On Any Given Race Day

In the 1999 movie, Any Given Sunday, Al Pacino's character said, "On any given Sunday, you're gonna win or you're gonna lose. The point is - can you win or lose like a man?"

Change that to, "On any given race day, you're gonna win or you're gonna lose. The point is - can you keep your helmet cool and win or lose with humility?"

North Texas Kartway held it's Spring 3 race yesterday. Hunter was running great and leaving the pack behind in his qualifying and pre-final races, however, his competitors are quickly gaining speed and experience and it won't be too much longer before they are really pushing him for those wins.

The final heat started and Hunter took off from the pack and didn't look back. I even had time to take a little video of him and a couple of pictures from my phone. I was actually enjoying the stress free racing, knowing that in another month or two, the other kids will be chasing him down like crazy and then the stress starts over again in club racing.

Then it happened.

As he passed in front of me, he slowed down. Way down. His motor sounded like it ran out of gas, but he had a full tank of gas, so it wasn't that. No thrown chain sound. No broken sidepod to give us a disqualification. What in the world could it be? And to top it off, Scott (Dad) had to leave early for work and didn't get to set up the kart for the final. So, on my way down the fence line to where the kart had stopped, I'm running through my head all that I had done and did I miss anything? What did I do???? Okay, Mom, it's not your fault. It's nothing you did. You did what you were supposed to do. Oh, wait a minute. It's not about me. How is Hunter holding up with this?

Fine. Fine and dandy. According to him, he didn't know what happened, but things happen and you know, this is just how it is.

Huh. I really figured he'd be mad for a while then cool off and realize that. But this was right out of the kart. We ended up with a 3rd place. Still a podium finish!!

Yeah, on any given race day, anything can happen, but how you react to it defines the character.

The kart? Well, here's a picture - notice the chain on the sprocket? Yeah, it's not supposed to look like that. We're thinking the clutch bearing went bad and threw things off enough to shake the chain to where it didn't pop off, but caught on the sprocket and locked up the back end. It took some work to get the engine mount loose enough to get that chain back to where it belongs. On any given race day.

Wow. Just, Wow!

*Hunter on the front row to start a race on Saturday!*

Wow! What a weekend. We spent this past weekend in Norman, Oklahoma at the Oklahoma Motorsports Complex for the first two races of the Southwest Regional Cup series kart races. This being our first big regional race and first time at this track, we really didn't know what to expect.

We arrived on Friday, set up and got ready to practice. Everyone was very helpful on giving Hunter advice on how to run this track and what to expect. He went out to get a feel for the track and after two practice sessions, started feeling sick...hot, dry, headache, stomach ache. We were familiar with this. Two years ago, we had a heat exhaustion run to the hospital with Hunter during a race. So we got him in the truck under a/c, ice packs, water, and meds for the headache. He was so excited that day, he woke up super earlyin the morning, didn't eat but a couple bites for breakfast, didn't slow down much during the afternoon to eat and just snacked and boom...it hit. So, we sat out the last two practice runs. But the good news is that he perked up later and felt great.

On Saturday, we had some more friends give him some coaching on how to run this track and fortunately for Hunter, he tends to listen to the advice given to him by experienced racers and coaches and then applies what he heard. We had 6 TaG Cadet/Gazelle's register for the Saturday race and Hunter qualified 2nd for the pre-final heat. Then he ran a great pre-final and finished 2nd to set up for the final. The final on Saturday finished with another great 2nd! Our first big race and first on this track...you betcha', we'll take it with joy!!!

*Boys hanging out at the trailer watching a DVD with Hadyn*

Afterwards, we met more of the racers' families and gleaned more driving info from them. I am always amazed at how friendly and helpful our competitors are. Perhaps as we move up and Hunter gets older, it may not always be that way, but for now, it's an awesome thing to experience.

*Big class on Sunday!*

Sunday came and so did the big winds. Ah, yes, I remember these winds from growing up in the Texas Panhandle. What I used to consider a mild breeze then was now hurricane winds! Okay, not quite, but it's good that those karts are so close to the ground!! Hunter got more advice and then poured it on. We had 3 more karts racing with us on Sunday making a 9 kart group (7 in our class, 2 from another). He qualified 4th overall (3rd in our class) for the pre-final then stuck to the front row racers like glue throughout the pre-final to finish 2nd in our class!! He was driving like he was meant to do this.

*making last minute adjustments*

It was final time. I find it amusing to watch all the dads/tuners/coaches pouring over the karts on the grid trying to find any last minute adjustments they may need to make - and then wondering if they should've done this or that or what. Finding that sweet spot in racing seems to ebb and flow with the weather - is the sun out on the track, is it cloudy, is it windy, what is the humidity level, the temp, and so on. And Sunday was giving us some weird weather to deal with. But ready or not, it was time to go and go he did! Although he stayed closer to the front runner in the pre-final, he still finished 2nd place for the final bringing our SWRC weekend to close with two 2nd place finishes!!

We are so appreciative of all the help and advice we received all weekend and most of all thankful that the Lord blessed us so much with a great weekend.

We're looking forward to our Spring 3 club race on April 16th. Maybe we'll see you there!

Oklahoma Bound!

OOOOk-lahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain
And the wavin' wheat can sure smell sweet
When the wind comes right behind the rain.
Oklahoma, Ev'ry night my honey lamb and I
Sit alone and talk and watch a hawk
Makin' lazy circles in the sky.

We are packed up and getting ready to head a short trip North for Hunter to race in his first Southwest Regional Cup Series race. We told him last year that if he showed improvement over the year and could be a real contender for this series, we would take him to these races. Well, he did. And we are. And we are praying for a really great weekend and some really good racing action.

The reigning SWRC TaG Cadet champion is racing against Hunter, but that hasn't phased him much...just learning a new track is where his focus is right now. That and the fact he isn't going to school tomorrow.

And just a note, my little prayer warrior was concerned that there wouldn't be anyone else in his class running, so he has been praying every night for at least 5 in his class. The other day, I got an email confirming a total of 5 drivers in his class for this race - and more could sign up at the track - this was just pre-registration. I just love to watch God at work!!

We'll be posting updates on Facebook and here as they happen.

New Season - Continuing Lessons

Last year when we started in the TaG Cadet class at NTK, we were the "new kids" in the class. This year, Hunter is the seasoned pro in the class...said with a slight grin.

Last year, when Hunter and Reilly started this class, Gunnr was running away from the pack, leaving everyone behind and perhaps wondering if that was going to be the way it would be the entire year. Now that Gunnr and Reilly have moved to another class, Hunter is running with the "new kids" that he leaves behind. But as we know from last year, it won't be long before the others are chasing Hunter down and giving him a run for the championship. Nope. Not long at all. But until then...

Hunter finished Spring 1 waaaaaay in front of the field. However, we have learned, the hard way, that ANYTHING (sidepod) can happen in ANY race (sidepod) on any given day (sidepod). We've seen races lost due to broken chains, spinning out on corners, getting caught up in lapped traffic and of course the dreaded...sidepod.

So, until our competition is busy chasing us down, we will continue to work on building up a humble racer that Praises God for all things at all times!!

See you for Spring 2!

New Year...New Chances

We just finished up the four race Winter Series at NTK. It was yet again a heartbreaking finish to give Hunter a 2nd place finish on the series. But, the lessons learned were invaluable.

With the fourth race being the deciding factor of 1st or 2nd place for him, we told Hunter that no matter how the race finished, we were so proud of him and what he had learned over the prior three races. His corner driving had improved beyond belief and after one race, he had many other adult drivers pull him aside to give him some coaching on drafting and passing on the corners and he had started applying that knowledge to his driving.

I read a quote to Hunter from an interview with Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne:

GOING FROM WHERE YOU WERE WHEN YOU WERE RELEASED FROM WALTRIP RACING AND NOT SURE IF YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO RACE AT KANSAS TO WINNING THE DAYTONA 500 A FEW MONTHS LATER, HOW DOES IT UNDERSCORE YOUR BELIEF THAT THIS IS BIGGER THAN RACING FOR YOU?
“You know, before this ever happened I had a meeting with some of the people that are running my business and financial stuff and my dad was involved and we sat down to figure out what was the goal of Trevor Bayne as a company, a person, anything. I told them that the goal was not to be the best race car driver or the most marketable or most popular, it is none of those things, it is to build a platform and let God use us on the platform that He is building which might require me to become the best race car driver or be the most marketable or most popular or whatever it is. I just want to stand on the platform that He is putting under me and that is our goal. If that is the goal then our highs and lows will be a lot more manageable.”

Racing is great. Winning is fantastic. Learning and growing is wonderful. But it's not the big picture. For Hunter to put God first in his life and to give Him glory no matter what - win or lose - is the highest priority. Hunter gets it. At 9 years old, the kid gets it.

Spinning out while about to make his move to pass the leader in the last race of the Winter series knocked Hunter out of the 1st place series win. Of course he was devastated. But he bounced back quickly and counted his blessings for all that he learned in this series and will learn to come.

He's ready to take on Spring 2011.

Go Hunter!

Great Year and Major Heartbreak

Dale Ernhardt Sr. said, "You

win some, you lose some, you wreck

some."

Mama Lori says: "Racing. Gotta love it...or you wouldn't be paying

for it!"

Hunter had an absolutely fantastic racing year in TAG Cadet I at North Texas Kartway. Our 2010 racing season will go down for us as one of tremendous growth and maturity in racing. We watched this year as Hunter came out of his Kid Kart running consistently mid-pack, to being one of the three rotating front runners in this Cadet class. He won the Summer Series and was just mere points away from walking away with the Year End Championship at our last race yesterday. Mere points. A first place finish would've cleared it for him. A second place finish to Gunnr would have cleared it for him by 1 point. Anything else and he finishes with a 3rd place for the year. Nothing to sneeze at, ya know.

So, we start the day with a really good qualifying run - starts 2nd but on the front row. Move on to the pre-final heat and Hunter left the field behind...ran away with it...sets himself up on the pole for the final heat. Dad and I had checked the kart over...bolts tightened down, chain and bearings lubed up, air pressure right in the tires, carb jetting set just where it needed to be. We were all ready.

The boys were lined up for the final, rolled off the grid and since we had a bunch of rookies in the back of the field, there was some confusion on the rolling start so they were waved off for another lap. That's when it happened.

Hunter's side-pod fell off. Well, it didn't just "fall" off...it broke off. And the rules we run under for safety state that we can not run without a side-pod. Hunter received a mechanical black flag and had to leave the track. Leave the track. Not race. His night and championship bid was over. An entire year of earning points to get to this race...gone with one broken bracket.

Heartbreak just barely begins to describe the emotions we all went through (and still going through). But we all are strong enough in our Christian faith walk to know that God will "prune" us like a gardener growing grapevines will prune a vine to produce the very best fruit. Pruning hurts, but we grow...in character...in faith..in Christ...we grow.

Hunter did great. He is our champion and we couldn't be more proud of him. We'll be back next year ready to make that championship run again. And this time...we'll be checking those side-pods, too!!

Summer Series Finale

Okay, I'm a blog slacker. Sorry about that. I think it's the heat. But our "cold front" came in today and the heat didn't get over 100*...just high 90's. So, here I am again!! LOL!

I rea

lly don't know if I can relive the last few races. They've been nail biters for us. But nothing compared to the last race of the summer series. In checking the points total for the series, Hunter was in the lead. But the last race would determine the Summer Series Champion. If Hunter won Summer 6, he would win the series. If he got 2nd place to his buddy Reilly, he would lose by only 1 point. Wow.

So, imagine my surprise when I found out on Friday night at practice that Reilly would not be racing on Saturday. A small part of me was elated that there would be no real pressure (Hunter could lose to the other kids and still win the series), but a larger part that was really bummed that he wouldn't be able to really "race" for the win.

Anyway, a couple of other parents agreed with us on that and put in a call to Reilly's parents to see if they co

uld help out in any way to get him to the track on Saturday to race. When they walked in to register on Saturday, I had to tease about my mixed emotions of them showing up (We really wanted them there), to which Reilly's dad teased back, "well, we couldn't let you walk away with it!" No, no you really couldn't!!

Heat 1 qualifying didn't go too well for Hunter. He was having some issues with the kart set up and was spinning off the track in some areas. Then came the Heat 2 pre-final race. He got behind Reilly for 2nd and just wasn't able to make a pass, so 2nd it was and 2nd was where he would start for the final.

For the Heat 3 Final, we told Hunter to go out and do his very best and if he could get ahead of Reilly at the start, he very well could hold him off for the race...hopefully. The boys rolled out on the track, lined up, came around the last corner toward the race director and....GREEN FLAG...Go! Go! Go!!!!

Hunter jumped out to the lead and for 11 3/4 of 12 laps held that lead. However, Reilly was on his tail and would nearly pass him on the same corner for many of those laps. Talk about stressed out parents watching!!!

Then it happened.

On the 2nd to last corner, Reilly made his move to pass. However, this is a banked turn and momentum will push a kart on the inside, low line, up higher...and who was in that high line? Yup. Hunter. The two collided and Hunter spun off the track. Fortunately, his kart was still running and he was able to get back on the track and finish the race. Hearts were broken, but that is racing.

Both boys were devastated. Reilly didn't want to win like that. Hunter didn't want to lose like that. But both are such good friends that it didn't take long to make up and hang out again.

But that wasn't the end. The Race Director decided (probably in the interest of safety and after hearing from corner marshals watching this corner) to penalize Reilly one race position and award Hunter 1st place.

So, we have a champion racer in the house, but more importantly were all the lessons learned that night:

GOOD Sportsmanship in ALL situations is paramount to being a great athlete.

SAFETY counts in ALL aspects of racing.

And GREAT friends can be GREAT competitors!

We're looking forward to the Fall Series season.

See you there!