The weekend at Summit Point Raceway with NASA Mid-Atlantic was definitely a strange one to say the least.  We arrived Friday for our usual wait to enter the track with sunny and cool weather.  While waiting, we pulled the little four-wheeler off the trailer to ride into the pits and survey the paddock.  I was quite happy to see our usual spot was empty so I headed back to where the truck was parked for a little goofing off time riding around until they would let us in.

Saturday started off pretty chilly with clouds.  Our race group had a long wait until practice time.  Finally, 11am came and we went out on a dry track.  I had not been on track at Summit Point since November last year.  I was kind of eager to see how the car performed since the Spec Miata transformation.  Half way through the session I started realizing I was about five seconds off my normal pace and needed to pick it up.  Qualifying time and I figured I better pick someone and do everything I could to stay with them.  After what felt like a good qualifying session, I looked over the results with a bit of disappointment with my times.  While we all waited for race time to come up, everyone was looking at the radar for indications on whether to stay on a dry setup or switch to a rain setup.  Thirty minutes before time to grid I decided to stay on a dry setup like almost everyone.  Race time arrives, we all go to grid to line up and it started to sprinkle.  We take the green flag with a dry track but I was being cautious and was losing a little ground.  About fifteen minutes into the race it started raining.  Well, I guess I was about to get some wet track learning time.  The track became incredibly slippery fast.  I kept backing down and backing down determined to stay on track.  Later I talked to other drivers and they were doing exactly the same thing.  By the end of the race a couple cars had spun off or pitted in and I finished up ninth.  Scott K. finished in second place for a podium spot and a trophy.  Special thanks to Bill and Mom for being right there to get tire pressures as I came off the track all weekend.

Sunday started out wet after the rain the night before.  Thankfully by the time we went out on track for qualifying the track had dried out and the sun was out.  I qualified eleventh and a second and a half slow.  Since we had at least 5 hours to kill I went out and rode around on the four-wheeler to watch the other races in different places.  It is race time.  Starting last and thinking to myself that I must keep up somehow.  Green fly’s and we are off.  Second lap in turn five Turk goes off and allows me to catch back up a little.  It just became a race between Turk, Julian and I.  Unfortunately Julian started having clutch issues and it came down to Turk and I.  I was determined to keep up to him.  Bump drafting down the straights we swapped places a couple times.  When the white flag flew I backed off just a little.  There was no need in pushing limits with no way to better my position.  That turned out to be the most fun race I have ever had.  Taking the checker Turk slowed down and gave me the thumbs up for an awesome race in turn 2.  That was the icing on the cake for one incredible 40 minute battle between us.

The weekend was a success with 2 more clean races in the books, $25.00 in tire money earned, spending the weekend with family and awesome friends.  Special thanks to Mom, Phils Tire Service, Beagle Freedom Project, Weekend Warrior Racing and Matt for all the support this weekend as well as every weekend to make this all possible.

March Madness.  When you look back on it you can’t help but think this event was well named.  The weather was the normal for March, wet then dry then wet and so on all weekend.  I don’t think I have ever made so many tire and setup changes in one weekend since I have been doing this.  I really should invest in a cordless impact gun instead of the ratchet and finger twisting.

Saturday’s warm up was in full rain.  I figured I better get out there and start getting the feel of it.  I have a lot of time on dry tracks, but very little time in the wet.  That’s my own fault since I always just bowed out of wet time trial sessions.  I was actually kind of impressed with the amount of grip the RA-1 full tread have over the R888 full tread tires.  The whole of Saturday was a very eventful day to say it nice.  I am not going to comment about it but when you finish a day like that and can say “I did it right” and keep the car in one piece, that is something to smile about.  Saturdays race I qualified 12^th and finish 12^th.  It definitely was not an amazing finish.  But it was a clean finish.

I will admit on Sundays race I made the wrong call on tires to go with the safe option of rains.  It was drizzling and there was a lot of water spray on the track in the previous session.  On the pace lap I knew I made the wrong call.  Its one of those live and learn things.  Started 12th and finished 10th.  I will say it was one learning weekend for sure.  Lots of good data gathered to help prepare for the next time.  Here is my pucker oops moment for the weekend during qualifying Saturday.

Lots of thanks to my mom, Glaze Communications (Brett and Tracy and all the gang), Weekend Warrior Racing, Phil’s Tire Service (Phil and Kim), Beagle Freedom Project, Bill and Sherry, all my online racing buddies over the years, all the great EV people, flaggers, workers, and ALL of my AWESOME NASA family!

There is no short way to describe this weekend with NASA MA at VIR other than insanely awesome.   Friday I attended Super Comp School which was quite rigorous and incredibly fun.  I never could have done it without Alan, Joey and Scott who were my Weekend Warrior Racing Support team.  If I could pass on one piece of advice from this to someone it would be, have a crew take care of keeping your car ready.  You will not have time to do it yourself.  Everything with the car was new to me in a sense.  The miata was now caged, had new and different brake pads, it weighed a lot more, suspension was set up very different and I was on a type of tires I had not been on in over 3 years.  My first session out I was quite impressed at how well the car felt and handled.  I could point it to where I wanted to go and it went there.  Now…breathe, don’t forget to shift and go faster!  All I could do was smile real big each time I heard this from Alan.  When the long day came to an end, I made some new friends and became a race car driver.  A big tired smile was on my face!

Saturday came and it was time to practice with the race group for the first time.  It was pretty uneventful and gave me a chance to calm my nervousness and just go out and drive.  It was a lot of fun.  I just reminded myself to be aware of what is going on around you.  Qualifying time came up and when I got in line to go out I was told I didn’t have a NASA sticker on the front of my car and could not qualify until I had it.  DOH!  I drove over to tech and thankfully Laura came out and put a NASA sticker on the front of my miata and then went back for more when she saw a bunch more cars coming for the same thing.  I qualified in 9^th place.  It was race time and I lined up on grid.  Alan came over for a pep talk.  “ok, you’re all set.  Remember to breathe, don’t forget to shift and go fast.  You remember Talladega Nights?  YOU’RE A RACE CAR DRIVER MAN, YOU’RE A RACE CAR DRIVER!”  After the most fun time I have ever had on track, I ended up in 10^th place and the miata did not have a mark on it.  I made it through the first race!

Sunday there was no qualifying due to incoming weather.  I was starting in 9^th again and the track was wet and cold and it was sprinkling.  I told Jimmy if it was raining I was going to make a couple laps and head in.  He told me to stay out at least until I started to get lapped to get the experience and then come in if I wanted.  Well on the start of the race it was still sprinkling but then the track started to get a dry line.  After half of the race was over, all I could thing about was trying to pass the guy in front of me.  The whole race turned into the most fun I have ever had on track.  I finished 8^th and the car was in one piece.  I felt proud of myself!

I made it.  I am a race car driver and I drive a race car.  I could not have done it without the help from all the amazing people like my mom, Glaze Communications (Brett and Tracy and all the gang), Weekend Warrior Racing (Alan, Joey and Scott), Phil’s Tire Service (Phil and Kim), Beagle Freedom Project, Bill and Sherry, OG Racing (Brian), all my online racing buddies over the years, all the great flaggers and ALL of my AWESOME NASA family!