and the car was pushing. But I still gave it everything I could. Time was a bit slower then I wanted (due to the overheated tires), but it was clean. And, it was fastest in class, sealing my win.
Now, I am not saying it will always end like that. There will be times when you go out and put it all on the line, and fail. It is going to happen. But much like the saying, "It is better to have loved, and lost, than to never have loved at all", I believe it is, "better to have gone all out, and failed, than to have wussed out, and come in 15th".
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Jumping right in, and having fun.
Great thing about blogs; you can add to them whenever. So, instead of doing an in depth look at the history of my involvement in motorsport, I thought I would just start off with the most recent event: 2010 SCCA Solo Nationals.
The long and the short of it is, I got 2nd. While some would see that as "the first loser", I was, and still am, quite ecstatic about the result. For multiple reasons. The first of which is that it was my best result to date. The rarefied air of the top 3 felt great to finally break into. The last two Nationals I attended, I had set a goal of top 5. I missed the mark two years ago by a cone. The last cone on the course, as a matter of fact. That one cone cost me 5th place against some very, very good drivers. Last year was.... well, terrible. I had heard that everyone has one (or more) of THOSE Nationals. You know, the one you just have to throw away. Last year's was mine. I coned away a 2nd fastest raw time on my first run, coned and missed a braking point on what was becoming a great 2nd run, and wussed out on the third. I decided to back off, to get a clean run, and it cost me a much slower run than I was expecting. Never again. Lesson learned.
Another reason I was happy with 2nd, was that I climbed up to it from 4th. After day one I was a little over a second behind first, a little over two tenths out of 2nd, and a hundredth or so out of 3rd. I figured 1st would be quite a challenge to overtake, but 2nd and 3rd were within striking distance. However between two tenths and three tenths back were 5th though 9th, making me a target that was catch able if I didn't perform. My goal, however, coming into this Nationals was top three, and I was determined to make my goal this time.
I am going to break off on tangent for a second, and discuss the power of words. Going into day two I was starting to feel the pressure. I had walked the course before leaving the site on day one, and didn't like it. At all. And that worried me. Generally, if you don't like a course, you aren't going to do that well on it. At least not as well as you could. I put it out of my mind the best I could all that night. But it was starting in on me as soon as I woke up the next morning. I tried "fooling" myself into being confident. You know the tactic. Telling yourself you are the man, and all that. Pumping yourself up, basically. Yeah, well, that wasn't really working. Although I let on an air that it was. But what really calmed me down and got me in the right frame of mind, were two little words. Yup, just two little words, spoken by a good friend and mentor, Andy Hohl.
A group of us were standing around the start line, sun rising over Lincoln, waiting for there to be enough light to actually see the course while we walked it. My best friend, and Co-driver, Jon Simmons headed out with another local member to give them insight on the course, leaving just me, Andy, and Ann Hollis there at the starting line. The three of us talked a bit more, then I decided to head out and take another look at the course myself. As I was leaving, Andy turned to me and simply said, "Have fun". What really impacted me wasn't the words themselves, but the delivery, and my interpreted meaning behind it. He wasn't just talking about having fun while walking the course. No. For me, it was a reminder. Sometimes we competitive types get our heads so wrapped around results, that it gets in our way. We start chasing. We forget why we are there in the first place. Andy simply reminded me. I was there to have fun.
Newly energized, and feeling like a thousand weights were lifted off me, I walked the course again. While I still didn't love it, I came to terms with it, and was ready to run. Funny enough, after my first run, I found I actually did really enjoy the course. And while having fun, and enjoying the course, I happened to set fastest clean time for the class, as well as all other street tire classes! Not too shabby! That ended up putting me in 2nd, and only 3 tenths out of first. I was elated. I had achieved my goal. And while achieving my goal, I learned a lesson we can all share. Have fun, it's a great stress reliever.
At this point, I would like to take a second to thank a few people. Without these people, my result this year would not have been possible. Andy and Teresa Clark, for letting me get behind the wheel of "Bubba". My best friend and co-driver, Jon Simmons, for doing such a great job at fine tuning the car, and adding even more enjoyment to this fun sport by simply being my co-driver. Andy Hohl, for those two words. This is the second Nationals in a row that you have given me something I can keep. And while the first one has actual monetary value, this one is truly far more valuable. My wife, for putting up with all this nonsense, love ya! And, last but certainly not least, God, for the talent I have been given.
The long and the short of it is, I got 2nd. While some would see that as "the first loser", I was, and still am, quite ecstatic about the result. For multiple reasons. The first of which is that it was my best result to date. The rarefied air of the top 3 felt great to finally break into. The last two Nationals I attended, I had set a goal of top 5. I missed the mark two years ago by a cone. The last cone on the course, as a matter of fact. That one cone cost me 5th place against some very, very good drivers. Last year was.... well, terrible. I had heard that everyone has one (or more) of THOSE Nationals. You know, the one you just have to throw away. Last year's was mine. I coned away a 2nd fastest raw time on my first run, coned and missed a braking point on what was becoming a great 2nd run, and wussed out on the third. I decided to back off, to get a clean run, and it cost me a much slower run than I was expecting. Never again. Lesson learned.
Another reason I was happy with 2nd, was that I climbed up to it from 4th. After day one I was a little over a second behind first, a little over two tenths out of 2nd, and a hundredth or so out of 3rd. I figured 1st would be quite a challenge to overtake, but 2nd and 3rd were within striking distance. However between two tenths and three tenths back were 5th though 9th, making me a target that was catch able if I didn't perform. My goal, however, coming into this Nationals was top three, and I was determined to make my goal this time.
I am going to break off on tangent for a second, and discuss the power of words. Going into day two I was starting to feel the pressure. I had walked the course before leaving the site on day one, and didn't like it. At all. And that worried me. Generally, if you don't like a course, you aren't going to do that well on it. At least not as well as you could. I put it out of my mind the best I could all that night. But it was starting in on me as soon as I woke up the next morning. I tried "fooling" myself into being confident. You know the tactic. Telling yourself you are the man, and all that. Pumping yourself up, basically. Yeah, well, that wasn't really working. Although I let on an air that it was. But what really calmed me down and got me in the right frame of mind, were two little words. Yup, just two little words, spoken by a good friend and mentor, Andy Hohl.
A group of us were standing around the start line, sun rising over Lincoln, waiting for there to be enough light to actually see the course while we walked it. My best friend, and Co-driver, Jon Simmons headed out with another local member to give them insight on the course, leaving just me, Andy, and Ann Hollis there at the starting line. The three of us talked a bit more, then I decided to head out and take another look at the course myself. As I was leaving, Andy turned to me and simply said, "Have fun". What really impacted me wasn't the words themselves, but the delivery, and my interpreted meaning behind it. He wasn't just talking about having fun while walking the course. No. For me, it was a reminder. Sometimes we competitive types get our heads so wrapped around results, that it gets in our way. We start chasing. We forget why we are there in the first place. Andy simply reminded me. I was there to have fun.
Newly energized, and feeling like a thousand weights were lifted off me, I walked the course again. While I still didn't love it, I came to terms with it, and was ready to run. Funny enough, after my first run, I found I actually did really enjoy the course. And while having fun, and enjoying the course, I happened to set fastest clean time for the class, as well as all other street tire classes! Not too shabby! That ended up putting me in 2nd, and only 3 tenths out of first. I was elated. I had achieved my goal. And while achieving my goal, I learned a lesson we can all share. Have fun, it's a great stress reliever.
At this point, I would like to take a second to thank a few people. Without these people, my result this year would not have been possible. Andy and Teresa Clark, for letting me get behind the wheel of "Bubba". My best friend and co-driver, Jon Simmons, for doing such a great job at fine tuning the car, and adding even more enjoyment to this fun sport by simply being my co-driver. Andy Hohl, for those two words. This is the second Nationals in a row that you have given me something I can keep. And while the first one has actual monetary value, this one is truly far more valuable. My wife, for putting up with all this nonsense, love ya! And, last but certainly not least, God, for the talent I have been given.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)