That's right, it's finally here, race week! 😎
Honestly, I'm equal parts excited and nervous. This is the point where my brain starts running full speed thinking about all of the "what ifs". Did we get everything finished? Did we tighten all the bolts? Did we check all the fluids? Did we pack all our tools? Did we pack the right spare parts? Will the car perform like we think it will? Is our setup way off? What if it's slow? What if we break something? What if I stuff it in the wall? It's a scary place inside my mind!
We (and by "we" I mean "me") set some pretty lofty goals this season. I've stated that I want to make a serious effort at "Rookie of the Year", an award that has eluded me 4 times in the past, twice where I actually won it but was not awarded it (long story). This is an award I'd love to add to my shelf and it holds a special place in my mind because of my history with it. I know, you'd think a championship would be more important, and that is. But, baby steps. At this point in my racing "career" I've kind of resigned the championship deal to something I probably won't ever reach. We've come crazy close, finishing 2nd once (in 2008), but never quite reached it. So, this RotY thing is obtainable and that's my focus......for now.
I've heard that there will be a couple other rookies out there this year, so if it rings true I will have some competition and this won't be a default award. But only time will tell. There is one that I'm actually worried about, so we'll see how that pans out. Tommy has told me to "focus on the Championship and RotY will take care of itself". He's right, but that's easier said than done. My luck in the recent past hasn't been that great, it seems like whatever "could" go wrong "does".
As I said, I'm worried about something going wrong, anything. something breaking, getting tangled up in a wreck, anything. These guys seem to race a bit cleaner than what I've been used to, there's also less of them so there's less of a chance of just being in the wrong spot at the wrong time and these cars are moving a lot slower so when things do go wrong it doesn't go "as wrong as fast". The fact that the cars are moving a lot slower also means there's less stress on parts, so hopefully things tend to break less. Honestly, that was part of why I moved to this class. The cars themselves seem to be a bit more "sturdy" so to speak. If something does break, you can bet it's because we did something wrong, not someone flat running over us or something.
So, I think we're ready to kick off the 2021 racing season. I'm not sure I am personally ready, but we are. I think if you don't get stressed over it then you are probably a little jaded or something. The budgetary impact that the more recent years have had on me personally has skewed my outlook somewhat. I say that, but I'm sure when the green flag drops I'll dive right in there again. It's hard to take the "racer" out of the person.
I do want to take a quick moment to thank a few people, because I always get caught up in everything that is going on and forget to. With that, a huge thank you to -
Race Car Help for all of the chassis setup support. Jim has been amazing with his info and guidance and I really hope we can make him proud this year!
Freelancers Communications for support of our little team. If you need help with Point of Sale, Security Camera, Data Networking, or Telecommunications installations, give them a shout!
Clevenger Associates for supporting us. Anyone needing help with commercial kitchen and laundry design, look them up!
Voeller and Associates for continued support. A great manufacturer's rep firm.
Roller+Associates for joining us this year. Another great manufacturer's rep firm.
Lucky's Drive-In for the best burgers on the West Coast! 😁 Seriously though, the shakes are legit too!
Food Is Free Project Tacoma - This one is a bit different for me, because really I want to support them. Food Rescue is a big thing for me, I work in the foodservice industry (all be it in design) and in my life food is a major thing. Being food insecure is a serious struggle for many Americans and I fully support the work this group is doing. I ask that if you can help them, please do. If you need help, see how they can help you. Please check them out and consider helping out if you can.
Lastly, all my guys at the shop - Pops, Tommy, Les, Donnie. these guys have been there every step of the way. they do the nitty-gritty work behind the scenes. It's easy to find someone to help push your car down pit road when it looks cool. But these guys are there doing the dirty work to put this thing together and the tough work when things go wrong. They don't ask questions, they just go to work. There is no way to thank them, because nothing adds up to "enough". you have no idea how badly I want to win, not because I want to win, but because they deserve it. They deserve to see this car in victory lane, they deserve to hold that trophy. It's bigger than me and it's a weight I carry with much respect. Thanks guys, we're gonna do this!
Saturday is the day! Come out to South Sound Speedway and cheer us on! Fans are back in the stands and we'd love to see you there! For complete event info and ticket prices, visit the Speedway website here - http://www.southsoundspeedway.com/events/nw-focus-midgets-vintage-modified-baby-grands-and-tuners/
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