It seems like a long time since I sat down to put my thoughts to paper- so to speak. A lot has happened in the last 2 weeks as well. Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas clinched the Daytona Prototype title in the Rolex series, and its something like Scott’s 5th and Memo’s 4th. Those guys are definitely deserving Champions and excellent road racers. Though I’m not a huge fan of the man, Brad Keslowski has made a statement in the Sprint Cup Chase; winning 2 of the first 3 Chase races.
As for me, the last week was spent with my wife. We kind of took the honeymoon we didn’t take last year when we got married. Last year, 6 days after we got married, instead of taking a honeymoon my wife went along with me to a race that we had scheduled. The best part about that weekend ( heavy sarcasm here) was that it rained both days and never climbed out of the low 50’s. She sat in the clubhouse or the truck most of the day to keep warm and dry. I figure that was pretty special for her to do for me, so I let her plan the week that she wanted this year. We spent a lot of time out on the boat- which is something we both love, so it was a really nice time.
I wanted to mention a foundation we had on the car a couple weeks ago at Mid-Ohio. The Motorsports Rehabilitation Foundation. While it is something no driver likes to think about, getting hurt inside a racecar is a very real possibility. As I get older, I find that I think about it a little more than I used too. Now that I’m married, and with the possibility of a family- what would I do if something happened? Worse yet- what would my wife do?
That’s where MRF comes in- they help out families of injured drivers in those times of need. Scott Lynn founded the MRF about 15 years ago after an accident while competing at Watkins Glen. He exited turn 1 at 125 mph, and hit the retaining wall head on. It was then that he realized that while he was extremely lucky- it could have very easily gone the other way.
The MRF is able to step in and help those that have been either injured or the families of those who have been killed in sanctioned motorsports events. They understand that the medical bills, legal fees, and everyday bills that tend to rapidly accumulate at the time of an injury can be a real burden. A burden that can very easily become too much to deal with for most people. It’s not something we think about when we load our racecars up, but life can change very quickly at the racetrack.
Michelle Randall, a co-founder, and Eugene Hahn, a director, not only are educated in economics and business, they also understand the business of racing. Better yet- they understand WHY we do what we do. More often than not, that is important as well. When someone gets hurt- the question or statement is “why did he/she have to be out there”. It’s what we love, and to know that a foundation like MRF is out there- makes it easier to climb into a car.
Regardless of who you are- a fan, a crew member, a driver- I ask you to log on to www.gomrf.org and check these guys out. They are an outstanding group of people, and it is a wonderful service that they provide in a terrible time in someone’s life. Learn about them, read about who they are, donate to the cause- and hope that you never have to use them.
The wheels are turning over here at Onderko Motorsports. I wish I could tell you about all that is happening behind the scenes. I hope to make some big announcements in the near future- but you know how that goes- nothing- nothing-nothing and then BAM! All kinds of good stuff comes out. Anyway, I will be staying busy the next 2 weeks, and hope that you will too. By the way- we will be unveiling a new website very soon, so we are really excited about that as well. Log on to www.gomrf.org and check those guys out! Till next week. . .
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