Always Learning. . .

All the major racing series’ seasons are now underway.  The INDYCAR series finally ran their first race down in Florida, and although it was somewhat less than astounding, it was the first race of the year with a completely new car and engine package.  The turbochargers are back, but we dropped down to a V-6 instead of a V-8.  For me, it will take a little while to get used to the new look, but I am glad the series made the changes.

            We made our announcements last week; we will compete under the NASA Sanction this year in the Pro Touring class.  We are making further strides towards open wheel racing by competing in this series.  Seat time on road courses is needed right now, and this is an excellent way to make it happen.  Also, this marks the first time since 2009 that Onderko Motorsports will field a car, something else to be excited about in 2012.

            The last time we talked about the stock car days, I was getting ready for my second full season of competition.  I had found a new way to stretch dollars, by making some of the tools that we needed- like a sheet metal break.  It allowed me to hang a new body on the car and not spend a lot of money.  I was able to scrape enough money together to get the motor gone over.  I was engaged now, so I really had to justify all money that was being spent.

           

I would like to take a moment in this week’s blog, to thank all of the girlfriends/wives/sisters/mothers that are out there.  Another season is upon us and most of you know all to well how the season is going to unfold.  The lack of time and money, will invariably lead to shorter fuses and hotter tempers.  Still, most of you stand behind us, and support the decisions we make to race.  It makes life a lot harder than it would have to be, and it takes a big toll on many relationships.  I want to thank my family and my wife for all of their/her support, though it takes away from the very reason they love me in the first place.  To all you racers out there, don’t take advantage of that support, let your families know that you appreciate their understanding.

           

That being said, our racecar was just about race ready.  A new coat of paint, some fresh decals and little wax- and it looked good.  I remember standing in the shop and looking at the car, feeling such a sense of pride, I wasn’t a rookie anymore, and this year we were going to compete for the championship.  It is important to note- having the motor gone through was the only real thing that we did to find speed in the off-season.  Hanging a new body and making the car look pretty does not make it go any faster.  I did not do any work with our moment and roll centers during the winter- which were way out to lunch.  We didn’t have the car scaled properly, and nobody knew anything about our front end geometry and dynamics.  All we had- was the same car as last year, with a fresh coat of paint.

            8 years ago this weekend, would have been our first open test day.  Surprisingly, we were turning the same times as last year.  I say that with a little bit of sarcasm, because I was expecting to somehow have picked up a couple tenths.  That was the day that I learned a good looking racecar isn’t always a fast racecar.  Good thing that day was just a test day, because we were able to go back to the shop and try to figure things out.  I guess not being a rookie anymore didn’t mean that I knew everything I had to know about this game.

            I want to say thank you to all who stop by and read this blog.  I want to let everyone know, if you live near Allentown, Pa- you can catch us at the “Steel Stacks” over in Bethlehem on Sunday evening.  “Pretending to be on TV with Glenn Tickle” will have us on as a guest.  Looking forward to a nice evening with Glenn and his bunch.  Check him out- he has a bunch of his material on YouTube- he’s got some funny stuff.  Check in on Twitter “@justinonderko” we’ll have all the info you will need to attend.  We are also close to nailing down all of our race dates for this season, so stay tuned for that as well.  As always, please check out my sponsors here on this page, they are really stepping up for us this year so please do the same for them.  Till next week.

Making it Happen. . .

            A new year of racing always brings about an optimistic feeling.  All the parts and pieces are new or rebuilt, racecars are updated with advanced clips and suspension components, and last year is just that- last year.  It doesn’t matter if you were the champion or finished outside the top 10 in points.  The start of new year is always exciting.

            Onderko Motorsports is going to be unveiling some new plans for the 2012 season very shortly, and it feels good to be excited again.  Since our Championship in 2010 we have made a big change in how we operate our program, and this year is going to be no different.  I will keep you posted just as soon as the ink dries.

            Speaking of new seasons starting, last week we talked about how the first full season ended.  We clinched ‘Rookie of the Year” and placed 4^th in the Championship points battle.  It wasn’t terrible for a bunch of kids that really didn’t have much to work with.  As happy as I was for the 2003 season to be over, I was equally excited for 2004 to begin.

            I was able to stay busy at work throughout the winter, which helped the financial situation quite a bit.  I also proposed to my girlfriend in early December.  So the pressure was on, plan the wedding and win the championship in 2004.  Preparation started for both soon after we celebrated the New Year.

            I got the guys back in the shop early January, just to shake out the cobwebs and get a schedule again.  I lost a couple of people over the winter, so figuring out who was going to take on the extra responsibility was an added challenge.  We were able to pull the motor and the driveline pretty quick, and we cut the entire body off the car.  In hindsight, I should have priced a new body first.  After figuring out what the motor was going to take, and knowing the transmission was going to need rebuilt, I didn’t have enough to get a body.

            Since necessity is the mother of all invention, I had to figure something out- quick.  I had less that 2 full months before the car needed to be ready to shake down in March.  I did my homework, and was able to get a few sheets of aluminum donated to the team.  My parents helped me out and got me a front and rear bumper cover, so I was able to secure the major pieces- I just need a way to put them all together.

            The tool I lacked the most was a sheetmetal break.  I know I couldn’t afford to buy one, and a break isn’t the kind of tool that you can find used either- at least not easily and never cheap.  So I took a picture of a brand new one, and I went home and put a materials list together, my only option was to build one.  It took me a couple days, but I got it done.  It wasn’t going to bend quarter inch plate steel, but it would do the job for me.

            Grassroots racing is like that, if you don’t have it, or can’t buy it, you have to build it.  That project taught me that, and made a lot of other seemingly impossible tasks possible.  With my crew helping out on our new break, we got the body done, and we hung it by ourselves.  It didn’t look like a store bought job, but it didn’t look bad either.  I was proud of my guys, and it was giving me confidence about the upcoming year.  I could feel the championship in our grasp.

            Next week, we will look at a new season, no longer being rookies.  What should we expect of ourselves, and what are other people expecting from us?  I would like to know if any of you out there are getting ready for this season.  Do you have a car of your own, are you helping a family member or a friend with a racecar?  I enjoy knowing who is out there, doing the same things that we do every year.  Let me know, and tell me what you race.  Check out our sponsors, I know I sound like a broken record, but everyone knows how important they are, and my sponsors are no different.  Check me out on twitter @justinonderko, and we are in the process of rescheduling our San Diego Motorsports interview on 1170 AM, as soon as we nail down the date- I will pass it along.  Thanks for stopping by.

Turning Point. . .

            Here in the United States we are 3 weeks away from daylight savings time, and only 4 short weeks away from the start of the Spring season.  Gone will be the days of snow and ice, although here in the northeast we have had a pretty mild winter.  Soon, the garage doors of the shops’ of racers will be open and the warmer air will be blowing in onto the new racecars.  The 2012 racing season is just about here, and if you are like me, its about time.

            Last week we had hard contact with the turn 4 wall, and pretty much used up the right front of the racecar.  We did catch a break, though, with the rest of the racing that night being rained out, so we had an opportunity to take the car home and repair it for the next week.  It was actually worse that it looked at the track, and with the aid of my credit card and freakishly high overnight shipping charges we had the parts to fix it by Wednesday of that week.  What I didn’t realize was the mounting points had been bent when I hit the wall, so it wasn’t until raceday that we had everything fixed.

            I hadn’t gotten much sleep that week, and some Ritz crackers and peanut butter was all that the budget allowed for eating that week.  I was exhausted that next Saturday, and would have much rather stayed home that week.  I’m not sure if it was stupidity or dedication that sent me to the track, and I have no idea what kept me awake on the drive to the track that day- I was just glad I made it.  I don’t really remember much of that next weekend, except it was the hottest day of the year, I had to run 2 features that night, and everyone was miserable.  That was one of the roughest nights we had been through, we were all short on patience with each other and my girlfriend knew I was spending money I didn’t have and my buddy’s girl was losing her understanding and patience with racing in general.  Ahhh. . . The good old days.

            Without looking back at the stats from that year, I don’t know how we ran- it must not have been a standout performance; but we made it through.  I think its nights like that which create bonds that last lifetimes.  My buddy (Adam is his name- just in case you were wondering) and I are still close to this day, and his girlfriend (now Wife) understands what racing means, and knows how big a part it plays in my life.

            I once read a quote, “Racing is 80% hard times, 10% tragedy, and another 10% wonderful”.  I don’t know who said it, or if that is the correct quotation, but I know enough about the sport first hand to tell you- its true.  September 20^th  2003 was one of those nights.

            After July, I had been mostly going through the motions, I had no money left, no real desire to even go racing, and my crew was feeling pretty much the same way.  Thankfully we were able to stay out of trouble over the next 5 weeks, and kept the car pretty much in one piece.  Although it was still hot, September brought a break in the weather and it was more bearable to be at the track.  We loaded up that Saturday much the same way as the previous 15+ other racedays.  This day didn’t seem any different, and I had no real reason to believe otherwise.  At this point I was just trying to save my “Rookie of the Year” status and stay in the top five in points, and not destroy the car. 

            Practice, the Driver’s Meeting, our heat races- it all went pretty much according to plan.  There was no drama, no wrecks; it was as if everyone was just trying to limp to the end of the season.  During intermission the starting grids of the features are posted, and I remember that day the girls went up to get the line-up.  5 minutes later they came running back screaming their heads off.  Now- picture this- in a pit area full of greasy, sweaty, smelly guys, these 2 teenage girls come running screaming at the top of their lungs.  “We got the pole. . . We got the Pole. . . We got the Pole”  It didn’t register at first, but eventually we were all yelling and carrying on.  That was a 10% wonderful moment.

            19 cars were starting that night, and I was going to lead them to the green flag.  18 cars would all be chasing me to turn 1.  Wait. . . 18 cars would all be chasing. . . Me!?!  I look back at that moment of my life and I have to laugh out loud.  In reality I was 19 years old competing in this substandard division, in what was a less than stellar speedway in nowhere Pennsylvania.  In my head, I was sitting on the pole for the Daytona 500- and I was on top of the world. 

            I got ready for the feature and my stomach was in knots, I felt like I was going to throw up, I must have checked my lug nuts 5-6 times, cleaned my windshield 3-4 times before I belted in.  FINALLY the call came for us to line up, and for the first time in my career, I was on point.  My crew was pumped up, and I mean, pumped up.  They were riding this high just like me, and they all wished me good luck and out onto the track I went.

            I remember being so nervous on our pace laps, that I didn’t do any of the pre-race warm-up things that a driver has to do, like warm up the tires and clean out the carburetor.  I didn’t do any of it, and while I was ready for the green flag to been shown to me, the car was not ready to go racing.  I was given the 1-to-go sign by the flagger and coming off turn 4 the green flag was out.

            When I saw the green flag, my foot hit the floor and the car started coming up to speed, and then it happened.  The rear tires broke loose and the rpm’s went through the roof, and around I went.  I didn’t even get to the freaking start/finish line to take the green flag and I was spinning through the entire pack of cars.  I can’t really say what was coming out of my mouth at that moment- but I’m sure you can imagine.  To everyone’s credit- no one hit me, not even a little bit- everybody got by clean.  I sat there in disbelief at what I had just done- that was not a 10% wonderful moment.

            Next week I will let you know what happened during the race and how, for me at least, it was the turning point in my career.  A BIG thank you to everyone, I hit 1000 reads last week, and that’s because you guys come here and read about me and my career.  It means a tremendous amount to me, and I appreciate all of the positive feedback- keep it coming- justinonderko@verizon.net is a great place to reach me.  Check out my sponsors on this page- they really do make it possible for me to be here living my dreams.  Check me out on twitter- @justinonderko and check out my site http://www.justinonderko.com/ for updates- hopefully we have some news about the 2012 season soon! 

My First Race. . .

            We made the two and a half hour drive from our shop( it was really nothing more than a one and a half car garage) and pulled into the pits.  The ride up to the track was scary enough, especially with an overloaded pick-up truck.  Now it was time to go racing.

            Anyone who has raced in their past, knows the procedure of competing at a local short track.  For those of you who haven’t raced, let me explain the environment that you are about to enter.  You and your crew, or friends, who have blindly followed into this endeavor, have to sign a waiver of rights and wrongful death.  Along with that you must hand over thirty dollars, and let me be clear- you have just done all this at the most broken down looking building, run by some less than inviting people.

            Now that you’re legal, so to speak, its time to find a parking spot.  Since jacking a car up on a jack, in a stone driveway is almost impossible, not to mention really unsafe, you fork over another 35 bucks to buy a paved parking spot.  Once you park you set up your pits, and get ready for the nights action.  It’s important to note; when you left the shop- not more than 3 hours earlier- you were feeling high on yourself and all the hard work that you did.  This is a summary of what it was like for me, at least, when I went to the track for the first time.

            I walked around the pits and suddenly felt very small and insignificant, other teams spent more money on the trailer that brought the cars to the race track- than I had in my entire operation.  I saw multiple sets of tires being measured and matched up for later on in the night.  Teams with matching shirts, and fancy looking cars lined the pits.  I heard the call for practice and headed back to my pit area.

            Although I had rented the track two weeks prior to this day, I was going to be out on the track for the first time with other cars.  I strapped into my seat and started the engine; I have to honestly say, at this point, I was ready to throw up.  I don’t think I was ever as nervous as I was at that moment.  To make a long story short, practice went fine, we didn’t wreck and we were starting last for our heat race.

            One of the next things I got to do that night was go to my first drivers meeting.  I always envisioned that really important stuff was talked about in those meetings.  Although safety topics were discussed, nothing was really different from my karting days.  I was really expecting to have some sort of profound experience, but instead I walked away wondering what I was about to do.

            My crew readied the car for the heat race, which in those days, consisted of making sure the tires weren’t flat and it had enough gas to make it to the end of the race.  Once again I strapped into the seat and out onto the track I went.  We all lined up, and got ready for the green flag.  The knot in my stomach was being twisted around and I was in sensory overload.  The sights, sounds, and smells all bombarded me at that moment.  On a side note; the smells inside a racecar are one of the most vivid details to me.  I often don’t remember the race in great amounts of detail, or be able to tell you what was happening at a certain lap number- mostly because of how intensely focused I am, but the smells stick with you forever.  The racing fuel exhaust, the rubber of the tires, the odor of the brakes, gear oil being burned on an engine’s header.  That’s the smell of racing, the smell of my racecar- and each one is just a little bit different.  Anyway- like I said I was in sensory overload, and the green flag was about to drop.

            I would love to lie to you and tell you when the green flag dropped we drove right to the front of the pack.  I would love to tell you the car worked beautifully and I looked like Dale Earnhardt, or Jeff Gordon, effortlessly maneuvering my machine in and out of traffic.  This is just simply not what happened, in fact, I really don’t remember too much about that race- except I started 11^th and finished 9^th.  I completed the race and pulled the car over to our pit area.  I climbed out of the car and flopped down on the edge of the trailer.  This was not nearly as easy as I thought it was going to be, but at least I was racing.

            Check back on December 29^th for the conclusion to my first race, the feature got really interesting.  As always please check out my sponsors on this page, they help support my effort- so help support them.  Please have a safe and Merry Christmas, and enjoy the time you get to spend with family and friends.