This last race weekend was simply hell for me. Shall I set a grim context?
Thursday night terrible sleep. This is irregular.
Friday testing and tuning all day at track. I could not get it. 3 engine swaps in 5 hours.
Variable conditions. Rain, dry line forms, rain, fog.
Saturday double header. Practice stunk. Going back to engine 2. Still working on tune.
9AM - Qualifying. Absolute dogshit. P9.
10:30AM - Pre-Final 1. P9 to P5. Driver happy. Our setup seemed good. Small tweaks to gearing, camber. Running wet tires.
11:30AM - Final 1. Track conditions changed. Going to slick tires. FIRE. Pushed through 3 drivers to teammate who was sitting P1. Went for the dive on second to last turn on last lap. GOTTA fight for the gap that exists! Didn’t pay off. P4 for Final 1.
3PM - Pre-Final 2 - New track layout. Full change in setup, gearing, camber, castor, tire width, and dial low end. Drying up. P3. Package is locked. Amazing blocking of P2 contender to help teammate secure P1 in championship. The race craft was amazing. Watching my driver slow into corners to block for teammate was… beyond compression. A 10-year old shouldn’t be this smart. He certainly shouldn’t be this thoughtful as a racer…
5PM - Final 2 - Dialed. P3. Consequently closing out P1 for teammate and finishing P3 for the season in this race series, 14 race over the year.
Whom Are You Working For?
If you’re married and have children, the answer is obvious: you’re working for them (or at least, I hope you are).
For many, our work=money to support the family we’ve built. For me, it goes deeper. I have distinct blessing of physically, mentally, and spiritually working for my son by building, maintaining, tuning, prepping, traveling, and supporting his (and mine!) passion of racing. I’ve written and spoken on this before, but it’s so damn close to my heart that I don’t mind repeating it over and over and over again. It’s just that special. I thank God for the opportunity.
We are a full privateer racing team. Son and dad combo. I’m not paying for coaching. I’m not paying for wrenches or track-side support. It’s 100% me and my boy.
I build the kart.
We test and tune together on track.
We discuss strategy and review data.
I setup changes to chassis and engine based on feedback loops from my son.
My driver is 100% reliant on me doing a good job. My requirement is clear communication and feedback. We build together.
Do others have better setups and packages? Yes. More money=better engines.
Do others have expensive coaches? Yes. There is value in coaching, but at his age, self-correction and feel are our focus (for now).
Do others have expensive track-side support? Yes. It would be nice to have an extra pair of hands on racing weekends. I literally don’t have a lick of time barely eat. Once my driver is off track, it’s feedback, cleaning, setup changes, and ensuring he’s not wasting energy muckin about!
Do others have expensive tent setups and team amenities? Yes. We pull in with our jeep and setup our small area under a shared tent. No need for fridges full of drinks, A/C units, TVs, snacks, etc.
There is something absolutely pure about doing-it-all-yourself. There is something absolutely special about a zero-static environment of focus. It’s when the deepest connections and relationship moments happen. Father and son.
I will never stop speaking, writing, or dreaming of these moments. If you follow me on X, you know that every track day is “The best times of my life.” I post it all the time.
Now, I can also say that my greatest moments with my daughter are at her archery practice and tournaments… but I’m a useless parent in that world. These moments with my girl are precious to me, but my lack of physical and mental engagement do not touch the bits of my soul like getting knuckle cuts on tire rotations or forearm burns from the exhaust during cleaning/inspection. For my princess, my focus on her while she’s practicing form and consistency is all that’s required. It’s also a good respite for me too.
Archery I do not know intimately. Racing is a genetic disease. It’s in the blood.
Learning and Growing IS the Gift
To build wealth, you must put your money at risk.
To build character, you must put yourself at risk.
Finding an intersection where both are at risk is where the most growth happens. I’m blessed to be able to say that all of 2023 I’ve been doing both, for my son, and for my dreams.
We’re 30 days into my first ever kickstarter campaign. We’re over 50% funded. I’m learning a ton… and mostly reminding myself of how much work it is to fundraise, even my smallest amount of $250,000.
2024 shall be our best year yet. We will make it so. Executing and learning is success, the progressive realization of a worthy goal.
What are you progressively realizing?
All the best,
ps