So now that it's a new year, it's time to start looking forward, right? Time to start thinking about the coming race season, right? Time to start laying out plans! As we started discussing 2021, I threw it out there that I'm eligible to run for "Rookie of the Year" in the Vintage Modified class. I know, sounds crazy, a 48 year old "rookie". But that's how it works, because I've never run this class before. Honestly, I've never run more than a couple races at this track before. So I am kind of starting over in a way. When I told the guys in the shop "I'd love to run for Rookie of the Year", my brother Tommy's first response was "You should run for the Championship and Rookie of the Year will take care of itself." This is why I love him, because he honestly believes in my racing program that strongly. He believes I could do it, he's not just saying that to make me feel better about myself.
The car is in good shape at this point in the off-season. We're probably farther along than we've been in any past season. The only things left to do to the car are setup things. The engine has been fired, timing set, fluids have all been topped off in the engine, transmission and rear end. The next step is to put the car on the setup blocks and start setting ride heights and bar angles, then it'll go on the scales for final adjustments before we give the whole car a once-over, checking every nut and bolt to make sure nothing is loose. We're literally down to that point, and with about two months before the season starts I have no concerns about being ready for opening day this time.
So where does that leave us as far as the season plans? Well, that's a good question, and I'm not sure I have a solid answer just yet. In an ideal world, I'd make a run for Rookie of the Year. I've never won that award in my life, I've come close once and was somehow screwed out of it one other time (long story). So it would be an awesome accomplishment to pull it off. But here's the thing, it takes a lot. It takes a commitment to be at every race. It takes a budget to pull it off. and more importantly, it takes a lot of luck. The budget is the part that scares me. Honestly, financially we're probably in the best place to make an honest run at it this year than we've been in a long time, probably since about the 2008 season when we finished runner-up in the LLMRS series Championship. But we still need some help there, we're not in as good a place as we need to be.
Then there's the luck part, and this is the part that haunts me. It's hard to tell potential sponsors "we're gonna win Rookie of the Year" because the truth is, you can't control it. Even if you're the only rookie on the track, you could run the first three races and the car get destroyed, putting you out for the season, and then some other rookie shows up two races later and rambles off three wins in a row and knocks you out. You just don't know, and you can't control it, so you can't honestly guarantee it. And potential sponsors are hesitant to commit to something that hinges on luck.
Now, all that being said, what does that mean? Well, I think it means we're gonna make an honest go at Rookie of the Year this season. This is probably our best shot at winning it, I think we have to take the chance while we can. Hopefully the luck part will fall our way, lord knows it hasn't over the past decade or so, so maybe we're due. But I'm still looking for a bit more funding to help put us in a better position to pull it off. It's a huge goal, but it's one I'd love to see achieved.
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