New Website Released. . .

         I just wanted to drop everybody a note about this blog and my new website.  After many changes and different layouts- OC2 Interactive Web Solutions presents the latest version of my website.  www.justinonderko.com  With the update of the website, I will now be posting the blog on the site.  I appreciate all of the readers that stop by and spend a few minutes reading my thoughts.  I look forward to continued sharing and reactions from you.  I want to thank OC2 Interactive for the hard work and excellent ideas that contributed to my site.  I look forward to the 2013 racing season, I believe it will be my most exciting season yet.

As the World Turns. . .

It’s been a very busy 2 weeks since I last checked in.  Not only has the racing world been active with the season finally coming to a close for national divisions; but we here at Onderko Motorsports have been hard at work as well.

First I want to start with the Phoenix race.  I ended up watching that race because my NY Giants were playing a horrible game and I didn’t want to get agrivated.  After I saw the stupidity the Jeff Gordon exhibited, I went through the roof.  As a former short track racer, I still believe in the unwritten rule that you never, EVER, hook a guy in the right rear and turn him into the wall head first.  We were through this with Kyle Busch last year at Texas in the truck race- did we learn nothing?  The reprimand was bogus too, and Jeff can thank his 4 championships for keeping him from being parked.  I am still wound up about this whole deal, and if it were me, He would have been parked for Homestead and Daytona- but that’s just me.

NASCAR’s Cup series has a new and first time champion, Brad Keselowski.  I enjoy the enthusiasim and energy that Brad brings to the sport, he isn’t as polished as some of the other drivers.  I think for that reason, he is a bit polarizing when it comes to the fans.  He is one of those guys that you either like or you don’t.  Either way, it is good for the sport that someone new is at the top of the game.

I hate to even bring it up, but did anyone watch the Kurt Busch special?  Or as my wife and I call it- the “I’m trying to save my career anyway I can” special.  For me, it was the most contrived and trite piece of bad film production that SPEED channel has aired in a while.  I wonder how much Kurt spent on buying that time slot.  If you didn’t watch it, I won’t spoil it for you- if you did watch it, you know what I’m talking about.  At one point in the piece, the cars were running at Sonoma, and INDYCAR sounds were dubbed on top of the video feed- probably because NASCAR wouldn’t allow the use of their feed.  It was terrible, and I still can’t believe he has a ride- champion or not- what was the last positive thing he has done for the sport.  I wonder if Mama and Papa Busch are proud of the boys that they raised?  I know, that no matter how big I may get, I’m never to old for backhand if I get out of line- my Mother and Father still don’t take any crap.

Lastly, and I mention this with mixed feelings, a couple of days ago the world learned that Ms. Danica Patrick will be divorcing her husband of 7 years.  I went through it- it sucks- it really sucks- it sucks more than anything you’ll ever do.  I mean, the tons of money will make it easier because she wont have to worry about losing her house or possessions, but I still feel for her.  On the other hand, I am waiting to see the fallout in the coming months about what caused the divorce.  I’ll take the high road for now, but I’m keeping my ears and eyes peeled.

Onderko Motorsports has been busy as well these past 2 weeks.  We will be announcing a really neat partnership this coming week.  I am very happy and proud to be joining forces with these folks.  I got to sit down and have a wonderful dinner with them the other week, and I am grateful that have the vision that they do.  I know I have been promising a new website, and it is coming.  Perfection takes time, that and we keep changing things and tweaking this and that.  I think I looks awesome- OC2 Interactive is doing a wonderful job.

At the time of writing this- it is Thanksgiving Eve in the United States.  I want to wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving.  If you are traveling- please be safe.  15 minutes of extra travel time is no big deal- if it means you get there in one piece.  I have a tremendous amount to be thankful for, and I’m sure- no matter what position you are in- you can find things in your life to be thankful for as well.  Happy Thanksgiving!  By the way-  at the time of writing this- 33 days till Christmas!  Till Next Week. . . .

We'll miss you, Randy Bernard. . .

            I have been racing for a while now.  As I have said numerous times before, I have been very fortunate to race many different cars at many different places.  I have learned a few things about this sport over the years as well.  I have also come to realize, that things are not always what they seem, and I’m pretty sure that maybe the last couple of days in the INDYCAR series haven’t been what they might want us to believe.

            On October 28^th 2012, it was stated that Randy Bernard stepped down from his position as CEO of INDYCAR effective immediately.  In my opinion, the best thing to happen to INDYCAR in a very, very long time- and he up and quits?  Nope- not buying it.  In the last 3 years I have watched Bernard take the series from a laughable anecdote to what we had this season, which wasn’t perfect- but it was a vast improvement.  People were buying tickets, watching the races on TV, starting to get excited about American open wheel racing again- is the board of directors at INDYCAR adverse to success?

            Bobby Rahal may have said it best, “I have never seen a series that has so much going for it, shoot itself in the foot so many times.”

            Racing is entertainment.  We put on a show and we charge admission.  Randy Bernard understood that- he may not have understood much else about the sport, but he understood that much.  Do you know why NASCAR is so successful?  They listen to their fans, and they give them what they want.

            Do you know why racing attracts people?  Because it’s cool- because it’s dangerous- it’s not something everybody can do.  The problem with racing is- its entertainment.  You must balance the danger with the safety, the risk with the reward.  That’s a tough job, not one that I would sign up for, but that’s the job of a promoter.

            INDYCAR driver’s balked at some of the things that made the “show” more exciting.  Double file restarts for example.  This was a great idea for the fans- because that’s who it should be about- the fans.  It was exciting to watch, but the drivers didn’t like it.  Along with a few other changes, there was the sentiment from the driver’s that Bernard cared more about the “show” than he did about safety.  Let me tell you something, I’ve driven some real shady racecars- FOR FREE.  These guys have the best safety technology in the business, and they make a bunch of money while sitting in that technology.  That’s part of the draw- the danger.

            Do you remember the days when they went 230 mph at Indy?  When you regularly saw the con-trails off the back wings, and the cars had that high pitched scream?  I do- and that’s what made me want to go racing.  Bernard understood what INDYCAR racing needed- its fans.  Without them, the series is nothing.  If there is no one to watch the “show”- there really isn’t a reason to keep putting the “show” on.

            NASCAR owns the ball, they own the field, and they own the rules, and if you don’t like it you can leave.  They take their cues from the fans and make decisions accordingly.  There is stability and continuity in the series- whether the teams and drivers like it or not.

            Somewhere along the lines, INDYCAR starting letting its teams dictate to the series- bad idea.  There is a reason the series tells the teams what’s going to happen.  Tony George didn’t want team interference when he ran the IRL, but he is pretty quick to make his voice heard now.  INDYCAR made a lot of its loyal fans mad and that saying something if they stuck around through the CART/IRL split.  Now I’m sure if the INDYCAR teams were making the money that the NASCAR teams were a lot could be overlooked- but things take time- time that wasn’t given to Bernard.

            The cost of the DW12 car was more than expected, and spare parts costs were also higher that expected.  Engine leases were a little hard to come by this year, and the debacle that happened at Loudon in the rain this year was inexcusable. I can see how this may have left some room for doubt in people’s mind about Bernard.  However, at a time when INDYCAR needed to back up Bernard, I feel like they left him twisting in the breeze.

            This hits home for me, because we announced our intentions of running in the Pirelli World Challenge Series for 2013 the other day.  The PWC is a support series for the IZOD INDYCAR series.  I’m sure that Jeff Belskus- current CEO (also previous CEO before Bernard) has a plan to continue to make INDYCAR stronger and better, and he is off to a good start by letting a lot of what Bernard had put in place left alone, but it didn’t make it any easier on me by letting Bernard go- or by Bernard stepping down is what I meant to say.

            I have made offers to other people via this blog before, and today is no different.  I would like to let Mr. Bernard know, that if he ever needs a driver to fill a field he can count on me.  Drivers who have made it to the top, sometimes forget what its like to be hungry and trying to make a name for themselves.  Every single driver, whether it be for INDYCAR, NASCAR, F1, GRAND-AM, can all be replaced, and for a much lower cost.  There is somebody out there who is sick of living on Ritz Crackers and peanut butter, and who spends his hard earned money to go racing, that would love the opportunity to compete at the highest of levels.

            Check me out on twitter @justinonderko, and my new website is just about to be released, so be looking for that in the next couple of days as well.  Till next week. . .

Reflection. . .

It’s amazing how fast time flies.  It seems like just yesterday the season was just starting; now the racecars, at least for us, sit idle in the shop- waiting for their respective checklists to be completed.  The weather is turning cooler here in the northeast, and instead of engines the furnaces will soon be running.  The season of reflecting is now upon us, time to look back at the past year and remember the good and the bad.

            This time of year is always a little depressing for me.  The season is over, and other than some winter testing, I won’t be back in a racecar to compete until next spring.  I think of racecars like people, and I don’t think the racecars like to sit any more than I do.  Although we had some up’s and down’s this year it’s hard to look back at this year and not call it a success.

We visited some new racetracks and ran very well right off the trailer.  That always makes a crew and a driver feel good.  It’s always easier to find a little speed during the weekend, than being out to lunch and playing catch up.  That was something that we worked on at the shop this year.  Making sure we felt like the setup we put in the car would be what we needed when we got to the track.  Running an in house car this year, we didn’t have the at track manpower that some of these other teams have.  I am proud of my team to be able to compete at this level, it certainly wasn’t late models- which is where their comfort zone was.

This year was a big step out of my comfort zone as well.  At the end of the day, the goal of racing is still the same, be the fastest car on the track- lap after lap after lap.  While we were able win multiple times this year, I am more proud of how my driving has progressed.

I’ve been racing since I was 12 years old- get ready- that’s 17 years.  I feel that I have made bigger strides in the last 2 years than in the first 15 combined.  Due, in part, to the time I spent at Bertil Roos- if you haven’t attended yet; do it, its worth every minute.  I am grateful for what I learned at the Roos school, but I think it has more to do with my age.  As I have spent more time behind the wheel, I have gained more of a respect for the “craft” that driving a race car is.

I believe that anyone can climb into a racecar and go fast, relatively speaking.  The concept of what we do is not all that complex- go fast- don’t wreck- win some races- visit victory lane.  In theory, it’s not hard- but it is sometimes maddening how difficult it can be.  3 years ago, I finally learned how to qualify.  That seems like a stupid thing to say, but it’s not.  Qualifying and racing are 2 very different things.  Most everybody can tape off the grill, and bump up the tire pressures and go bust off a quick lap.  In doing so, most everyone tries to go faster when they qualify.  I can’t explain it really well, but I actually try to slow down a little bit.  I call it “backing up the corner”; getting slowed down before the corner and being able to accelerate sooner and longer down the straightaway.  It goes against everything that feels right.  Now, you have to have a good car to do that, but that’s all part of the package.

That has translated into road racing for me as well.  The more I try to go fast and hustle the car, the more disappointed I am with the lap times.  Taking only what the car will give you, being ultra smooth, like ultra-ultra smooth, and knowing the track as well as you can- you know; doing your homework.  Before we went to every track this year, I would watch in car video for hours.  My wife would get so mad, she would be trying to go to bed, and here I am with the volume up blaring a track video.  Thing is- it works.  Knowing every square inch of the track- BEFORE- you ever get on it, can help a driver so much.

When I was younger, it was hard to tell me anything.  I knew everything there was to know about racing, racecars, and how to drive a racecar.  I “didn’t even know- that I didn’t know”.  Its funny, now when I watch races on TV, I’m not watching the “race”, I’m watching the racecars.  I’m watching how they look on the track, under braking, the roll in the corner, ride heights.

As I continue to make this my career, I find myself discovering a whole new side of this sport.  Everybody talks about it, but actually being disciplined enough to consciously being able to calm yourself down inside the racecar is pretty hard.  Not getting emotional behind the wheel, not getting frustrated, or nervous, is a big key to taking big steps towards being a great driver.

For me, this is what I’m most proud of this past year.  Not just strapping in and going full tilt till the checkers.  Making the race a chess match of sorts- you know- a chess match at 150 mph’s.  That’s partly why the end of the competition season is such a drag.  Winter testing just isn’t the same.

As you can tell, I’m already looking forward to next year, and I can’t wait to tell everyone the plans as well.  I guess its back to the shop, and maybe a few board meetings till then.  We haven’t released our website yet, but stay tuned- its going to be pretty cool.  Follow be on twitter @justinonderko, and justinonderko.com as well.  Till next time. . .

It's Been a While. . .

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 5^th and Memo’s 4^th.  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. . .

2012 IZOD Indycar Championship. . .

           Congratulations to Ryan Hunter-Reay- the 2012 IZOD Indycar Champion.  Boy that has a nice ring to it.  Personally, I’m glad that we have an American driver as champion again, after all- it is an American series.  Although I have never been a huge fan of Will Power, I can’t imagine the range of emotions he must be dealing with.

            While I understand that the difference between myself and IZOD drivers is about 5-6 million dollars a year, I would like to think we are the same on the inside.  I remember the joy of 2010 and our Late Model Championship, and the sting of 2012 at Mid-Ohio is still acutely felt.  For me, winning the championship made day to day life much happier and easier to deal with- and conversely; breaking the transmission at Mid-Ohio made even the smallest things seem like a big deal.

            I’m sure the Monday morning meetings were very different as well.  The guys at Andretti Autosport were probably still celebrating, while it might have been a little uncomfortable over Penske Racing.  I believe that you run every lap of every race to the fullest- or at least as full as you can make it.  I believe each lap counts, and as a driver it’s your job to make sure you run all the laps.  Which is why I don’t believe Ryan “lucked into it” or “got lucky”.  Sure, when Will Power spun and crashed, it made Ryan’s job easier, but he could have just as easily crashed as well, or broke, or any number of things.  That’s why you never give up- ever.

            On the other hand, I don’t think it’s completely fair to blame Will Power for “losing” the Championship.  Yes, he did spin, and effectively ended his chances.  However, was there a time this season, when maybe his crew made a mistake or two?  Maybe.  Was there ever a time when Will had 10^th place car, and was able to bring it home 5^th?  Again, maybe.  In the end, it really doesn’t matter, because the driver is like the quarterback- they are the ones who shoulder that responsibility of winning or losing.

            All that being said, Ryan edged Will by 3 points.  3 points.  3 points.  3 points can make you go crazy.  3 points can make you say “what if” all winter long.  3 points can get you fired, or it can get you another deal for next year.  A lot can be said by 3 points.

            As for me, the off season is here.  Time to regroup, and move forward for next year.  Getting back on the winter training schedule, and keeping in shape for next year.  It’s not a time to lay back, it’s a time to get ahead.  Getting budgets together, renegotiating contracts, signing new sponsors- its time to get to work.

            I’m going to switch to a bi-weekly format for the blog for the offseason.  It will give me chance to focus on all of the aforementioned items, and make it more interesting when I do get to update you.  I would like to wish my wife Marisa a Happy Anniversary, we will have been married 1 year on September 24^th.  Now, I know its not 10 years, but you have to give her most of the credit, living with a racer is measured like dog years- it always feels longer than it really is.  She’s pretty amazing- and I’m glad to be with her.  Anyway- enough with the mushy stuff, this is a racing blog- enough with the mushy stuff, this is a racing bloglways feels longer than it really ispretty cool in the next few weeks, so stso follow me on twitter- @justinonderko, and we will be unveiling something new and pretty cool in the next few weeks, so stay tuned.  Till next time. . .

2012 National Championships- Mid-Ohio Memories

           The 2012 NASA National Championships at Mid-Ohio are in the history books.  Even in another year of recession, the pits were full of drivers and teams chasing victory at the famed road course.  We saw Daytona Prototypes, Mustangs, Corvettes, Hondas, and everything in between.  Drivers raced hard and fast for 4 days, and in the end the drivers that were able to out race and in some cases outlast the competition- took home the trophy.

            Since we’ve got home, I’ve tried to figure out a way to put this past week into words.  It’s hard to describe the whole experience.  There are really two sides to last week for me.  There is the obvious racing side of things, and then there is the human element side of things.  For me, I always try to down play events such as this.  Even though this is the National Championships, in reality- it’s just another race.  I believe you can get caught up in the sheer spectacle of things and lose focus on the task at hand if you allow yourself to get wrapped up in the moment.

            No matter how long I’m at this game, the last few miles on the road until I pull into the racetrack are always the worst.  My insides are turning upside down and my mind is racing a mile a minute.  This past week was no different, in fact, it was worse- I mean, come on, it’s only the biggest race of my career.  I have to admit, it was pretty cool to have a set of credentials with the Mid-Ohio logo on it.  The whole scene was such a spectacle- just the sheer size of the event was awesome.

            I try not to get wrapped up in the moment to often, I feel like I should be past all of the shock and awe of racing, I’ve been around this sport for so long now- I feel like I’ve had my share of ups and downs.  It was really hard, especially Wednesday when I wasn’t out on the track.  It was both exciting and scary at the same time- to realize the tens of millions of dollars that surrounded me, in racecars-equipment-motorcoaches- and vendors.

            Much like I try to be at the racetrack- enough with all that crap- lets get down to business.  I was ready to get out on the track- that’s where the world still makes sense to me.  Time to see if the last 2 weeks of preparation have paid off.  The time out on the track was spent learning and trying to figure ways to make us faster.

            To make a very long story short- during qualifying on Friday, we lost 3^rd gear.  We tried all that we knew how, but in the end- the damage was to severe and with the resources we had at that time, we couldn’t fix it.  We were not able to compete in the final race of the Championship weekend- resulting in a DNF.

            Now that tells you the end result of the week, but it doesn’t quite tell you the whole story.  It has been a long time since I have seen people work with the speed, accuracy, and efficiency as my guys did during our time at Mid-Ohio.  I am very proud of the team and the car that they gave me.  Due to the rules package that we race under, we must declare our horsepower and weight before competition begins, as measured by a dynamometer.  We declare 148 horsepower- our competition declares over 390.  Without getting into the specifics of the rules- I’m giving up 240+ horsepower.  This is not to make excuses- its to drive home the point of the caliber of car my team put underneath me.  I was turning lap times within 2% of the pole winner after only 40 minutes on the track.  Now- practice/qualifying is not the race, but I’d say we would have had a pretty good shot at a podium.  But. . . we broke- so we’ll never know.

            To that point, we broke- we didn’t make a mistake and end up crashed.  We didn’t end our day by making a careless error in the pits- we broke.  Something that I’ve come to accept in this sport- parts break, bearings fail, tires go flat, and none of those things happen sitting in the trailer, they happen in competition.  Case in point, a few months ago, Dario Franchitti- this year’s Indy 500 winner, blew his engine on the pace lap at Iowa.  Now- I’m sure someone at Gnassi Motorsports got fired, but it’s a prime example of parts failing.  It happens- everything has a life span- and when its up, its up.  It’s the reason teams that compete in the most premier series don’t run parts more than once.

            All of this is of little condolence to the fact that our week ended early.  It is, however, part of the game we play.  It is why we continue to prepare our cars the way we do, and try to eliminate this from happening again.  Each time we have encountered a problem this year; we’ve redesigned it and fixed it.  I’m proud of that, and I’m proud of my team- Thank you.

            I want to thank our partners- OC2 Interactive (oc2interactive.com), RAD Racing (ncprs.org), and our latest partner- MRF (Motorsports Rehabilitation Foundation - mrf.org).  Without their support this year, we would not have been able to compete at the level we did.  We look forward to the rest of this year and looking ahead to next year as well.

            There are a lot of things to take away from Mid-Ohio, and we are currently tearing into the transmission to find the cause of the failure.  We will be posting some videos and pictures from Mid-Ohio soon, so check back often.  Till Next Week. . .