Riding the racing roller coaster

Looking back, I think I tried to sabotage myself. But Colin wouldn't let me. First he sent me to Bondurant Driving School. I passed that, so then it was my turn to act. I had to file the proper paperwork with the SVRA and VSCDA to get my respective license and/or driving privileges. So a month went by, then two, three, four and so on until my certificate from Bondurant was almost expired and I would have had to take the course again in order to get my vintage racing license. 

Again Colin forced my hand. He wanted me to do the VSCDA Spring Brake driver's school the first weekend in May at GingerMan Raceway, followed by what would be my first race ever, and Colin's first race of the season. So in order to participate I had to file the paperwork I'd been procrastinating filing. 

I'd been saying all along I wanted to drive a racecar. So what was keeping me from taking the proper steps? Colin was handing me my vintage racing opportunity on a silver platter and I was practically letting it slip through my fingers. But I only realize this looking back now. 

The paperwork was filed, the entry fees were paid and everything was set for my driver's school. And the roller coaster of emotions begins.  First the car needed some additional safety equipment, mainly an expanded roll cage to include driver's side impact protection. No big deal. Well that's what the car got, except now the side impact protection was filling the space where my left elbow had previously called home. Colin said I could adjust. All I could think was how nervous about driving the car I already felt and now my left arm had limited mobility. I was trying to be a good sport, and if Colin said I could do it, I believed him, and I told him I would drive the car, roll cage in my way and all. Thankfully, Colin sensed my fear of driving with my left arm seriously restricted and magically had the roll cage altered so that once again my left arm had full range of motion. 

The same shop that installed the too-small roll cage was also supposed to have done a comprehensive pre-race mechanical prep and swore the car was ready to go. But Colin, detailed-orientated as he his, thought another once over couldn't hurt. And so he had Marty, one of his seriously gifted ace mechanics, go over the car. And, you guessed it, the car was not even near to being track worthy. Scary to think I'd already did one track day with the car in this condition. The right rear brake wheel cylinder was rusted solid; front wheel bearings way over torqued; rear axle hubs rubbing on brake shoe springs and wheel cylinders; left front brake hose had a hole rubbed in it; cracked transmission case bleeding gear lube; half the bolts in the suspension were loose; upper radiator hose kinked due to wrong thermostat housing on the engine; front to back brake line pinched by seat mounting bolts; etc. Naturally, at this point the car was supposed to be on the trailer, loaded, tied down and ready to go bright and early the next morning. Needless to say it was a long way from "ready to go." But as anyone who has done any kind of racing will tell you, it is not unusual to be working on your car until right up to the race start. I'm sure this situation will repeat itself time and time again throughout my racing career.  

After a run to Pegasus, minutes before closing (thanks Bob) and a very late night paired with a very early morning by Colin and Marty, the car was ready in time for my school and my first race. 

School started with an evening session of chalk talk covering the basics of vintage racing, going over the flags, the line, and the finer points of being a "gentleman" racer. I'm thankful all the information wasn't new to me, otherwise it would have been a lot to take in in one evening. 

Friday morning the vintage racing immersion program for the 30-some new racers began. Track time, followed by classroom debrief, then back in the car, then back in the classroom and over and over all day. But the good thing about a tight schedule is that there's less time to spend being nervous. Though the nerves still found a way to sneak in, of course. After the first session even a little self doubt crept in and I found myself wondering if I was cut out for racing. It's not that the session went bad, it was just uncomfortable. It was new and I don't think I'm a natural. I don't understand enough about how cars work as a machine to be a natural. But this is why I was at the school and Colin reassured me that I'd get the hang of this whole racing thing and kept sending me back out on the track. 

And he was right, each session went better and better. I started to feel comfortable in the car and with the track and I was starting to get hungry for the next session. By the fourth session, I was feeling pretty good. And then it started to rain. But we were just practicing race starts. So I would go as fast as I felt comfortable going. On our first start, I was about middle of the pack. I didn't get a very good start but it didn't matter, as every car in front of me spun or slid off the track in turn two. I avoided the debacle, and what do you know, I found myself in pole position for the second start. I was a little nervous and excited. As we came around for the green flag, I could see that the rest of the cars were not in order behind me, thus causing the starter to wave us on. And that was okay, I was still getting used to how the track felt wet. Slick. Very slick. As we came around again to get the start. I felt good. I was setting the pace and I had the rpm's right where I wanted them. Green flag. Bam, I jumped out in front of the car next to me, cut over to get on line for the turn in point. Beautiful, textbook. First turn, hit the gas, oh too much gas, too slippery. Steering correction, steering correction. The car's not settling, looks like we're going off-road. And so my fantastic start ended with a little off-road excursion. Though some may call that a shortcut? Either way, it was a great experience to feel what it's like to drive in the rain. The car survived and so did I. 

And so I passed the school and was given my VSCDA driving privileges. And I was happy. The fun I was having on the track was beginning to outweigh the nerves I felt when off the track. And now I could only ask myself, what was I so scared of? Thank you Colin for not letting me off the hook too easy and believing in me when I didn't believe in myself, or at least putting on a supportive front. :)  

Now I just had to make it through the rest of the race weekend without an incident. To be continued...