big day sunday nervous about it

[60's Bluesman]

ive talked on here before about my other passion, auto racing, and at last the car is done and the race is on sunday at my local dirt track. ive always loved going fast and racing but about a week after i got my licence i ended up in a chase with a michigan state police officer. even though i outran him (actualy i outran the cops 3 times that summer and won many drag races in the streets) i realized this was not the way to satisfy my need for speed so i turned to circle track racing. i bought a unfininshed car for like 400 bucks and poured another 800 into it and after many setbacks the car is now done. but like any major event in my life i am nervous as hell about it. is their anyway to calm my nerves a little bit? im not so much afraid of getting hurt or killed as just embarrassing myself or wrecking someone else since im so inexperinced. any thoughts?

[Lazylion]

Good luck, and make sure your insurance is paid up! Seriously.

[60's Bluesman]

Originally Posted by Lazylion

Good luck, and make sure your insurance is paid up! Seriously.

oh i checked it just to be perpared for the worst

[Deluge Of Sound]

Drink heavily.

Before, during, and after the race.

[JimB52]

Be careful, and remember you're not out there to make friends. Your rivals sure aren't.

BTW - don't the Michigan police have radios yet?

[MakiSupaStar]

I've never raced cars. But I would imagine that it's a lot like surfing. If you hesitate you eat it. Charge and go!

[60's Bluesman]

Originally Posted by JimB52

Be careful, and remember you're not out there to make friends. Your rivals sure aren't.

BTW - don't the Michigan police have radios yet?

well they do but i was out in the middle of nowwhere and i went though fields so they must have lost track of me is the only thing i can figure

[MadMan118]

The morning of I usually lie in a bit longer than usual then I go out for a run to clear my head. Before the show, when I used to smoke, id just sit there and smoke and stare at the wall for about 10 mins before the event. Thats just what I do, just go with the flow and give it all you've got.

[guitar ed]

How to prep for the race? Watch the adrenaline. Keep a good eye on the time. Make sure you have ALL your safety gear. If you are racing during the day, use a clear windshield on your helmet, and dark glasses. If it turns to night, it is hard to get rid of the dark windshield, but easy to ditch the glasses. Pee BEFORE you get in the car. Expect a fair bit of fender rubbing and banging. Make sure you have enough money to purchase fuel and tires on race day. Be nice to the race officials; They are not there to give you a bad time. They are there to make sure you live through it. If you get asked to speak, make sure you mention your sponsors. Try to arrive early, and leave a bit late. Send pix of yourself in action to your sponsors. Set reasonable goals. Your goal for your first race should be to finish, not win. You will be lucky if you finish on the lead lap. Wash your car, if you can, between track sessions. Check all the lug nuts yourself.

Most important: Relax & have fun. You will laugh about this day/night sometime.

edg

PS: While I never drove a race car, 20 years involvement in racing taught me a few things.

[60's Bluesman]

Originally Posted by guitar ed

How to prep for the race? Watch the adrenaline. Keep a good eye on the time. Make sure you have ALL your safety gear. If you are racing during the day, use a clear windshield on your helmet, and dark glasses. If it turns to night, it is hard to get rid of the dark windshield, but easy to ditch the glasses. Pee BEFORE you get in the car. Expect a fair bit of fender rubbing and banging. Make sure you have enough money to purchase fuel and tires on race day. Be nice to the race officials; They are not there to give you a bad time. They are there to make sure you live through it. If you get asked to speak, make sure you mention your sponsors. Try to arrive early, and leave a bit late. Send pix of yourself in action to your sponsors. Set reasonable goals. Your goal for your first race should be to finish, not win. You will be lucky if you finish on the lead lap. Wash your car, if you can, between track sessions. Check all the lug nuts yourself.

Most important: Relax & have fun. You will laugh about this day/night sometime.

edg

PS: While I never drove a race car, 20 years involvement in racing taught me a few things.

thanks for the in depth reply ed. wish i had sponsors to impress but maybe later on down the line i will. heres a pic of my car. not much to look at really but all it is is an enduro car.

[Munjibunga]

A "major" race in a $1,200 car? Destruction derby? Figure 8?

[60's Bluesman]

no, not quite, its a enduro race 200 laps or 2 hours whichever comes first and i didnt mean it was a major race what i ment was it was a major day for me since it will be my first race ever.

[guitar ed]

Hi BluesMan,

Good looking car.

Feel free to put up a "sponsors wanted" sign at the track, in your pit. Remember that it is as much about marketing as racing skill. Maybe even more about marketing.

Also, check to see what stickers your sanctioning body requires. Sometimes they even pay $$ just because you have their sticker on your car. NASCAR is like that.

One rule to check for this race: Are you allowed to exit the track, into the pits, & re-enter the track and have it count as a lap, even if you don't stop? This might help if the track is mostly blocked.

Endurance racing is about patience, not fast laps.

Find out what sorts of things pay $$. I refer in part to the stickers mentioned above. But there might also be other things that pay $$. You have to ask.

If it's not "show time" feel free to ask the other drivers how to get around the track quickly. Most of them will help you.

Let us know how you do.

edg

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by 60's Bluesman

no, not quite, its a enduro race 200 laps or 2 hours whichever comes first and i didnt mean it was a major race what i ment was it was a major day for me since it will be my first race ever.

Well, tear 'em up then!

[KarateKid25]

Man up!


Just kidding... Good luck with it

[60's Bluesman]

thanks everyone the race is in 4 hours so i will tell you guys how it went

[WRBass]

No dents yet? We need another picture of that car after the race!

[P. Aaron]

It's a good cool day for drivin' a hot running motor at least.

[60's Bluesman]

well ill work on ger pics up, the race was awesome. driving a racecar seemed easy to me at this low level. but anyway there was 35 cars (on a 3/8 mile dirt track) that started i started 10th i bouced around in the standings for a bit, then i got in a grove and started passing car after car and i was running in the between 9th and 12th most of the race. then right as i passed the line on my 119th lap in 9th spot the engine started to sputter i kept it running though the corner and made it to the backstretch when it died there. it would restart but die agian and it did this like 5 times so i got pused into the infield but the push truck and sat there for the remainder of the race. i finished 21st out of 35 cars and i have to say it was the best time ive ever had in my life

[EricF]

Congrats, man. Not finishing DFL is a success for a first race.