Last week I told everybody how the hangover of the first race felt. Realizing that getting the racecar on the track is the easy thing, keeping it racing is another problem all together. So now we have to fix the car and get it back together so we can go racing, just buy the new parts and slap it all together- yeah right.
Remember what you could do at age 19? Remember how you knew it all, and you didn’t need advice from anybody? Remember that bubble that you lived in- all the cool things of becoming an adult, yet all the carelessness of being a kid? There is a reason you remember the lessons in life that you learn the hard way.
That brand new credit card I had gotten a few weeks ago was nearing half its capacity, and more parts needed to be ordered. My girlfriend was becoming more and more upset with all of the time I was spending in the shop. My boss was getting tired of me dragging at work, and I was tired of not sleeping. I was 3 weeks out since the first race and I was having trouble getting the car back together. The car was in worse shape than I had thought originally, and I was buying tools to fix it- expensive tools.
Each day I would head to work around , get home at 5:30-600pm go have dinner and head out to the shop. I am certainly not complaining, mind you, I look back on those times with a fond recollection, but at the time I felt completely overwhelmed. Not only was it taking a toll physically on me, but the rapidly rising costs were starting to hit home as well. I started looking for ways to cut down on some of the money I was outlaying. I learned that a pack of Ritz crackers and a jar of peanut butter could get you through a day, and sleep was not necessary as long as you drank lots of coffee and took a few No-Doze pills to keep you awake during the day. This is not only a bad way to take care of yourself, but it’s also really stupid- it always catches up with you- and I do not advise it.
As the seasons started to change, I realized I could make the last race of the year if I really buckled down and got the car finished. For those of you who have been around racing, girlfriends/wives really love it when you are spending lots of time with a car, and then you tell them that you need to spend even more time at the shop. So unless they are willing to come to the shop and sit there, while watching you put the effort into your racecar that used to be reserved for them, they will never see you. Yeah- they love that. In the end, though, you work harder on the car- hoping they will understand, and try to pay a little bit on the credit card- that’s starting to get a little out of control now.
Looking back on those first few months of my racing career, I sit and think about all the things I learned. I foolishly self-taught myself most of what I needed to know- not because someone wasn’t willing to teach me, I was just unwilling to take what was being offered. This is also something I don’t recommend, it always costs extra to learn something, always. Some of the greatest life lessons, I learned during that time. There is one underlying theme to my thought processes today- especially if I am undertaking something new-There is always someone who can do it better than you, learn from that person, and ask lots of questions. It saves lots of headaches.
We finally did get back on the track that year- finished 8th our first race back, and brought the cars home in one piece. That was a big plus- since I didn’t have anymore money to fix it again. Its funny, it’s not so much the races I remember about that time- it’s the times in the shop that stick the most. All of this, though, would serve me well later on in my career.
Next week we will touch on getting ready for the next season and continue to talk about how racing becomes a lifestyle of living this sport, and how money, time, and relationships continue to endure as I climb the ladder of the sport. I know I sound like a broken record- but please check out my sponsors on this page, they help me live my dream, and a special thanks to those of you who have visited them. Don’t be afraid to let me know what you think about this blog, I am a little new at this aspect of it, but I like the interaction with my fans, and like to know who they are.
Interesting to read about all of your experiences starting out as a competitor in the sport of auto racing. My family never had tremendous amounts of money or any connections, and with my dad going from job to job they never had money at their leisure for me to even try out the karting level. As the years passed by, I decided to pursue a career outside of auto racing and enjoy being a spectator when I can.
ReplyDeletePartially because of the stories such as what you are telling, I feel that there are so few sports like auto racing which is why it continues to be my favorite to this day. Every time I meet drivers or members of racing teams (including you briefly at Mountain Speedway a few years back), I'm appreciative of the work all of you do working towards achieving your goals and at the same time keeping us fans entertained. Thanks and I look forward to viewing your future posts!
By the way, I found your blog after you were on Race Talk Radio earlier in the week. Dennis and Lori are great people and I always enjoy their programming.