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I'm a big believer in goals.
You have to set them, you have to believe in your ability to achieve
them, and you have to be realistic about the work it will take to get
there. 2009
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2008
2009 is an
important year for our racing efforts. I now have all licensing
requirements and probationary periods out of the way, and am legal to
race anywhere at any time. The car is fast, but not quite
Nationally fast yet. I need to add better shocks, lose another 30
pounds of weight, and then we'll be pretty close. With many
factors still up in the air, my 2009 goals are not yet finalized, but
they will be posted here before 2009 arrives.
UPDATE: 12/20/2008
Well, some of the unknown pieces of
2009 are falling into place - though not necessarily as expected.
We had been planning to move to San Diego for a new job, but
unfortunately that fell through. The good news is that we get to
stay here in the Southeast where so many of our favorite tracks and
racers are! The tough news is that - like so many others out there
- money will be tight here in 2009 so the racing schedule will be very
limited. I will be going back to school to complete my Engineering
degree that I didn't quite finish up back when I was less responsible
and driven. :) So, here are
my 2009 goals (subject to adjustment between now and Jan 15th, 2009):
- Commit to and execute a plan
that leads me to completing my degree in the next 24 months
(hopefully less!)
- Run enough races to keep my
SCCA and NASA National licenses current
- Compete in the 2009 25 Hours
of Thunderhill
- Build a financial foundation
to support a more committed 2010 season, and a full National
schedule in 2011
Very early in the process of buying a racecar, a good friend of mine asked me about my
goals as they related to racing. The question caught me off guard,
but it got me to thinking. Some time later, as I thought about it
more, these are what materialized:
- Successfully earn my NASA and
SCCA National racing licenses
- Do not injure myself or
damage the car such that our season ended
- Prove to myself and my family
that racing and all of the time, work, and money required to do so
is what we want to do - something that we enjoy together and that
brings us closer, not further apart
- Determine if I have the
necessary skills to be competitive at the highest levels of club
racing
- Attend the SCCA National
Championship Runoffs in Topeka, KS in my rookie year
Well, 2008 is basically over - at
least from a racing season point of view. So, how'd we do?
- Complete.
-
Complete. The car is slightly worse for wear, but it
still looks good, and it's fast.
-
Complete. This probably should have been number one -
if it was not a success, that would be the end of it for us.
We love racing together, and are very happy that it will be a part
of our lives for as long as we can afford to make it so.
-
Complete. I have more to learn - about car control,
about adjusting to conditions, and about the art of racing.
But, I can drive the car fast and consistently - I think I can hang
with these guys.
- Not complete.
When the engine blew
up at VIR, that was roughly the equivalent of 4 race weekends worth
of expense for us. So, we swapped the new engine in quickly,
but had to cancel many of our planned races for the rest of the
year. Thus, we did not complete the required 4 SCCA
National races required to qualify to attend the Runoffs. Next
year.
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