There’s a scene in the movie, Days of Thunder, where crew chief Harry Hyde (played by Robert Duvall) gets on the radio and sarcastically tells his driver, Cole Trickle (played by Tom Cruise) to hit the pace car because it’s the only thing he hasn’t hit all day. I think my virtual crew chief was […]
Category Archives: Road Racing
Summer in Upstate New York
There are lots of reasons that Watkins Glen reminds me of Road America. They’re both located in summer resort areas, they’re both in communities that hosted races on public roads before they had tracks, they both have world-famous bars associated with their track (Road America has Siebken’s Resort and Watkins Glen has Seneca Lodge), and […]
Maple Valley Raceway – Race #2
Race two at Maple Valley was another strange affair. I started 6th and moved my way up a bit on the first couple of laps, before having contact on lap three and spinning off course, hitting a barrier. I recovered fairly quickly, losing only two spots, and went on to challenge for the win on […]
Maple Valley Raceway – Race #1
Let’s talk about Maple Valley Raceway. It’s a blast to drive. It’s fast, technical, and it never gives you an opportunity to relax. There’s always something happening. This is the first time I’ve ever driven Maple Valley, and it’s already become one of my favorite tracks. But things at Maple Valley are not perfect. For […]
Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Race #2
Race #2 at Indianapolis was a lot of fun. That’s not just because I qualified 5th and ended up winning the race and running the fastest lap (although that helped), but because I drove a good race and there was very little contact. In fact, I think the two races at Indianapolis were my two […]
Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Race #1
I’ve never been to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Grand Prix circuit. The last time I was at Indy, the Grand Prix course didn’t even exist. So, to make up for my lack of real life experience at the track, I did a lot of practice laps in preparation for my two races there. I qualified […]
Going Racing at Indy!
Vacation is over. It’s time to go to Indy. I think anyone who’s ever raced has dreamed of racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The place is iconic. When I was growing up, I used to always look forward to watching the Indy 500. In those days, the race was shown on tape delay. It […]
Road America – Race #2
I didn’t expect to do well at Road America. The Honda Civic Type R is not cut out for Road America’s long straights and high speed corners. Even so, it’s hard not to be disappointed with my results today’s race. I qualified 18th on the grid and ran into trouble on the very first corner. […]
America’s National Park of Speed: Road America
I love Road America. When I was a kid, I used to go to Elkhart Lake three or four times a year for races at Road America. My friend’s dad was RE of the Chicago Region of the SCCA, and my friend and I would work timing and scoring at the races. We worked everything […]
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca – Race #2
I was not looking forward to race two at WeatherTech Laguna Seca. If you read my review of race one, you know that I was upset that it took so long for my tires to warm up (especially compared to the drivatars), and that the car didn’t handle the way it had in practice. I […]