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. . .

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. . .

Countdown To Pocono. . .

            NASCAR was at Daytona, Indycar was in Toronto, and the racing was great at both places.  While the racing was great, the sanctioning bodies were also handing out penalties, fines, and suspensions this weekend too.  Eventual NASCAR race winner Tony Stewart was found to have an open cooling hose during qualifying, and had to start in the back of the pack Saturday night, though he did win the race, NASCAR still took 6 driver’s points away from him.  AJ Almendinger was temporarily suspended from competition, for violating the substance abuse policy.  Until his “B” sample is tested he will be sitting out of the car.  For his sake, I hope this test comes back negative.  Ryan Hunter-Reay won his 3^rd straight race on Sunday.  The points took a major toss this weekend as well.  Mike Conway had a podium as well, but during post race inspection, was found to have to big of a fuel cell.  10 points and $15,000 later, the team still ran very well and hopefully it’s a sign of things to come.

            As for me, our cars have been loaded up and are ready for their trip to the Pocono Raceway.  This will kind of be like a homecoming of sorts for me; the first road course I competed on was Pocono’s North Course.  NASA will be using the North Course plus NASCAR turns 1 and 2 plus the frontstrech as our course this weekend, 2.5 miles around.

            This weekend is a little bit different for us, while we will be racing during the day; we will be attending “Our Lady Queen of Peace” (Brodheadsville, PA) Church Festival Saturday evening.  I hope we avoid any contact on the track and keep the racecar in one piece during the day, because it will be on display Saturday night.  We let the kids sit in the car and sign some autographs, take some pictures and get some time to hang with our fans.  We also are going to use the time to talk about RAD and why it’s important to live a drug free and healthy lifestyle.

            We should have some good video and pictures from this weekend.  Since the race is so close to home, we will get to have a lot of people at the speedway supporting us.  Friends, family, old crew members, are going to be there to see us race.  My Mother, who is kind of our team photographer, is able to come this weekend as well.  I always enjoy when she comes, because there are always great shots that she is able to get.  She is going to get a test, she is used to oval short track racing, but this is a whole new dynamic.  Look for her photos on the site after the races.

            Speaking of the http://www.justinonderko.com/ site, one of our sponsors- OC2 Interactive- is currently working on designing our new site.  I actually had a conference call this afternoon and I can’t wait to see the site go live.  Special thanks to Michelle for taking time out of her day to discuss the progress of the site.  OC2 is the real deal- if you need web based design- they will create what you need.  Check them out www.oc2interactive.com- look at some of the work they’ve done, it speaks for itself.

            Next week we will review the race weekend and how it went.  We are prepared for a good weekend, hopefully the weather stays nice, but we are bringing our rain tires just in case.  I kind of hope it does rain- I really enjoy racing in the rain- you have to be very technical and precise with your inputs- you’re on the razors edge the whole race.  Till next week. . .

2010 SVS Late Model Champion. . .

          The month of May is just about over; Indianapolis Motor Speedway has fallen silent.  All of the teams and drivers have gone home.  There are no more fans to sign autographs for, or pictures to pose with.  It is all over, and for 32 drivers it didn’t end the way they wanted it to.  Dario Franchitti, however, is probably pretty happy with the way things turned out.  For the third time, Dario has won the Indy 500.  In doing so, he has joined a very distinct group of men who have that honor.  Whether or not you agree with what happened or how the race ended, his face will be on the Borg-Warner trophy this year.  This year’s race will go down as one of the best Indy 500’s in a very long time.

            As for me, I am counting down the days until my season starts this year.  I cannot wait until we leave for Summit Point Raceway.  Our car gets its technical inspection next week, and after we get the proper signatures on some very important papers- we are good to go.  The car looks really sharp, and all the set-up numbers are coming back just how we want them to, so we are expecting a good outing.

            An article was brought to my attention earlier today via e-mail.  A young boy of 12 years who is named Tyler Morr, died earlier this week.  He was injured while racing at Auburndale Speedway in Florida.  I guess there is a class that allows 12-16 year old children to compete in mini stock races.  My Family and I wish to extend our sympathy to the family of this boy.  I cannot imagine having to bury one’s child.  While it may seem, to some people out there, that children do not belong in racecars- this is a sport, and younger people are encouraged to participate in its entry levels.  While I do not know the details of what happened, I only know that I started in go-karts, and worked my way up from there.  We took as many safety precautions as were available to us at the time, but I still took some pretty good shots and I flipped a couple of times.  I hope the decision to put this boy in this car was based on the experience he had, and not on anything else.  Please keep this family of this boy in your prayers.

            As we look back at the 2010 season, a season which saw me in my very first ride, I will tell you it didn’t start out like I had hoped.  RPM Fabrications Inc. was preparing the cars for competition for the season.  We put my seat in the car and got everything to fit me the way it needed to.  The team had set-up a test for me to shake down the car, and get used to the new car.  I was used to a big spring car and this one was a coil-over car- so it felt a little bit different, but a racecar is a racecar- no matter what.  Not only did the weather not cooperate, but we had a top end miss in the motor.  The test ended with almost no laps being turned at speed, and the team not sure what was causing the miss.  Our first race came and went, with us finishing 3^rd, but the motor still had the miss.  Turns out- on a MSD Ignition 6ALN Box, the Purple wire doesn’t match the Purple wire on the Distributor.  In fact, Purple goes to green and green goes to purple- it makes me smile every time I say it- kind of an inside joke of sorts.

            Once we got that straightened out, it was game on.  As we got into the heart of the season, we had a string of 4 straight 2^nd place finishes, and we ended the season with 2 straight wins to put the exclamation point on our Championship.  We also set the track record during qualifying for our last point’s race.  Patience, and only taking what the car had to give each race, and not putting myself in any avoidable bad spots was the key to our on track success.  A good crew was responsible for giving me what I needed to do my job.  On September 25, 2010 I was able to lock up my first driving Championship.  Sundance Vacations Speedway Late Model Champion- I was proud of what we were able to do as a team, and proud of myself for proving I could do it.

            Next week I hope to have all my loose ends tied up and will be able to breath easy until we leave June 15^th for Summit Point.  Check out the website for the results, and check me out on twitter @justinonderko for updates during the weekend.  We will also have video from the weekend, so everybody will be able to see what I see from inside the car.  Another step in the right direction for us, stay tuned.  Till next week. . .

Coming Around. . .

            This past week in racing is always one of my favorite weeks.  The Indianapolis 500, to me, is so very special.  Since I was a young boy, and before I knew what the race really meant, I have dreamed of seeing my face on the Borg-Warner trophy.  The teams competed on Saturday for the pole, who else, but car owner Roger Penske was able to put together another pole winning car.  I think that’s 17 or 18, if anyone is counting.  Ryan Briscoe was the fastest at the end of the day, so he gets to lead them to the green this Sunday.  Bump day was not as exciting or as heartbreaking as it has been in the past, but it had its up and downs as well.  On the NASCAR side of things, Rick Hendrick got an old fashioned ride to victory lane on the side of Jimmie Johnson’s race winning car.  It was a nice gesture to see Jimmie take him around like that.

            Last week we talked about how as we grow up- one of two things happen.  Either we change or life changes around us.  For most of us, the changes are manageable enough and we ebb and flow with them.  Sometimes the changes are big enough that they can knock you down for a while.  That’s what happened to me the summer of 2006.  As I said last week, when my wife filed for divorce the end of the summer, I had to park the race cars for a while.  It was one of the hardest things I ever experienced.

            For those that have been unfortunate to experience it, divorce is a terrible thing.  It costs way too much, and I don’t just mean the money.  It costs you relationships, friends, possessions, time, and sometimes who you are.  I was lucky, to that point, we were lucky- we didn’t have any children.  The spilt, albeit hard, was not as bad as it could have been.  A lot of things happened during that time, and I ask any of you who are on the brink right now, don’t do it- it is not worth it.  It’s not any better on the other side, remember the promise and try to work it out.

            Alright- while I want everyone to understand that I am highly embarrassed about being in the majority of people whose marriages don’t last, I do not want to belabor the point, or make this week about that.  I came out stronger on the other side, I learned a tremendous amount, and have come full circle- 6 years later.

            Fast forward to 2009, and I decided to turn my ARCA car into an asphalt late model.  Something else I don’t recommend to anyone.  After a lot of work, and a new body, motor and trans, I was ready to get back on the track.  For my birthday, August 10^th, I decided I wanted to go racing.  I don’t really remember how we ran, or where we finished- but I remember the feeling.  That old familiar feeling and how great it was.  Getting strapped in, firing up the engine, pulling out onto the track, smelling the smells- and taking it all in.

            You see- for so long racing was like a burden to me.  I know that sounds crazy- “Why didn’t you stop racing then?” you might ask.  Racing isn’t like that- it gets in your blood, its not something you “do” it is who you are.  Even though I’ve won races and a championship since then, I have not been more thankful to sit in a racecar since that day.

            As the season ended, we competed in a few more races, we ran pretty decent but we fell short of winning any of them.  We did, however, catch the eye of some people who owned a late model team.  Late 2009 they offered me a ride for 2010- to compete for the championship at Sundance Vacations Speedway.

            Next week we will take a look at our 2010 season and how it all came together.  As far as our current car, we just came back from the dyno.  As soon as we get everything approved for competition we will be all set for the 16^th and 17^th of June down at Summit Point Raceway n West Virginia.  We will have some announcements soon, so check out our website (justinonderko.com) and follow us on twitter @justinonderko.  While I still don’t have a ride for the big race on Sunday, I will still be watching to see who gets their face on the trophy this year.  Till next week. . .