How Badly Do You Want It?

It must must be that the New Year is quickly approaching which often causes us to reflect on things. In my case, it happens to be about how I begin racing. Now that I’m a bit older and wiser (my wife has other words for this), I wonder what I was possibly thinking?

When I began participating in high performance driving events, my budget was pathetic. I vividly remember one HPDE I participated in at New Hampshire International Speedway (NHIS) where I simply couldn’t afford the glamorous $64 Red Roof hotel room. Instead, I drove the three plus hour drive from home the day before the event just hoping that I’d find a place to camp, knowing it wouldn’t be possible at the track itself. When I reached the track, I decided to drive a bit further in search of my place to stay that evening. I ended up turning down a dirt road, and located a trail head and parking lot. Perfect! As long as the Police didn’t show up and I wasn’t eaten by a wild animal, all would be good. I ate my packed dinner and set-up camp eager for the next day’s festivities. NH eh? I suppose I should have planned a bit better as it got freakn’ cold during the evening and I was afraid of lighting a fire alerting someone I was camping were I shouldn’t be. Instead I wrapped myself in a sleeping bag and listened to every little noise outside my tent. Compounding that, I was nervous about the next day’s event. Tick, tick, howl!!! Yeah, o.k. So maybe there weren’t wolves circling my tent salivating, but you couldn’t have told that to me then.

Eventually the night passed and it was time to make my way to the track. This was the first time I went to NHIS either to drive or to spectate. To get into the track, you drive around the grandstands and go through a tunnel. I’ll never forget that drive through the tunnel which opened up into something simply amazing! Sure, the grandstands were empty but that just didn’t matter as I was awe struck.

This event was only the first of many similar voyages including my trip to the American Road Race of Champions in GA (16 hour tow from CT) only to wake up with frost on our tent. Yeah, you’d think I’d learn, right? But this was Atlanta - frost in early November? I also know that I’m not alone with these stories of triumph and adventures. I have so many memories to look back and smile about, knowing that it’s just the beginning.

I often hear people say they there’s no way for them to become involved in motorsports due to their budget, then in the next sentence talk about all the go-fast parts they are buying for their car. How can I not chuckle? At the same time I appreciate them motivating me to write a book on how the average person can become involved in motorsports titled “Go Ahead - Take the Wheel.” While I don’t recommend going to the extremes I did, I still pose the question: How badly do you want it?