The Rough Times of Racing! First Win!

Do not remember which race this is, but it is at Firebird Main.
February 14, 2004, found us out at Firebird Raceway, the Main track.  We had two bad outing before this.  Back in October, we were on  Firebird East when I lost 1st, and 2nd gears before the race.  But I almost got a first from that, but had to rebuild the transmission.  In December, we were at PIR (Phoenix International Raceway), qualifying well and a my class, go out and  find myself and spinning in a rain storm at NASCAR turn 4, and coming close to hitting the wall.  Another 2nd for that weekend.

We got the car off the trail and went out to practice.  Did about 5 laps and brought the car in.  Everything felt fine.  Then came qualifying went out and did a few more laps and did not do bad in qualifying.  (If you look at #40 in the picture, that is a Sports Racer Ford.  A some what fast car and I qualified behind the group of 5 or 6 cars that day.)

So we get the car back to our paddock area and eat lunch and relax before race.  For me this was drinking a lot of water and Gatorade and taking a nap.  I wake up from my nap and see that my chief competition for the day, is loading up his car and going home.  For me this was a let down.  Because of the last two races.  But now all I had to do was make it around the track 10 times and I would get my first class win with out have to really race anyone for it. 

In SCCA Road Racing you have to have about 15 to 20 cars to get your own running group.  So you have about 20 different National racing groups and about 20 regional racing groups.  So you could have 15 different classes of cars in one race.  And the cars are some what equally matched.  You would not have the Golf racing with a Corvette.  At this time I was racing the Golf, in ITB (Improved Touring B), and there was two of us out this weekend.

So my race came up and I got the car to Pre-grid.  Sat there and waited for the 5 minute sign.  Dad checks the mirrors, to make sure they are were I want them.  2 minutes comes up.  Helmet and gloves go on.  Say a little prayer.  1 minute comes up and I turn the car on, make sure my belts are tight, and dad leans in to tell me to be safe and to have fun.  The cars start to role, and we role unto to pit road.  We hit the track and start moving the car back and forth to try to build some heat in the tires.  We make it around the track and start lining up in our roles and round the tower turn, and wait for the Green Flag to drop.  I have the car in 2nd gear, ready to shot off like a rocket when I see it.  And we are off.

After 2 or 3 laps the Spec Racer Fords are long gone and you are racing with the other cars.  I am focused on making the turns, hitting the apex just right, but in the S curves I am have a hard time hitting my maker and braking, causing me to move closer and closer off the tiger teeth.  (Since the last time we were there they had resurfaced the back part of the track.  And had made going off at the tiger teeth a very deep hole.)  About lap 7 or 8 I fell of the tiger teeth at the end of the s curves and feel a big bump, and I know that I have popped my rear left tire.  I made it back to the pits and dad conformed that I had popped the tire.  We needed to change the tire, and so I pulled it back in our paddock area.  Dad and another guy that came out to help out for the weekend started to change the tire.  We got it changed and then discovered that I also had popped the front tire as well.  Good thing we always bring a spare set of tires.  He gets the tires changed and I had to pre-grid where I am held up.  They get the clearance to let me back on the track.  And I am back in the race.  The checked flag waves and I find out that I completed 11 laps.  Enough for the win.

OK I know I was the only one in my class for the race, but I need those 12 points for the championship for the end of the year.  It also taught me that a sure thing is always a sure thing.  I knew that before this race, because I have seen my dad get bit when he thought he was going to have an easy win.  But a win is a win!

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